The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Convention was a huge success this year in Omaha, Nebraska—and if you weren’t able to attend we have the lowdown on what you missed. We sent nine members of the LeagueApps team to Omaha, who were in good company amongst 3,500 coaches. The best part is it occurred simultaneously with the NCAA Final 4 tournament—Texas won!

Attending youth sports conventions gives leaders in the industry a heads up by allowing them to learn from one another, hear from influential speakers in their sport, demo leading technology, and meet others with a shared mission. 

Recruitment 

One of the things that made the AVCA Convention so special was the opportunity to watch high school players have their skills evaluated by recruiters to see where they can improve. Coaches and other leaders in youth sports could use this information to better their coaching skills. 

Youth Volleyball Education

Over the course of the four days, there were so many educational sessions covering important topics in youth volleyball, including:

• Managing Large Numbers at all Talent Levels
• Finding, Hiring, and Training Coaches
• The Transition from Player to assistant Coach to Head Coach
• NextGen Technology
• The Secrets to Engaging Donors
• Maximizing Your Scouring Opportunities

Youth Volleyball Technology 

During the exhibitor showcase, attendees had the opportunity to visit youth volleyball technology providers to ask them questions about what they are doing to advance the game. We learned so much about our youth volleyball partners and what they’re using LeagueApps Play (our mobile app) for. 

Networking and Socializing 

At the AVCA Convention, 3,500+ coaches and leaders in youth volleyball got together to learn from one another and make lifelong relationships with people who just get it. Apart from educational sessions and networking, there were informal opportunities for people to get to know one another—like the Happy Hour with over 70 attendees at Upstream Brewing, hosted by 431 Sports, Team Genius, and LeagueApps. 

Attend an Upcoming Convention

AFCA provided leaders in youth volleyball with the opportunity to get together and discuss moving the sport forward. There are a number of youth sports conventions coming up in 2023 that you won’t want to miss:

• The 2023 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Convention—January 5-8 in Nashville
• The 2023 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Convention—January 8-10 in Charlotte 
• The 2023 United Soccer Coaches Convention (USCC)—January 11-15 in Philadelphia
• USA Lacrosse LaxCon 2023—January 20-23 in Baltimore