Every year, club volleyball tryouts sneak up on us. It felt like just last week when we were at the pool trying not to get too sunburned and looking forward to the week-long vacation before the kids go back to school. Then bang! Here comes the rush of back-to-school-shopping-first-day-of-school-team-tryouts-first-game-why-is-my-kid-on-the-bench!?-good-lord-these-kneepads-need-to-be-washed-we-need-to-stop-and-get-stuff-for-dinner-before-homework-and-why-is-the-halloween-candy-out-this-early? Wait, what season is it again? Are those Christmas decorations? IT’S STILL SEPTEMBER FOR PETE’S SAKE.

That reminds me…. Oh my gosh! Club volleyball tryouts! When does that start? Am I too late?! Where is the info? Who are the clubs? Where are tryouts? How much does it cost? Did we miss it?

Cue the panicked phone calls to other parents, the rush to find out the information, and the rumors that all the teams are already full!

Unfortunately, I wish I could tell you that club season doesn’t come earlier every year. I also wish I could tell you that the inflatable Halloween pumpkin you just set up is an acceptable lawn decoration for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Mardi Gras. But, alas, I cannot. Tryouts come earlier every year, and yes, you may have missed it.

Why earlier every year? Well, like all other businesses, clubs must compete for the best locations, and the best clients. One of the ways to do that is to offer their programs earlier than everyone else. So each year, the tryouts move up, because clubs are vying for your athlete.

Yes, our coaches are current and former club coaches and directors, and yes, each Head Coach is USAV and SafeSport certified. But Delta Athletics is not a club. We are a year-round training program for athletes of all ages and skills. Think of Delta Athletics as where you train, and think of club as where you compete. In fact, most of Delta athletes attend Delta local training and club simultaneously during the season.

Because Delta Athletics is a year-round training program, we are club neutral. Which means that while we encourage athletes who want to play club to do so, we don’t try to direct them to any specific program. We work with all clubs, and provide unbiased information to our clients (and the public at large) as a service to the volleyball community. However, our Head Coaches are not bound from coaching club volleyball, so there may be some of your Delta coaches who will be coaching club on any given year. If you want to know if your favorite Delta coach is coaching a team this season, your best bet is to ask them directly.

Phew! I don’t think its too late, because the other kids haven’t tried out yet. I still have time! So, where is the information that I need to know?

If you are from the Chattanooga area, I have good news for you! Each year Delta Athletics works to get its athletes connected to the club programs in the area, and we try to provide the most up to date information to all athletes in the area. Listed below is the current Chattanooga teams and tryouts calendar.