So, you’re here because you are thinking about playing professional volleyball or just curious how the entire process works. I have been playing pro for three years and have learned the ins and outs of the entire system. Before we get into the technicalities, let me give you a bit of background.
Growing up, playing professional volleyball was not always a dream of mine. Of course every young kid dreams of being the next Micheal Jordan. However, there wasn’t much hope for being the MJ of volleyball since America does not have a professional league. Volleyball was a hobby for me; it was pure joy and excitement. I loved waking up at 5AM to drive to a tournament where I got to hang out with my teammates and play the game I loved. It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I had actually learned that going pro was an option. Now, the knowledge of professional volleyball overseas is well known to kids all throughout the community.
From my junior year of college and forward, I knew that getting paid to do the sport I love was what I wanted to do. I spent the next three years of my college career trying to prepare for that. Along with two national titles and various accolades, I achieved my goal and signed my first contract to play in the small country of Estonia.
How getting your first contract works:
At the base level, getting a contract post graduation looks like this…
Reaching out to Agents
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Signing with an Agent
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Agent Presents Contracts
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Signing your First Contract
Reaching out to Agents:
This should be the first step for anyone looking to go pro. It's important to note that it is illegal to sign with an agent until after graduation. While I am sure that there are some people who secretly do this during the year, unless you have agents knocking at your door, I would wait until after your last season is over. The best way to find a good agent is to reach out to everyone you know that has played overseas. Use instagram, your college coach and even your previous club director to get in contact with people who have played overseas.
Some choose to skip having an agent all together. For my first year, I decided not to go with an agent. Instead I reached out to the former pro clubs of my teammates on my VLA(Volleyball League of America) team, The Chicago Icemen. This worked great for me! I really enjoyed my first season abroad.
Signing with an Agent
Once you find an agent that you like, they will have you sign a contract acknowledging that you can not use any other agents during a specific time frame. It will also state that your agent will get X% of your salary. This percentage will usually be around 10% but some agents will take less for first year players. When I signed with my agent, it was for two years and he took 10%.
The advantage of not signing with an agent is that you receive your full salary, if you're good enough at negotiating. The best advice I have received is to make your agent work for you. They are not your friend and you will need to stay on them. In the end, they are getting money that could be going to you, so you should make sure they work for it. You should be texting them at least once a week asking if they have found you anything. If you are not a top NCAA player who is going to bring in a lot of money your first year, they will care less about getting you a contract than the guy who is going to sign a contract for $100,000.
Agent Presents Contracts
So you have found an agent and signed with them, what happens next? They will let you know when a team is interested and you will be able to start negotiations. I will list some things that can be written into your contract:
Flights
You can also write in flights for your significant other if you want to bring them (more on that later)
Meals
Some teams have sponsorships with a local restaurant that will give you a free lunch and/or dinner every day
Car
Lots of teams have sponsorships with car dealerships so there is a chance your team will be able to give you a car
Apartment
The team will give you a furnished apartment
In some cases teams, they will put you up in a hotel for your duration
Always ask for pictures of the place you will be living because you will be there for 8 months!
Blender, Air fryer, etc.
You can actually try to write in an appliance you would like for your apartment. So if you know you're going to use a blender, try and ask for it!
Additional Items
Extra Checked Bag
If you are playing at a very high level, (Poland, Turkey, Italy, Japan) you could possibly write in tickets for your family or girlfriend to come visit.
If you want something to be in your contract MAKE SURE IT’S IN WRITING. A verbal agreement with the club means nothing in the aspect of legality.
Signing your First Contract
Once everything looks good in your contract the only thing left to do is sign! After you sign, you will get contacted by either the coach or the manager of the team and they will help sort out flight dates.
Normally report dates for professional teams are sometime in August. This year I left August 5th and my previous year was August 23rd. When you get to your first professional team, it is important to know that most teams in Europe will have less resources than you had during college. There will not be an athletic training room. If you want to get your ankle taped, you better learn how to do it yourself. While it's very normal to have a trainer be at every practice in college, this is not how it goes professionally.
Training Schedule
Most professional teams will have you practicing twice a day in the preseason. The morning session will be weights and technical training and the afternoon session will be more of a 6v6 practice. This changes when the season starts, which is normally around the end of October. You will practice less in the mornings but the standard 5-6 practices a week in the evening stay the same. This year my team will play around 27 regular season matches plus a maximum of 13 post season matches. The number of games you play will depend on what league you are in and if your team plays in one of the European cups. You can expect to have a couple weekends off during the preseason and minimal weekends off during the regular season. Normally, you will have the day after a match off, so about four days a month on the low end.
One of the not so great things about professional volleyball is having to miss out on many events back home. Most teams will give you 4 to 7 days off for Christmas, so going home to see family and friends during the holiday season is not very plausible. I personally have missed the last three Christmases with my family.
Bringing your Significant Other
Playing overseas is a great opportunity for you and your significant other to travel the world together. I am lucky to have brought my wife with me each year that I have played. The team will most likely pay for their flight and help accommodate him or her with a job and hopefully a visa. If you are not married, it can be very hard to get your significant other a visa. Before my wife (Sarah) and I were married, we were in Estonia trying very hard for Sarah’s visa to be approved. We had to prove that she had enough money to live independently during the duration of our stay. This is a topic that your agent should have more knowledge on. My recommendation is to do your own research beforehand. For example, Estonia has a problem where many of their native people are leaving their own country, so they are very lenient to let in foreigners.
A big warning to anyone wanting to bring their wife to Switzerland, even if you are married, it is very difficult to get a visa. You will have to pay around 2,000 euro just to apply.
Final Notes
Playing professional volleyball is not for the weak hearted. If you are lucky, you will land yourself on a team with another American or Canadian. Playing in Europe can be very lonely, so be prepared to have some hobbies to fall back on. Also, playing over in Europe will be a very different atmosphere than what you may have experienced in college. People are playing to land a bigger and better contract. Some look at it as a job more than others but be prepared not to be coddled by a coach. It is very normal to be yelled at by your coach and many of your teammates. In the end, being paid to play the sport you love is one of the best blessings that I have had in my life. Not only is being a professional athlete extremely exhilarating, the chance to travel has changed my outlook on life. If you get the opportunity to even play for one year, I would, without a doubt, recommend it.
What questions do you have about playing overseas? Leave them in the comments below, and I’ll answer them in my next post!
Very interesting!
What was the hardest part about moving and playing overseas?