Little Spikes League registration ongoing
Pictured is one of the winning teams, with coach Chelsea Cope, from the spring Little Spikes League.
What started as an effort to introduce younger kids to volleyball continues to grow, and Little Spikes is ready for another season.
Registration is currently open for the Little Spikes Fall 2026 Youth Volleyball League, which will return to Milner Recreation Center after nearly doubling its participation during the spring. Players can register online or in person through Sunday, Aug. 16, with the cost set at $15 per player.
The co-ed league will once again feature 8U, 10U and 12U divisions, with placement determined by each player's age on Aug. 1.
Little Spikes has experienced rapid growth since Holly Palombo, Hall of Fame coach Franklin Fisher and others helped launch the program last fall. The inaugural season attracted a little more than 30 players before participation jumped to around 70 this spring.
The growth has been about more than numbers. Palombo came away from the spring season believing the improvement was happening quickly enough that local school programs could soon see the benefits.
“Honestly, when we first started this, I thought it might take a few years for us to see the results on a school level for volleyball,” Palombo said following the spring season. “After today, I think it’s pretty apparent that the middle school is going to see the benefits this season.”
Little Spikes was designed to give youngsters an opportunity to learn volleyball fundamentals before reaching middle school while also developing a love for the game. The spring season brought more boys into the program and featured competitive championship matches after weeks of noticeable skill development.
The fall season will begin with practices Aug. 23 and Aug. 30. Games will be played from Sept. 13 through Oct. 25 before the season concludes with playoffs Nov. 1.
With two seasons completed and participation already surging, Little Spikes will now look to continue building a pipeline of young volleyball players throughout Warren County.
