Our Philosophy

The mission of McLean Youth Volleyball is to provide student athletes the opportunity to play and enjoy volleyball in a safe and fun environment.  We encourage all those interested, regardless of experience/ability, to join our program and play on a team. If you don't know how to play, we will teach you.  For the House program, there are no tryouts - if you register you will be placed on a team.  We promote maximizing ball "touches" as the best way for players to master volleyball skills, and participating in competitive league matches against other teams as the best way to learn and enjoy the game.

Program Scope

• There are leagues for girls (grades 4th-12th) in the spring and boys (grades 4th-8th) in the fall
• Teams are grouped by school grade so participants are playing with their age peers
• The first phase of the season typically involves 1 - 2 weeks of clinics aimed at developing or refreshing foundational volleyball skills such as passing, setting, hitting and serving. Experienced clinic instructors run the clinics.
• In the second phase, teams meet once a week to practice and once a week to play league matches.
• At the end of the season, playoffs are held to determine season champions.
• If time permits, all-star teams are also selected at the end of the season to participate in friendly all-star matches

Player Commitment

• The commitment level is intended to be student-friendly and multi-sport friendly.
  • 1 practice on a weekday for 90 minutes between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm at schools in the greater McLean area such as McLean HS, Langley HS, Longfellow MS, Cooper MS, Chesterbrook ES, Churchill Road ES, Kent Gardens ES, Lemon Road ES, Spring Hill ES and Haycock ES.  Other possible schools include the Madeira School, Kilmer MS and Thoreau MS.
  • 1 match (3 games) on Saturdays for 1 hour at schools in the greater McLean area
• The day, time and location of practices are determined by coaches (HINT: if you want to control your schedule, volunteer to coach -- we always need the help).
• To support carpooling, teams are formed around teammate requests and school affiliations. Participants are also welcome to propose a team change if a practice time conflicts with other commitments. We'll try to accommodate as best we can.
• Teams only play other teams in the same league. 

Levels of Play

• House Leagues - Instructional program for beginner to intermediate players where anyone who signs up plays.  For girls, it's available in spring for grades 4th to 12th.  For boys it's available in fall for grades 4th to 8th.
• Select Leagues - A more advanced program for intermediate to advanced players that involves a selection process.  It's only available in Spring for girls in grades 6th-8th (MS Select) and grades 9th-12th (HS Select).  There are currently no boys Select leagues.
• Travel Leagues - Teams of advanced selected players that compete in a league against other local volleyball programs in Fairfax County.  It's available in spring for girls in grades 9th to 12th.  Visit the HS Travel page for details.  The boys House League also doubles as a Travel League.

General Timelines

• Spring Season (girls)
  • Online registration opens in early January and closes in late February.
  • Rosters and practice times are published by mid-March.
  • Skills development clinics are run during the first 1 - 2 weeks of the season in mid to late March.
  • Team practices and league matches run for 6 - 7 weeks starting in early April.
  • League playoffs take place in late May or early June.
  • All-Star tournaments are held in mid-June
• Fall Season (boys)
  • Registration opens in early July and closes in early September.
  • Rosters and practice times are published by mid-September.
  • Skills development clinics are run during the first 1 - 2 weeks of the season in mid to late September.
  • Team practices and league matches run for 5 - 6 weeks starting in early October.
  • League playoffs take place in early November
  • All-Star tournaments is held in mid-November

Volunteers

• We are looking for adult and High School student volunteers to help with all aspects of McLean Youth Volleyball. We have volunteer positions at different levels of commitment that can fit into busy schedules.
• Our primary need is for head coaches and assistant coaches. MYA Volleyball provides training, mentoring and supporting materials regardless of previous volleyball and coaching experience. We offer volunteer coaching opportunities for recreational teams, competitive middle school teams, and competitive high school teams featuring varsity and JV players that no longer player for club teams. 
• For additional detail on volunteer roles and responsibilities, visit the Volunteer Info page and sign-up as a volunteer through the register online process.

Email questions to mcleanvb@gmail.com.