Serving Up Success: How Starlings Volleyball, USA is Empowering Girls Through Sport
11.21.25
Positive Coaching Alliance is proud to spotlight Starlings Volleyball, USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access and opportunity for girls in the sport of volleyball. Founded in 1996 with a single inner-city San Diego team, Starlings has grown into the nation’s largest junior volleyball club, now serving more than 3,000 girls across 48 clubs in over 36 cities and Native American reservations nationwide.
At the heart of Starlings’ mission is a belief that every girl deserves the chance to play, regardless of socioeconomic background or skill level. Through significantly reduced dues and a deep commitment to inclusion, Starlings ensures that no player is turned away due to financial barriers. Building on that commitment, in 2024, Starlings and PCA launched a national partnership rooted in a shared commitment to creating positive youth sports experiences. As part of this collaboration, Starlings required PCA training for all club coaches—hosting four live virtual PCA workshops, plus access to PCA’s self-paced online courses. Each training provided coaches with practical tools to build cultures where every athlete feels safe, seen, heard, and valued.
The Starlings Volleyball, USA staff felt the partnership with PCA would increase coach player relationships in a way that would benefit the resiliency of players and performance.
It’s been inspiring to see the response from the Starlings club community, with over 350 Starlings coaches and directors participating in PCA’s workshops and continuing to engage with PCA resources shared monthly through Starlings’ website, social media, and newsletters.
“After the workshop, I think the majority of my coaches started thinking about things differently. In addition, the dialogue with other coaches allowed my coaches to have other examples of ways to react to players.” –Jennifer Bryant, Director of Starlings Mountain Empire Program
“I really like learning new tools to fill my player’s emotional tanks. In this day and time, it’s not as simple as it used to be. In order to maximize their potential, the building of relationships is imperative; it’s like building family through coaching” – Danielle Gonzales, Director of Starlings Maricopa Program
Starlings is proud to make a lasting impact on communities across the United States. Celebrating their 30 Year Anniversary in 2026, their organized club programs have touched thousands of lives.
“Our player–coach relationships are especially meaningful because many of our athletes come from challenging home environments and are often overlooked by other club or high school teams due to financial barriers or limited skill development. At Starlings, they find a place that matches their level of play and fosters genuine connections that support their social and emotional well-being. Our coaches and directors, in turn, need resources and tools beyond traditional coach training to help build strong foundations for both personal and team growth. Our hope with the PCA partnership is to continue to build the foundation of our players emotional growth through coach understanding, positive feedback and emotional resiliency.” – Ginny Alexander, Director of Club Operations, Starlings Volleyball USA
Together, Starlings and PCA are helping shape the next generation of confident, resilient, and empowered young women—both on and off the court.
Starlings’ goal for 2026 is to have all of their coaches and directors go through a second workshop and also begin working with their parent leaders in our largest club organizations with workshops specific to parent support and understanding.