Causes we care about

Starlings Volleyball, USA, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, believes every girl deserves the opportunity to play club volleyball, regardless of socioeconomic background or level of play. Starlings dues, if any, are a fraction of most junior club costs, with the goal that no girl is turned away because of inability to pay. Beginning in 1996 with a single inner-city San Diego team, Starlings has grown to become the nation’s largest junior volleyball club, serving more than 2,500 girls in more than 50 clubs.

Founded in 2016 by USA Men’s National Team Head Coach and UCLA Head Men’s Volleyball Coach John Speraw and nonprofit executive Wade Garard, First Point Volleyball Foundation prides itself on winning a series of first points, connecting donors to the men’s volleyball programs that need them most. Whether it’s a new DI or DII college program, a budding high school team in your hometown or a community initiative in an underserved area, we strive to help programs take their initial steps toward their creation and development.

The Diversity Awards program is the next phase in the evolution of the organization’s diversity initiatives and minority coach development programming. Since 2002, the AVCA has been intentional with targeted programming designed to assist ethnic minority coaches in gaining access to the coaching profession and advance in their coaching careers. The AVCA Diversity Development Team has developed this award to continue the AVCA’s vision for creating opportunities and advancing the volleyball coaching profession.

The Pac-12 Diversity Mentorship Program is a non-profit organization built on the recognition that there is a need for a more diverse coaching pool in the United States and in the Pac-12 Conference. The goal of this year-long program is to not only identify diverse coaching candidates, but to provide the mentees with opportunities to develop relationships with every coaching staff in our Conference and to gain a greater understanding of being a Division I collegiate coach. – diversitymentorship.org Learn more or donate to the Diversity Mentorship Program.

Sports Imports is a national sponsor of the Side-Out Foundation, a program committed to unifying the sport of volleyball with its alliance to the movement for breast cancer awareness and education. Side-Out programs help middle school, high school, college, club and professional volleyball players and coaches engage with and support the breast cancer community. Its efforts help underwrite breast cancer clinical trials and research, support community breast cancer organizations and offer camps and clinics for volleyball players that include focus on life skills during times of adversity. The Side-Out Foundation and Sports Imports also team up to highlight select college, high school and club “Dig Pink” events during the nation’s “Dig Pink October Rally” and “Dig Pink Tour.” Athletes wearing pink compete on “pinked out” net systems with special pads and net tapes for their events Host a Dig Pink event or Donate to the Side-Out Foundation

The Warrior Games exist to provide an opportunity for athletes to grow physically, mentally and spiritually from the sportsmanship and camaraderie gained by representing their respective service teams in a friendly and spirited competition. It is an opportunity for athletes to showcase their enduring warrior spirit in the presence of their families and a grateful nation. – warriorgames.com  Learn more about the Department of Defense Warrior Games.

Spike for Tykes is a yearly high school boys volleyball tournament benefiting Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We strive to produce a top notch volleyball tournament while also encouraging everyone to give back to an important cause. – spikefortykes.org  Learn more or donate to Spike for Tykes.

Special Olympics focuses on the individuality of each athlete so that coaches can train and encourage growth in skills and accomplishment. The coaching materials, rules and other resources on this page have been specially prepared for coaches working with people with intellectual disabilities. Coaching Special Olympics athletes calls for the same skills and experience that many coaches are familiar with. The extra information in our coaching guides about working with people with ID is what makes our materials helpful and valuable. – specialolympics.org  Donate to the Special Olympics Unified Volleyball Program.

The Hidden Opponent is an accredited non-profit and advocacy group that raises awareness for student-athlete mental health and addresses the stigma within sports culture through advocacy, education, and support – thehiddenopponent.org  Learn more or donate to The Hidden Opponent.

“Kennedy’s Cause is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Corporation is founded on the belief that what is most important is recognizing the inner beauty in everyone and is committed to raising awareness of Lymphatic Malformation by spreading the message of “Let your inner beauty SHINE.” Through fundraising events, selling merchandise and community service, the Corporation strives to find ways to touch those with Lymphatic Malformation by supporting research for a cure and lending support to families with children dealing with related medical issues.” – kennedyscause.com.  Kennedy Hubbard was the inspiration and the first recipient of the Sports Imports/AVCA Courage Award in 2015.  In addition to leading Kennedy’s Cause, she is an active member of the volleyball community.  Learn more about or donate to Kennedy’s Cause.

“The Columbus Dream Center is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to

providing hope to low-income, homeless and under-served individuals and families in Columbus, Ohio.” – columbusdreamcenter.org  Learn more or donate.

Community Youth Camp, run by the Columbus Foundation, is a 4-day sports camp for children ages 6 to 12. Community Youth Camp strives to give every child the opportunity to play sports – camper spots are held for children who may not otherwise have the chance to attend sports camp. Over the course of the camp, campers will try 16 different sports, instructed by members of the Columbus community. Learn more about Columbus Community Youth Camp.