MVSA Club Volleyball fees are all inclusive and very reasonable, providing an exceptional value for the money compared to any club in the USAV Chesapeake Region. MVSA Volleyball keeps costs down and provides more tournament play by hosting many tournaments ourselves.

What IS included in the MVSA club fee:

• Uniforms (at least two team jerseys - 11U and higher)
• All tournament entry fees (8–15 depending on age group – 11U and higher)
• Practice gym space rental
• Specialty clinics and team skills training
• Coach costs (lodging/travel/etc.) for all scheduled overnight tournaments – 3 to 10 nights depending on age group and team. All teams (11U and higher) will attend at least one overnight tournament with most teams (13U and higher) attending more.
• Equipment and supplies – balls, carts, nets, etc.
• Program administration – mailing, website, coach training and out-of-pocket expenses/travel, publicity and copies, club insurance, etc.

What is NOT included in the MVSA club fee:

• Player transportation to and from all practices and tournaments
• Player accommodations for overnight tournaments
• Player meals and all other personal expenses

The advertised team fees cover only the regular season. Teams that choose to attend post season tournaments and/or additional overnight tournaments beyond their budget fund-raise individually to cover their additional expenses.

When comparing cost differences between clubs, it can be difficult as not all clubs list what is and isn't included. A failure to list this information should be a red flag.

Regardless of whether a breakdown is provided, here are some questions you can ask so that you have a better understanding of what participation with a particular club will actually cost your family:

• Are the advertised fees all-inclusive? For many clubs, the advertised fee is just the start and they will ask for additional money throughout the season.
• Are uniform costs part of the fee? Have you seen a team at a tournament and every player has matching backpacks, warm-ups, and shoes? It looks nice, but more than likely you will be paying handsomely for that fashion choice above and beyond the advertised club fee.
• How many tournaments do they play in? How many are local versus ones that require travel? The more travel tournaments a team is involved in the more your out-of-pocket costs will actually be.
• For travel tournaments, how far away are they? Can you drive there or do they require a plane flight? Air travel is expensive, and tournaments that require it will add significantly to your costs. There is plenty of high-quality competition within a car ride of the DC Metro area so the need for air travel should be minimal.
• How many overnight tournaments does the team go to? Are those costs part of the club fee? Do you have to pay for only your expenses or for those of the coaching staff as well? Many clubs travel heavily but none of the costs associated with that travel (including coach costs) are part of their fee. If that is the case for a club you are looking at, be aware that actual costs will be significantly (sometimes thousands) more than what is advertised.
• How many players does the club allow per team? The substitution rules of club volleyball actually make it difficult to meaningfully involve more than ten players in a set. If the club you are looking at routinely takes more than ten players per team, they may be making up for lower fees with player volume and your child's playing time in tournaments may suffer as a result. Or worse, they are still charging you outrageous fees but using the fact they are "elite" to somehow convince you that it is a privilege for your daughter to sit on the bench and take stats for her team.

For our 10U team, fees will be collected in two payments of 50% each. For 11U and higher, payments will be made according to the following schedule:

Fees are collected automatically based on the payment schedule described above and using a payment method of your choosing (bank account or credit/debit card). Individual payments may be rounded with the total of all four payments matching the team fees described below.

* The number of players may occasionally be more or less based on individual team circumstances and other atypical factors
** For 13U and higher, one team will have additional travel opportunities that will require more overnight accommodations and thus a higher club fee