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League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “love”) is celebrating a major milestone: signing its 75th junior volleyball club.
This milestone speaks to the hard work and dedication behind LOVB’s growing infrastructure. Mike Bufano, LOVB’s President of Clubs and Chief Financial Officer, shares his pride in how far the club program has come. “The incredibly hard work that’s been done by the team to even get to a number like this tells me we’re really building an amazing infrastructure to support clubs and help them grow,” Mike says.
Since signing its first club in 2020, LOVB – the No. 1 volleyball business in the U.S. – has expanded rapidly and now serves 87 locations spread across 28 states, supporting more than 1,950 teams, 3,000 coaches and 21,000 junior athletes nationwide.
“Our ability to deliver a great experience to these families and athletes and to our club directors and coaches, that’s what really shows the momentum we have,” Mike says.
An important part of that experience is developing skills applicable both on and off the court through the Whole Athlete Training program. Lessons on topics like composure, resilience and hard work engage each LOVB athlete and allow juniors to learn how those on LOVB’s professional teams embrace each topic. Mike emphasizes, ”LOVB’s integration of pro athletes into the junior club season offers a unique connection that motivates young players and strengthens the entire volleyball community.”
That volleyball community is growing, too. Volleyball is the top team sport for junior girls in the nation, and clubs that join LOVB see, on average, 10% growth per year while adding teams, athletes, new programming, and events. “Part of what I am proud of at LOVB is that when clubs join, they grow,” Mike adds.
And they stick around. Twice a year, LOVB surveys club directors to measure satisfaction. The latest results show an overall score of 73%, the highest recorded.
That satisfaction rating is predicated on club support, and LOVB remains focused on maintaining strong support for its clubs. “There’s lots of room and lots of growth in front of us,” Mike says. “We’re building a team that supports our clubs to stay focused on day-to-day operations while deepening the impact of our network. That helps us bring more clubs on board.”
Clubs like Red Rock Volleyball Club, LOVB’s landmark 75th. With eight locations in Northern California, Red Rock’s breadth of programming and athletes served are indicative of where LOVB hopes to grow. “Red Rock serves athletes all across the spectrum of volleyball,” Mike explains. “They have athletes who play in college, national-level teams and tons who compete in regional and recreational leagues. As LOVB builds a big tent to impact all volleyball players and fans, a club like Red Rock is the perfect fit.”
Also, “The three club directors – David, Marietta, and Lawrence – they’re really good people and they’ll be huge contributors to the LOVB community.”
Seeing so many club directors entrust their clubs with LOVB is remarkable to Mike. “It’s humbling that this many people who have built these clubs – who’ve put their time, energy, sweat, and dreams into them – trust us to help them on the next part of their journey.”
As LOVB continues to grow, its commitment remains the same: to champion the sport of volleyball, and every athlete who plays it, in unprecedented ways. From rec teams to national travel squads, from club sidelines to pro arenas, LOVB is one volleyball family, and the tent is only getting bigger.
