2026 Players Championship College Elite Camp
*open to ANY & ALL Participants Ages 14-18*
LOCATION:
- Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center
- 937 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY 40209
All college coaches are either head coaches or recruiting coordinators—the key decision-makers will be present at this camp.
Sessions:
Session One: 1-2:30PM= 7 division coaches, 24 players max, $215
Session Two: 3-4:30PM= 7 division coaches, 24 players max, $215
COST:
- $215 PER session
- Will work with seven Division 1 head coaches or recruiting coordinators.
EXAMPLE OF CAMP BREAKDOWN
Session One:
- Group A - 1-1:45PM
- Group B- 1:45-2:30PM
Session Two:
- Group C- 3-3:45PM
- Group D- 3:45-4:30PM
Groups A & B:
Groups B & C:
- Middle Hitters / Opposites
- Outside Hitters
Each group of seven coaches will be split across two courts (three coaches per court), rotating courts after 45 minutes, so that all 24 players work directly with all seven coaches.
Example Group:
1. University of Louisville
2. Bellarmine University
3. Western Kentucky University
4. University of Kentucky
5. Eastern Kentucky University
6 Northern Kentucky University
7. Morehead State University
Court 1: University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine & Morehead State
Court 2: University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University & Northern Kentucky
Session 1 Positions: 1. Setters. 2. Liberos
From 1PM- 1:45PM: Setters are on Ct. 1 with University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine & Morehead State
From 1PM- 1:45PM: Liberos are on Ct. 2 with University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University & Northern Kentucky
At 1:45PM, the groups switch:
From 1:45PM- 2:30PM: Liberos are on Ct. 1 with University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine & Morehead State
From 1:45PM- 2:30PM: Setters are on Ct. 2 with University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University & Northern Kentucky
2:30PM- 3PM there is a small break for the coaches to regroup and for staff to get players to the correct courts
Session 2 Positions: 1. Middles and Opposites. 2. Outside Hitters
From 3:00PM - 3:45PM: Middles and Opposites on Ct. 1 with University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine & Morehead State
From 3:00PM - 3:45PM: Outside Hitters are on Ct. 2 with University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University & Northern Kentucky
At 3:45PM, the groups switch:
From 3:45PM- 4:30PM: Outside Hitters on Ct. 1 with University of Louisville, Western Kentucky University, Bellarmine & Morehead State
From 3:45PM- 4:30PM: Middles and Opposites are on Ct. 2 with University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University & Northern Kentucky
Camp Notables:
- Ages are 14-18.
- Outside club coaches and parents will not be allowed in the gym during this camp, but there is a large lobby with plenty of chairs.
- College coaches not involved at the camp will be allowed in the camp to evaluate.
- At check in, you will be directed to the court you registered for.
- All sessions are an hour and a half with a switch at the 45-minute mark. We will warm up the entire camp before you arrive on your court so you can get right into it with your college coaches.
- The college coaches understand that the players will have two days of tournament after the camp, so we are encouraging low rep, high instruction during your sessions.
- This camp is open to players not competing in the Players Championship.
- All players signed up for the camp will receive the list of every college represented at the camp along with their contact info.
- The coaches will receive contact information on EVERY player signed up for the camp, regardless of which group you decided to train with.
- Once a group hits 24 players, we will cap that group as to secure a strong coach to player ratio.
- There are many benefits to getting face time with the decision makers for these division 1 programs
- You get 1 on 1 face time with seven division 1 coaches as opposed to trying to pay and travel to seven individual camps
- There will only be 24 players max on two courts with seven division 1 coaches. The instruction will be set up, so players get individual attention on your current skills to make positive change for the last few tournaments.
- There is no camp in the country where you will receive individual instruction with a small number of players by seven division 1 head coaches or recruiting coordinators.
- The volleyball world is small and tight. This is important because coaches want to see kids get college opportunities. After the camp they will let you know that if your skill set is not a good fit for their program, they will happily give you their opinion on the direction to head with recruiting. They will also help. Again, it’s a small world and much less cutthroat than sports such as basketball or football. Everyone knows each other, so it’s normal for a coach to pick up the phone to call another coach and recommend a kid they have seen or in this case, worked one on one with.
- Additionally, you can always email me after the camp and I am happy to help find out if the fit was good for you and if not, where the seven coaches believe you should focus your recruiting efforts. AnneKordes@KIVASPORTS.net
Why this camp format?
The NCAA recruiting calendar has changed, and it’s put significant pressure on college coaches to organize to prioritize their recruiting days in June. Division 1 coaches are not allowed to recruit during the month of May, except for the final day. Because of that, the head coaches and recruiting coordinators cannot afford to spend two days away from campus working club elite camps after being gone for a tournament. Not only do they try to run their own camps in June, but June is also when a lot of movement happens, so you may have a great camp set up with reputable college coaches, but they may be forced to cancel and pivot based on their recruiting needs. Like we stated above, to call this an elite camp, we must have the people that make decisions on scholarships in the gym.
When colleges do attend multi-day camps, we’ve started to see programs send a fourth assistant or graduate assistant instead of a head coach or one of the top two assistants, who are the people who ultimately make recruiting decisions.
While I’ve always loved the two-day format as the energy, the intensity, and the tradition, I began to see how difficult it was becoming to consistently get true decision-makers in the gym for both days. And while the experience is still fun, it’s not worth the money if you’re not being evaluated by the coaches who have the authority to offer and make recruiting decisions.
If we are going to run a camp and ask families to invest in it, we have a responsibility to ensure it’s truly impactful. Otherwise, it risks becoming a “cash grab,” which is not how we operate.
Although I’m sad to move away from the two-day post-tournament format, the NCAA changes and the impact of the transfer portal have made it clear that this shift is necessary to maintain the quality and value of the experience.
Due to limited space and in order to maintain a strong player-to-coach ratio, registration is non-refundable.