Star City Sports, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (further classified as a public charity). Star City Sports does business as Star City Volleyball (SCV). As a nonprofit corporation we do not make money from players. Our sole focus is to help players and teams achieve stardom and success.
SCV, as a formal volleyball club, was founded in 2016 by Jeffrey Lapin. SCV is based in Lincoln, Nebraska, although we have players from other Nebraska cities and towns. SCV started out with two teams and has seen tremendous growth every year since. SCV primarily has players in USA Volleyball ("USAV") club volleyball. However, SCV does coach teams in YMCA Spirit volleyball.
To schedule a club tryout, go to: Tryouts closed for current Club season.
SCV is a better choice for many players than other local clubs for many reasons including:
- Players only pay actual costs & expenses; they do not pay coaching or adminstrative fees. In addition, players may have their costs reduced if SCV receives money from sponsors or from the profit from tournaments we host.
- There are no commitment or tryout fees.
- Players are allowed to participate in other sports and activities during the YMCA and Club volleyball seasons.
- Players get to select when they are available to play in tournaments providing a lot of flexibility.
- Players play actual club tournaments (USAV or JVA) and there is no set tournament limits.
SCV has five core principles:
- Youth volleyball should be affordable to everyone.
- Athletes should be allowed to participate in other sports and activities while playing club volleyball.
- Athletes do not all not start with the same abilities, but, they can grow and develop with the sport.
- Athletes need to learn and display good sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork as these are not only important in volleyball but throughout life.
- Volleyball should be fun!
GENERAL INFORMATION
Below is some general information about playing Club volleyball with Star City Volleyball:
Players start practicing in November. The Club tournament season runs from January to May. However, players do not need to play the entire tournament season.
Players are only required to attend one two-hour practice a week. They are permitted to attend a similar aged team's practice.
Players play in actual USAV and JVA tournaments. All tournaments are within driving distance to and from Lincoln in a single day.
Players are permitted to participate in other sports and activities during Club season. Parents get to choose when their daughter is available to play in a tournament so there is a lot of flexibility.
Tournaments for January and February will be selected shortly after the tournament schedule is posted. Additional tournaments are added as players have a better idea about their schedules as the club season progresses. There is no limit to the number of tournaments a player/team may play. The goal is to for every player in at least 6 tournaments.
COSTS & EXPENSES
There is not one set total price for playing Club for SCV. Club players only pay actual costs and expenses; there are no administrative or coaching fees. The costs and expenses are USAV registration fee ($65.00): a jersey; practice rental location fees; and tournament registrations. Jerseys typically cost around $40.00. Practice location fees are split equally among all club players, which are typically around $17.50 a month. Tournaments usually are $15.00 per player.
For the 2025 Club season, the average total costs was under $300.00, which includes registration, jersey, practices, and 7 tournaments. In addition, everyone received some "credit" from tournaments that SCV hosted, which reduced their costs. The average credit was around $31.00 per player.
CLUB TRYOUTS
Club Tryouts
Tryouts for the Club 2025-2026 will begin in late September or early October. Unlike most other clubs, there is no cost to tryout.
To schedule a try out, go to our scheduling page in Calendly: NOT AVAILABLE YET
Additional tryout times and dates will become available so if a time or date does not work, keep checking. If there is not a date or time that works, please email us at starcityvball@gmail.com.
Tryouts are conducted individually or in groups of 2 or 3. They usually last around 10 minutes.
TRYOUT NOT NECESSARY
Most players that played on one of their high school's volleyball team will be accepted, without a tryout, provided there is room on a SCV team.
Former SCV Club and Spirit players also do not have to try out although they are not guaranteed a spot on a Club team.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Only players in 4th through 8th grade are allowed to play YMCA Spirit volleyball. The YMCA Spirit season starts in September and ends the beginning of November. There are 10 games, each played on Sunday afternoons.
Players do not need to try out for Spirit volleyball. The only requirement is that the player has played at least one season of middle school intramural or YMCA recreational volleyball.
Players only have to attend one practice a week, which will last around 2 hours depending on the grade level. Locations and days will be determined although they are usually located at a LPS school near the middle of Lincoln.
YMCA SPIRIT COSTS
The only costs for YMCA Spirit Fall are:
- YMCA Registration Fee ($65.00 or $65.00 if you have a YMCA family membership); and
- Jersey, which costs between $14.00 to $17.
Jeff Lapin is SCV's Club Director and Head Coach. Why does he coach? Jeff is a lawyer that has been representing injured, disabled, and abused clients for over 25 years. He has successfully operated his own law office for over 16 years, which has given him the opportunity to coach.
Jeff started coaching volleyball and started SCV as he recognized a need for quality coaches that want to enrich their players, not themselves. Jeff is passionate and dedicated to helping players develop, improve, and succeed, both in terms of volleyball and in other life skills as well. He wants to instill in players integrity, ability to self-motivate, teamwork, sportsmanship, hustle, intelligence, understanding their role and what it means to succeed. Jeff's coaching philosophy is SMILES, which stands for: Smart, Maximum, Integrity, Learn, Empower, and Success. Some of Jeff's coaching principles include:
- Focusing on fundamentals: technical skills and tactics.
- Instill in players to always: put forth their best effort, play smart, and focus on the journey rather than the goal.
- Treat players with respect and make them feel important as individuals and as members of a team and club.
This year, Jeff is in his second year as the Reserve Coach for Lincoln Northwest High School. Jeff coached volleyball, along with other sports, at Pound Middle School for several years. During the volleyball off-season, Jeff likes to referee and umpire other youth sports including soccer, basketball, softball, and baseball.
DONORS AND DONATIONS
Donations
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (public charity), SCV can receive charitable donations. Donors may be entitled to deduct the donation as a charitable contribution. Discuss with your accountant/tax advisor.
Donors/ Sponsor Levels
SCV offers different donor/sponsorship levels:
- Platinum: $1,000.00 or more
- Gold: $500.00 to $999.99
- Silver: $250.00 - $499.99
- Bronze: $100.00 - $249.99
- Friend: under $100.00
