Zone and The Academy volleyball combine forces

PLYMOUTH — The Zone Sports Complex will join forces with The Academy volleyball club to create The Academy Northern Lakes.

The Academy is one of the premier volleyball clubs in the midwest offering club teams for girls ages 12-18, training opportunities and summer camps. The Academy Northern Lakes will call The Zone home for their activities.

“We are extremely excited about this announcement and expanding The Academy family to Northern Indiana,” said Emily Hawthorne, Director of The Academy Volleyball Club. “Plymouth and the surrounding areas are filled with great volleyball talent and we look forward to building successful teams and providing training opportunities for athletes at every age and skill level.”

The Academy Northern Lakes’ satellite director will be Jon Hutton, who is currently the head volleyball coach at Plymouth High School and headed up The Zone Volleyball Club this past season.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this new club that will allow young players to grow and compete in the sport of volleyball,” Hutton said. “We have never had a local opportunity that offers high-quality training for the northern lakes area. I am looking forward to coaching and mentoring the athletes and taking volleyball in this region to a new level.”

The Academy Volleyball Club is headquartered in a 70,000 square-foot facility on the near east side of Indianapolis.

In 2017, The Academy expanded to a second location in Westfield at Grand Park (The Academy Grand Park). In 2018 they joined forces with Boiler Juniors in Lafayette (The Academy Boiler Juniors).

“We offer opportunities to every player regardless of their experience or skill level,” Hawthorne said. “We know that every athlete is coming to us with a different story and background with the sport, so we provide several different ways for them to get involved, whether that be through one of our club teams, summer camps, little spikers, or even private lessons.”

Although they are one of the largest volleyball clubs in the state, The Academy cares about keeping costs affordable for families, while providing an exceptional experience. The Academy is one of the most budget-friendly clubs in Indiana.

“We are not a one-size-fits-all organization,” Hawthorne said. “We pride ourselves on our personalized service, welcoming atmosphere, caring staff, and knowledgeable coaches who care about player development both on and off the court.”

The Academy Northern Lakes summer camp season will start June 29 at The Zone.

In September, The Academy Northern Lakes will offer Little Spikers for players ages 4 to 9 to learn the fundamentals of the game.

Older players can take advantage of many training opportunities offered throughout the year.

The Academy Northern Lakes will also host at least 3 tournaments in January, February, and March of 2022, and a high school tournament is planned for July 10 of this year.

Building young players is a focus, but The Academy Northern Lakes will also look to advance its top players into the collegiate ranks through Club team development.

Tryouts for The Academy Northern Lakes’ Club Teams will be in mid-october for 8th grade and under, while high school players will try out in early November.

The Academy Northern Lakes will provide free pre-tryout open gyms in the fall to encourage athletes and their families to visit the facilities, meet coaches, and train with some of its top youth and club coaches.

For a complete listing of all the summer skills camps and academies offered go to https://www.northernlakesvb.com/ summer-camps.

The Academy’s website is - theacademyvolleyball.com.

The Academy Northern Lake’s website is northernlakesvb.com.

The Academy’s twitter site can be found at - @Theacademyvb.