Over the past ten years, boys’ youth volleyball has seen an explosion in the area referred to as Silicon Valley. Boys’ volleyball has evolved from a niche sport to an active sport for hundreds of athletes between middle school and high school age, and clubs are putting teams through the highest levels of competition in the sport nationally. The growth and opportunity brings with it a financial reality that every family involved in youth sport will have to deal with: the cost of playing/being a member of a competitive club is pricey, often underestimated.
Club Fees to Begin with
The fees to join the club is at the base of the costs. For an organized club in the Bay Area, fall and summer costs are normally somewhere around $6000. For spring, high schoolers play in the school league, which usually adds no cost except some private schools. For middle schoolers, the club training fee is usually around $2000. For them, the club fee range moves to about $8000 with the additional $2000 for spring practices.
| Category | Item | Min Cost | Max Cost | % of Total Range |
| Club Fees | Fall + Summer Club Fees | $6000 | $6000 | 26% |
| Club Fees | Spring Training Fee | $2000 | $2000 | 8.8% – 11.0% |
| Development | Optional Clinics/Private Lessons | $2000 | $3000 | 11.0% – 13.2% |
| SoCal Tournaments | Transportation ($400 per family per tournament) | $1200 | $2000 | 6.6% – 8.8% |
| SoCal Tournaments | Hotel ($400/night, 2-3 nights per tournament) | $2400 | $4000 | 13.3% – 17.5% |
| SoCal Tournaments | Tickets ($75 per person per tournament) | $450 | $750 | 2.5% – 3.3% |
| Orlando Nationals | Transportation ($1000 per family) | $1000 | $1000 | 4.4% – 5.5% |
| Orlando Nationals | Hotel ($300/night, 2-3 nights per tournament) | $900 | $900 | 3.9% – 5.0% |
| Orlando Nationals | Tickets ($75 per person per tournament) | $150 | $150 | 0.7% |
| Others | Food & Team Building | $2000 | $2000 | 11.0% – 13.2% |
| Others | Power Leagues | $0 | $0 | 0.0% |
| Total | $18100 | $22800 | 100% |
Annual Club Sports Cost Breakdown Assuming A Family of Two
Clinics and Private Lesson In Addition to Team Practices
For most of the boys, when and if they follow the formal practices of a team, the previous club costs will be their base costs considering they will have enough practice to “get by.” In order for boys to develop, improve and compete at the highest level, especially for boys that are trying to play at a high level, sufficient practice usually is not adequate. Many will seek clinics and private lessons to receive and develop extra touches, and receive some form of coaching – this could create another $2000 to $3000 annual costs on an “optional” basis. Again, it is “optional,” but it is not unreasonable in what is a competitive place like the Bay Area to assume it would be, for some, a necessity to maintain pace with their peers.
Tournaments: Local and Beyond
Tournaments are a normal part of the volleyball season. Club teams are traveling to multi-day SoCal or equivalent tournaments three to five times over a year. For a Bay Area family of two, they would expect to spend, on travel costs, between $400 per trip. Transportation cost for Socal totals around $1,200-$2,000. Hotel costs are likely to be between $2,400-$4,000 for these events. Spectator tickets are $75 per person for event. So, tickets will cost about between $450 -$750 for SoCal or equivalent tournaments. That’s $3,000-$6,000 for travel alone.
Also, club teams compete in, the biggest stage, Nationals in July. Bay Area boys’ clubs are targeting this four-day tournament. Basically, this is an opportunity for your boys’ club to compete against the top boys’ teams from around the country. And these costs can add up. Airfare for two is about $1,000, hotel accommodations are about $900, and spectator tickets have a face value of about $150, bringing the total for one tournament just below $2,000-$2,400.
Other Ongoing Expenses
Local Power Leagues are relatively inexpensive (often included in club fees), and therefore the hidden costs cannot be overlooked. Food during various tournaments such as SoCal and Nationals, especially on multi-day trips, with long hours at tournament sites, and also team bonding and social events can easily become $2,000-$3,000 a year. Also, you will buy volleyball gears and training equipments. Let us ignore that for now.
The Bottom Line
When parents tally all of these expenses (club dues, training, local and national tournaments, and additional travel costs) over an entire season, that yearly price for one boy to play club volleyball in Silicon Valley ultimately falls between $18,000-$23,000. The specific number will depend on the individual team in competitions and travels (i.e. how many tournaments attended, how many family members traveled, and how many extra clinics private, additional training they are receiving).
For some sports parents, new to the sport, these expenses seem overwhelming. But for many families, the commitment is worth it. Boys’ volleyball brings structure, fitness, lifelong friendships, for some, a possible pathway to college recruitment. As we noted above, Club volleyball in the Bay Area or beyond is a commitment of time and passion, as it is with almost everything new, but also a realization of financial commitment.
Thank you for your sharing. This is very helpful to my family. In the meantime, you put no cost for power leagues. Is this right?
The cost is close to minimum so I list as 0. In reality, you will need to $20 admission ticket fee. Maybe one night hotel if it is too far away. Usually, that is not the case.