Is REC It Volleyball Recreational, Club, or Something Else?
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REC It Volleyball is a hybrid between recreational and club volleyball. We're a club feeder program that helps athletes develop competitive skills without the cost or commitment of a traditional club season.
And despite our name, REC actually stands for Respect, Equality, and Communication—three values we believe help develop great athletes and well-rounded future adults.
What Is a Club Feeder Program?
We help athletes prepare for school and club volleyball, whether they're beginners, exploring their interest in the sport, unable to afford club, or balancing other extracurricular activities.
Our flexible 4–5 week sessions provide structured training without tryouts or long-term commitments.
What Makes REC It Different?
1. We Teach the HOW, WHY, and WHEN
Our standardized lesson plans go beyond demonstrating skills. We explain why techniques work and create game-like situations where athletes must apply them.
We also require athletes to explain concepts back to their coaches.
Why? Because when athletes step onto the court, they're in the driver's seat. Coaches can't make every decision for them.
By practicing communication, problem-solving, and decision-making, athletes learn to recognize and correct mistakes independently.
2. Our Coaches and Curriculum
We typically have 2–3 coaches for approximately 16 athletes, including at least two paid coaches.
Our coaching staff includes experienced coaches and younger coaches, many of whom are former REC It athletes. They bring different perspectives, but everyone follows our standardized curriculum.
Owner Amber Rauh began coaching as a volunteer ball tossing coach during her freshman year of high school. She has competitive training across all major volleyball skills and continues taking educational courses annually.
Our curriculum ensures athletes receive detailed instruction across skills, regardless of an individual coach's playing specialty.
3. We Teach the Entire Game, Not Just One Position
Our athletes are typically 9–15 years old, ranging from complete beginners to players with 12U–14U club, middle school, or high school experience.
Sometimes beginners are easier to teach because they haven't developed habits that need correcting.
Another challenge is specialization.
On competitive teams, athletes often specialize as setters, liberos, or hitters. Coaches may also develop drills around the positions they know best, leaving other skills with less detailed instruction.
At REC It, we teach every player's role before encouraging specialization.
For example, our Rotations 1 athletes learn the responsibilities of all six positions rather than simply memorizing where to stand.
Why does that matter?
Understanding rotations helps athletes identify gaps in an opponent's serve receive, recognize attacking opportunities, and make smarter decisions.
It also changes how they reflect on mistakes.
Instead of thinking:
"I'm bad at passing."
An athlete might recognize:
"My platform was fine, but I was out of position and got there late. I can fix that."
That's the difference between feeling defeated and identifying something they can improve.
So, Are We Recreational or Competitive?
We're recreational in accessibility, but club-focused in our training philosophy.
Traditional Rec | REC It Volleyball | Traditional Club |
Participation-focused | Skill-development-focused | Competition-focused |
Often grouped by age | Grouped by skill readiness | Selected through tryouts |
Basic drills and gameplay | Structured lessons and decision-making | Specialized training |
Recreational commitment | Flexible 4–5 week sessions | Seasonal commitment |
These are general differences; individual programs vary.
Our goal isn't to rush athletes into club volleyball. Some want to make their school team, some want to play competitively, and others simply enjoy the sport.
We want athletes to become independent, adaptable players who understand the game—not just memorize instructions.
Because at REC It Volleyball, we don't just teach athletes how to play. We teach them how to think.
Ready to Find Your Class?
REC It Volleyball(732) 520-3905info@recitvolleyball.com
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