Local JO/Club Teams
Last updated: 11/ 4/2007
There are several traveling club teams and Junior Olympic (JO) teams in the
area. JO is to volleyball what AAU is to basketball. They are
significantly more challenging and competitive than most of the Diocesan
teams. The decision as to whether to join one of these teams should be made
jointly by the parents and children involved. Any member of the Sacred Heart
coaching staff will be happy to discuss what is involved with interested
parties, but we will not advocate for or against any girl joining one of the
teams.
Coach Stacee coached with the Pittsburgh Magic last year and Coach Mark's
daughter played for Renaissance South in 2004, and for Pittsburgh 3 Rivers
in 2005. Most JO clubs hold Open Gyms in late October/early November
and tryouts later in November. Practices are usually twice a week in the
evenings. Tournament play usually begins in January (on weekends in various
locations in western PA and eastern and central Ohio) and ends in May with
the East Coast Volleyball tournament held at Penn State over Memorial Day
weekend.
Joining one of these teams is a significant investment in time, emotion, and
in most cases, money. We strongly suggest that if you are interested, you
visit practices/open gyms for multiple teams. Try to find the best
fit for your temperament and skill level. We suggest you also pre-determine
a set of
questions you might have about the program. These could save you a lot
of misery later on!
Listed below are the largest programs central to Pittsburgh, and a link to a
comprehensive list of all teams in the area. If you have questions or
concerns, and would like to speak to any coach, please feel free to contact
us.
An annotated list of local JO club teams:
-
Mark's daughter, Kristin, played for Pittsburgh 3 Rivers in 2005 and
Tricia, who coached the black team with Mark that fall, was Kristin's
JO team's coach. The open gyms and practices were pretty intense, but
were very valuable as Kristin's play improved a lot as a result. She
enjoyed playing with them. They practice at the Market House off
Carson Street on the South Side and at Greentree Sports Center.
-
Claire (Bam) DeLucia, who plays for Oakland Catholic, plays for Elite.
They do well in tournament play. Unfortunately, they practice at Court
Time Sports Center in Elizabeth, PA (about 25 miles away).
-
Coach Stacee coaches in this organization. They have been very successful
in tournament play. The head coach is Tom Schrecengost, the current head
coach at St. Alphonsus (the Diocesan JV and varsity champions this
season). They practice at Greentree Sports Center. This year, they may
have teams that play a reduced schedule (for a reduced fee).
-
Mark's daughter played for Renaissance South in 2004 (there are two
Renaissance groups, Renaissance National and Renaissance South) and had a
great time. The coaching staff was quite good but the level of commitment
on the part of some of the South players was lacking. A number of Sacred
Heart girls (Verity Forsythe, Olivia Grattan, Makayla Kimbel) have played
for Renaissance National and have enjoyed it.
-
A few girls at Oakland Catholic (Gina DeRenzo, Devan Mercurio, Mimi
Sweeney), have played for this club, and they report that it is more "fun"
and less intense than other area clubs (it also costs less than most other
club teams). They practice at Monroeville Sports Center.
A comprehensive list of
all JO club teams in the Western PA/Ohio Valley region.
Note that this list is not yet complete, and will be updated several
times over October. Many clubs have not yet "spun up".