What a club volleyball season costs
For a competitive or club athlete, plan on roughly $1,100–$4,800+ a year. For comparison, the Aspen Institute's 2019 survey put the average across all levels of volleyball at $595 a year — a number that includes school and rec players, and sits far below what club families pay.
| Line item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Regional club fee, per season | $400–$2,700 |
| National-level club fee (2025–26 example; covers uniforms, entries, gym and coach travel) | $4,700–$4,800 |
| Commitment deposit after tryouts (example) | ≈ $600 |
| Monthly payment plan on a national-level team (example) | ≈ $455–$470 / month |
| Family travel to tournaments and nationals — not in the club fee | Flights, hotels and food on top |
When the money is needed
- Late October – mid-November: Tryouts, right after the high-school season. Offers and commitment letters come fast.
- November – July: The club season: practices plus regional and national-qualifier tournaments.
- Monthly, from late summer or fall: Payment plans on many clubs, spreading the fee across the season.
- May – early July: National championships — USA Volleyball and AAU nationals in cities like Las Vegas, Chicago, Minneapolis and Orlando.
The money moments to plan for
These are the points in a club volleyball year when a family suddenly needs cash — and the best moments to ask for support, because there's a specific, believable reason.
- The deposit and commitment letter, often due within days of a tryout offer.
- Monthly club dues that run for most of the year.
- Out-of-town qualifier tournaments with a hotel weekend each.
- The nationals bid — a week of flights and hotels in June or July that the club fee usually does not cover.
Fundraising ideas that fit club volleyball
Ask now, before the deposit
Tryouts are in late fall, so the moment to set up a fund page is before them — supporters who start at $25 a month in October have the deposit and first dues covered by the time the offer comes.
"Get me to nationals"
Once the team earns a bid, the trip has a city, a week and a price. Use the nationals trip calculator, put the number on the page, and send it to the family group chat the day the bid comes in.
Match monthly supporters to monthly dues
If dues are about $450 a month, eighteen supporters at $25 a month cover them. That is a clear, honest ask: "Will you be one of my eighteen?"
Sponsor a tournament weekend
List the season's travel tournaments and let a grandparent or local business "own" one. Post the result and a photo afterwards so they see what they paid for.
A sample season goal
A goal people trust is itemized and specific. Here's what a club volleyball goal of $4,000 over 9 months could look like:
- Club fee balance after the deposit: $2,500
- Three out-of-town tournament weekends: $900
- Share of the nationals trip: $600
That's about $444 a month — or roughly 18 supporters giving $25 a month. Write the line items on the fund page, so a grandparent can see their $25 is "one tournament entry," not a vague donation. See how to set a fundraising goal for the full method.
National championships
If your athlete qualifies, these are the trips to budget for:
- USA Volleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship — May 2027 (a USA Volleyball region calendar lists May 7–9 — confirm), Minneapolis, MN
- USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championship — June 2027 (USA Volleyball notices list both Jun 5–7 and Jun 11–13 — confirm), Anaheim, CA
- AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships — Typically mid-to-late June (2027 dates TBA), Orlando, FL
- USA Volleyball Girls 11–13 Junior National Championship — Jun 18–21, 2027, Chicago, IL
- USA Volleyball Girls 14–17 Junior National Championship — Jun 27 – Jul 5, 2027, Las Vegas, NV
Use the nationals trip budget calculator to price the trip.
Grants worth checking
- All Kids Play — Youth Sports Grants — Registration, equipment, uniforms and other reasonable costs — recreational, class or travel sports.
- Every Kid Sports — Every Kid Sports Pass — Registration fees.
- Women's Sports Foundation — Travel & Training Fund — Coaching, training, equipment and travel toward national and world championships.
The full list, with who qualifies and how to apply, is in the youth sports grants directory.
Start a free club volleyball fund page
Grants and budgeting rarely close the whole gap. A Sport Fund page lets family, friends and local supporters back your athlete once or every month — free for athletes, and 100% of every donation reaches them (the small fee is added on top for the supporter, never taken out).
Frequently asked questions
How much does club volleyball cost?
Regional club fees commonly run $400–$2,700 a season, and many families spend $1,100–$4,000 or more all-in. National-level teams can charge $4,700–$4,800 in club fees alone, before family travel to tournaments and nationals.
When are club volleyball tryouts?
Usually late October to mid-November, right after the high-school season ends. Clubs often ask for a signed commitment and a deposit within days of an offer, so it pays to plan the money before tryouts.
Does the club fee cover nationals?
Club fees often include tournament entries and coaches' travel, but rarely the family's own flights, hotel and food. A nationals trip is a separate, predictable cost — and one of the easiest to fundraise for.
Sources: Country Fire Volleyball 16U and 18U tryout pages (2025–26 fees); Better at Volleyball cost estimate; NCVA tryout rules; Aspen Institute / Utah State 2019 youth sport survey (via Money); USA Volleyball junior nationals. Costs vary widely by region, club and level; figures are ranges, not quotes.
Guides for other sports
Was this guide helpful?