About Us
The Top 10 Reasons to Play for D1
1, 2, and 3) COACHING, COACHING, COACHING. The hallmark of the D1 program is our unparalleled caliber of coaching. We are one of only a handful of clubs in the country where you can find current Division I and II men's collegiate volleyball coaches actively leading junior boys teams. Beginning with Shane Davis, the Head Men's Volleyball Coach at Loyola University Chicago, his assistant, Matt Martin (formerly of Ohio State and Rutgers), and Dan Friend, the Head Men's Volleyball Coach at Lewis University, we offer unrivaled coaching leadership and professionalism. The vast majority of our coaches are current or former collegiate players or coaches-- they know what it takes to compete at the highest level of the game, and they have the knowledge and skills to lead athletes to their fullest potential.
4) WE LOVE WHAT WE DO! D1 is not a place where you will find cranky, burned-out coaches and directors. We are young, fresh, and full of enthusiasm for the sport. Many of us have chosen volleyball as a lifelong profession, and we want to spread our love of volleyball to everyone we can.
5) WE ARE GREAT AT WHAT WE DO...and our membership growth shows it. As a first year club, we had 42 athletes play for us. In our second year, we had over 100 athletes tryout and we fielded 7 teams (nearly doubling our membership from the first year). In 2008-09, our 17 Green team consistently placed among the top 5 teams in the midwest for their age group. In addition, our 16 and 17 Green teams qualified for and competed in the Open (highest) division at Junior Olympics in Atlanta.
6) ORGANIZATION/COMMUNICATION. Our player and parents are ALWAYS in-the-loop with practice and tournament schedules, travel details, special camp and collegiate volleyball news, you name it. Our dedicated, full-time director, Andrea, is always available to answer questions and she keeps things running smoothly all year long (just ask anyone who's played with us)!
7) MENTORING. We believe young athletes look to their coaches for more than just volleyball training. For example, our athletes often want to talk with us about their college plans, how to balance their high school academic and athletic responsibilities, etc. As competitive youth volleyball players, they are making sacrifices all the time to give their best to the sport. We believe in doing the same-- our coaches are positive role models both on and off the court.
8) COLLEGIATE VOLLEYBALL INSIGHT. If your goal is to play volleyball in college, you likely have a million questions about the process. Luckily, at D1, no question has to go unanswered, because we employ 17 coaches with collegiate volleyball playing and/or coaching experience. Want to know what a Division I Men's Volleyball Coach is looking for in a prospective athlete? Ask Shane Davis, the Head Men's Coach at Loyola. Curious about what it might be like managing your studies, social life, and playing on a nationally-ranked men's volleyball team? Ask Drew Pickering, Mark Hulse, Kris Berzins, Kyle Exline, etc....
9) ALL-AREA TEAMS. Our 16, 17, and 18 year old athletes have the option of trying out for our "Green" teams, which are our highly-competitive teams made up of players from all across the greater Chicagoland area. Think of them as "All-Area" or "All-Star" teams. Our Green team athletes love the experience of playing together with the top athletes from other area high schools.
10) IT FEELS LIKE FAMILY AT D1. Aside from all the volleyball-related benefits of playing for us, there's one final aspect of the experience we can't leave out. You're part of the D1 family when you play for us. We can't deny it-- as much as we are strong and competitive-- we are warm and welcoming. Our weekend travel tournaments are always a blast for our parents and coaches to mingle outside of the gym atmosphere, and we are certain many of the friendships we have formed through the club will last a long, long time.
Still have questions? Email our Director, Andrea at andrea@d1chicago.com
D1 16 Green at the 2009 Junior Olympics in Atlanta
4) WE LOVE WHAT WE DO! D1 is not a place where you will find cranky, burned-out coaches and directors. We are young, fresh, and full of enthusiasm for the sport. Many of us have chosen volleyball as a lifelong profession, and we want to spread our love of volleyball to everyone we can.
5) WE ARE GREAT AT WHAT WE DO...and our membership growth shows it. As a first year club, we had 42 athletes play for us. In our second year, we had over 100 athletes tryout and we fielded 7 teams (nearly doubling our membership from the first year). In 2008-09, our 17 Green team consistently placed among the top 5 teams in the midwest for their age group. In addition, our 16 and 17 Green teams qualified for and competed in the Open (highest) division at Junior Olympics in Atlanta.
6) ORGANIZATION/COMMUNICATION. Our player and parents are ALWAYS in-the-loop with practice and tournament schedules, travel details, special camp and collegiate volleyball news, you name it. Our dedicated, full-time director, Andrea, is always available to answer questions and she keeps things running smoothly all year long (just ask anyone who's played with us)!
7) MENTORING. We believe young athletes look to their coaches for more than just volleyball training. For example, our athletes often want to talk with us about their college plans, how to balance their high school academic and athletic responsibilities, etc. As competitive youth volleyball players, they are making sacrifices all the time to give their best to the sport. We believe in doing the same-- our coaches are positive role models both on and off the court.
8) COLLEGIATE VOLLEYBALL INSIGHT. If your goal is to play volleyball in college, you likely have a million questions about the process. Luckily, at D1, no question has to go unanswered, because we employ 17 coaches with collegiate volleyball playing and/or coaching experience. Want to know what a Division I Men's Volleyball Coach is looking for in a prospective athlete? Ask Shane Davis, the Head Men's Coach at Loyola. Curious about what it might be like managing your studies, social life, and playing on a nationally-ranked men's volleyball team? Ask Drew Pickering, Mark Hulse, Kris Berzins, Kyle Exline, etc....
9) ALL-AREA TEAMS. Our 16, 17, and 18 year old athletes have the option of trying out for our "Green" teams, which are our highly-competitive teams made up of players from all across the greater Chicagoland area. Think of them as "All-Area" or "All-Star" teams. Our Green team athletes love the experience of playing together with the top athletes from other area high schools.
10) IT FEELS LIKE FAMILY AT D1. Aside from all the volleyball-related benefits of playing for us, there's one final aspect of the experience we can't leave out. You're part of the D1 family when you play for us. We can't deny it-- as much as we are strong and competitive-- we are warm and welcoming. Our weekend travel tournaments are always a blast for our parents and coaches to mingle outside of the gym atmosphere, and we are certain many of the friendships we have formed through the club will last a long, long time.
Still have questions? Email our Director, Andrea at andrea@d1chicago.com
D1 16 Green at the 2009 Junior Olympics in Atlanta