When you take your passion for volleyball to the next level, training to become a coach, you won’t face any shortage of enthusiastic players. Volleyball is among the Top 3 most popular sports in the world for men and women, along with soccer and basketball. More than 200 countries are members of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), more than any other sport in the world.
Volleyball is the No. 1 team sport for high school girls in the United States. More than 440,000 young athletes play volleyball every season, and more than 10,000 scholarships are offered for players at the college level.
It is also in the top three most popular Olympic sports in terms of ticket sales and television ratings.
As a volleyball coach, you can also take reassurance in the safety of your players. A non-contact sport, volleyball has one of the lowest concussion rates of any sport at the high school and college levels.
You’ll be teaching a sport that individuals can play for a lifetime, enjoying good health and competition for decades to come.
You’ve heard the expression “There’s no I in Team” and it was never truer than in volleyball. No single player can be the star on a volleyball team. The sport teaches leadership, failure, success and much more.
You don’t need a lot of equipment. Just a place to play, poles and a net, a volleyball, and maybe protective pads for players’ knees and elbows. That’s it.
Volleyball is exciting. The action is non-stop. Players can use their whole body in this sport.
As a coach, you’ll train players in learning to read over the net, deflecting the ball and keeping it constantly in play. There’s no pause in volleyball.
The time commitment for most volleyball coaches is about 20 to 30 hours a week during the season, including practices, games and travel.
Sounds good? Then read on. In this article you’ll discover:
- How much money you can make as a volleyball coach
- The required training and certifications
- Professional groups to join
- Employment Opportunities
- Finding players as a private coach
- And more
How much money can you make?
Private volleyball coaches charge anywhere from $30 to more than $100 per hour for their services, depending on professional experience and the skill level being taught.
High school volleyball coaches are paid per season, usually between $2,500 and $3,000. Seasons typically last from mid-March into early May, though it varies around the country.
College volleyball coaches can earn $100,000 and more at the top programs in the United States.
Community club coaches can make $700 to $1,000 per month during the season.
Many high school, community and even college coaches supplement their income by working as a counselor and coach at summer camps where volleyball is offered, or by recruiting students for private lessons.
Coaches also make money by running their own camps or train new coaches in different techniques and new ways to run drills. Many pro volleyball players add to their income in this way from prize money playing games.
Training and Certification
You can get a feel for what it’s like to coach volleyball by checking out the training videos on the USA Volleyball’s education website.
Coaches teach passing, serving, how and when to spike, receiving the ball and defensive moves, among many other techniques. If you’ve played volleyball, chances are you know many of the moves. During your own training toward becoming a coach you’ll learn how to teach the moves effectively to your players.
As part of certification, all coaches must be registered with USA Volleyball. You’ll receive a registration card and number after paying the annual fee.
No specific educational background is required, but a high school diploma or GED will usually be necessary to coach at the high school level and as a college coach.
Coaches have mandatory training in SafeSport and must complete a course in IMPACT Certification, (Increased Mastery and Professional Application of Coaching Theory), which is free for USA Volleyball members and $100 for everyone else.
SafeSport training teaches coaches how to recognize the red flags of emotional, physical and sexual misconduct, and what to do. The online SafeSport 90-minute core course covers these topics, followed by a test:
- Mandatory Reporting
- Sexual Misconduct Awareness Education
- Emotional and Physical Misconduct
You can review the full course outline here. The online course costs $20.
Coaches must also get at least a CAP 1 Certification. The course for this certification costs between $200 and $300 depending on when you register. Finally, a Referee Certification will complete the process allowing you to be a certified volleyball coach. The referee certification requirements vary by region.
Coaches must be registered USA Volleyball members of the region where they live. USA Volleyball also requires coaches who work with players under the age of 18 to have a current background screening.
You can sign up for USA Volleyball’s supplemental safety training courses here by creating an account.
Professional Groups to Join
The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the premiere organization for pro players, their coaches and fans. Annual memberships start at $20. The AVP produces, markets and distributes volleyball events worldwide, including the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. The AVP is a champion of family-oriented events and healthy lifestyle. Members include world-class athletes who have won many Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the Olympic Games. Members receive many benefits, including early access to events, tutorials, play analysis, discounts on sports equipment and more.
USA Volleyball is the main organization for volleyball coach certification. The annual membership fee varies, depending o0n the region where you live. In addition to certification, as a member of USA Volleyball you’ll have access to other perks such as coaching clinics and training seminars with other members.
Employment
For coaches at the college level, the single best place to start looking for a job is through the NCAA employment website. You can filter search results by state, experience level and type of employment, such as contract, part-time or seasonal.
High school coaches can apply for jobs through the school district. You may not need any credentials beyond USA Volleyball certification, unless your goal is to teach high school and coach volleyball during the season. In that case, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in education along with a teaching license required in most states.
Certified coaches and student volleyball athletes can find work coaching at sports summer camps.
Coaches may also opt to open their own year-round volleyball training camps. A helpful PocketSuite article on booking clients is available here.
Finding Clients
As a college volleyball coach, you’ll spend most of your time looking for players by recruiting high school students to attend your college and join the team. Recruitment involves meeting with prospective players and their families, as well as reviewing players’ game videos and their statistics to evaluate performance.
The Next College Student Athlete notes that attracting top talent is extremely competitive. This makes your recruitment a little easier due to the explosive growth in volleyball participation and the rise of elite volleyball clubs. In any given year there may be thousands of talented volleyball players pursuing college and university scholarships.
Coaching at the high school level, players typically come to you during tryouts. You might have to post an announcement about upcoming tryouts on the school website or hang flyers in the hallways.
If you’re running your own volleyball camp, reach out to area high schools and let them know the availability of a summer camp so their players stay active and advance their skills. This complements your other marketing efforts, which should include regular posts on social media linking back to your business website. Also check out this article on encouraging clients to give your business 5-star reviews on social media platforms such as Yelp.
Good to know:
- When running your own volleyball camp, you can make extra income by offering branded apparel such as t-shirts with the camp name and logo.
- Alternatively, branded clothing can be given away as a freebie bonus for new campers. Just build the cost of the clothing into your camp fees.
- Buy a liability insurance policy and keep it up to date. How much coverage you need will depend on several factors, such as your net worth and the value of your private business. Liability insurance is important because in all sports injuries can happen and you could potentially be blamed, unfairly or not.
- Set up an Amazon affiliate account to post small advertisements for volleyball equipment and merchandise on your website. You receive a portion of the sale when someone clicks on an ad on your website and buys a product. That way you’re making some money even if visitors to your website don’t convert into paying campers.
If you enjoyed this article, check out some other PocketSuite.io content that can help you grow your career as a soccer coach. Here’s a great place to start.
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