How Club Volleyball Works in BC: Tryouts, Age Groups and Offers

Club volleyball is growing fast in BC. Volleyball BC reports that club athletes rose from about 4,900 in 2022 to more than 8,000 in 2026, across roughly 100 clubs. Compared with basketball or soccer, the club volleyball calendar is shorter and more standardized, so a few key dates matter a lot.

Who runs youth club volleyball in BC

• Volleyball BC is the provincial sport organization. It sets club membership rules, the tryout and offer process, and runs provincials.
• Clubs are where you register. Volleyball BC's club list shows each club's status; "In Good Standing" means the club is a member and is governed by Volleyball BC.

Some clubs also run training, leagues or camps that Volleyball BC does not sanction, insure or govern, so ask before you register for those.

The BC club volleyball calendar

These are the typical windows in Volleyball BC's guide; exact dates are set by Volleyball BC each year.

Tryouts and offers: the rules that matter most

Volleyball BC's guide for parents and players explains the process:

• You register for tryouts with each club separately, and tryout fees are separate from club fees. Going to a tryout doesn't commit you to that club.
• Clubs must use Volleyball BC's standard offer letter and can't withdraw an offer before 6 p.m. on the Offer Signing Date.
• Signing the letter or paying part of the club fee counts as accepting. That's a binding commitment for one season. After accepting, stop attending other tryouts and let those clubs know.
• Volleyball BC has a zero-tolerance policy on clubs recruiting athletes directly from other clubs.

Ask about costs, the refund policy and the schedule before you sign.

Volleyball age groups (2027 season)

Clubs field teams from 12U to 18U (some list younger groups), but not every club has every age group. For the 2027 season (January–May 2027):

• 13U: born January 1 to December 31, 2014
• 14U: born September 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013
• 15U: born September 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012
• 16U, 17U, 18U: continue the same 16-month pattern

From 14U up, each group covers a 16-month window, so kids born in September to December of the previous year can also play in it. Check the current rules your club publishes.

Costs: ask what's included

Volleyball BC's guide gives no dollar amounts, but lists items that may or may not be included in club fees: hotels, travel, number and length of practices, strength and conditioning, uniforms and gear, and exhibition tournaments. The guide also says each club's own financial and refund policies apply, and that Volleyball BC doesn't step into fee disputes between families and clubs.

Safety requirements for clubs

Volleyball BC requires club coaches, staff and volunteers to:

• complete a criminal record check every three years;
• sign a screening disclosure form every year;
• complete Safe Sport training.

The guide also stresses "open and observable" environments, so an athlete is never alone with a coach or another person in authority. Concerns about abuse, harassment or maltreatment can go to ITP Sport, an independent third party.

School volleyball and beach volleyball in BC

• School volleyball is a fall sport under BC School Sports. In the 2023–24 calendar, boys' and girls' provincials ran in November and December; girls' provincials have four tiers, A to AAAA.
• Youth beach volleyball: Volleyball BC runs 13U–18U youth beach provincials for teams of two. The 2024 event was held in early August, and players needed a Volleyball BC membership.

Questions to ask a volleyball club in Greater Vancouver

• Are you a Volleyball BC member club "In Good Standing"?
• What does the club fee include, what's extra, and what's your refund policy?
• How many practices a week, and where? How many out-of-town tournaments?
• Is there a complaints contact who is independent of the club's leadership?
• Do you support athletes who play other sports?
• Can I talk to families from last season?

Next steps

• Subscribe to tryout reminders in our calendar so you don't miss the November–December window.
• Read fee reports and reviews from other parents on club pages.
• Have a question? Ask it in our Q&A section.