KIVA Sports

What KIVA Sports does

KIVA Sports (legal name KIVA Volleyball) is a privately held junior volleyball club organization headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 2001 and operated as a subsidiary of 3 Step Sports LLC. The company serves youth athletes ages 3 through 18 across the Louisville, Southern Indiana, and Lexington markets, offering a tiered program portfolio structured around what the club calls the KIVA Ladder development pathway. Entry-level programs include VolleyTOTS (ages 3-8), Junior League (K-8th grade), and Short Season (1st-10th grade), while competitive tiers span Developmental, Regional, and National Teams for both KIVA Girls and KIVA Boys across age divisions 12U-18U. Supporting offerings include Summer Camps, Fall Programming, Strength and Conditioning (delivered in partnership with Propel Performance using VALD Force Plates, DARI Motion 3D biomechanical testing, and InBody Composition Analysis), and a Team Store operated via gearupwithus.com. KIVA also operates affiliated tournament brands Final Set Events and Top Court Events.

The club's core technology and operational infrastructure runs on the PlayerFirst Technology platform, which provides single-login access to 150+ youth sport organizations and handles member registration, waiver management, and account access. Athlete recruiting support is delivered through Hudl Film and Sports Recruits. KIVA's economic model is built on per-athlete fees across club registration, tryouts, camps, clinics, training sessions, short-season programs, and merchandise, with no subscription or recurring enterprise contracts. Pricing is granular and varies by program and location: boys tryout fees are $100, summer camps range from $60 to $166, Junior League is $80/player, Fall Junior League is $275/player, and Short Season registration runs roughly $550-$570 depending on grade.

KIVA's customer base is hundreds of individual families per season across both boys and girls programs. The club reports 55 National Championships across AAU, JVA, and USA Volleyball competitions, 170 medal finishes, 191 AAU All-American recognitions, and approximately 385 athletes placed on collegiate athletic scholarships (~95% of senior girls). KIVA is led by Club Director Courtney Robison-Dixon, with Katie Adams Marshall (Mindful Performance Coaching) handling strength and conditioning. The organization operates two physical locations — the KIVA Sports Center at 1820 Taylor Ave in Louisville and the Lexington Ice Center & Sports Complex at 560 Eureka Springs Dr in Lexington — and does not publish financial statements.

Name

KIVA Sports

Legal name

KIVA Volleyball

Website

https://kivasports.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Volleyball Club Training

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Youth & Amateur Sports Tournaments (MPAGAMAF)

Keywords

• Youth volleyball training
• Club volleyball programs
• Volleyball skills camps
• Junior volleyball leagues
• Sports performance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Club Registration and Tryout Fees: Annual club volleyball registration fees for competitive teams at regional and national levels, including tryout fees ($100 for boys), uniform packages, and season fees.
2. Camps and Clinics: Summer programming including general skills camps ($60-$166), specialty camps (serving, passing/defense, setting/attacking), pre-tryout camps, and elite college camps ($150).
3. Training Sessions: Club training sessions for grades 4-8 preparing athletes for club tryouts, priced at $35 per session.
4. Apparel and Merchandise: Team store offering uniforms and spirit wear through external partner (gearupwithus.com).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KIVA Sports operates a junior volleyball club offering year-round competitive club teams (KIVA Girls and KIVA Boys), development leagues (VolleyTOTS and Junior League), a Short Season intro-to-club program, summer and fall camps, and strength and conditioning training for youth athletes ages 3-18 in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. The club runs an annual tryout-based admissions cycle with a structured development pathway (The KIVA Ladder) that progresses athletes from beginner play through National Teams and provides college recruiting support including Hudl Film and Sports Recruits.

Product overview

KIVA Sports is a junior volleyball club organization offering a comprehensive multi-tiered program portfolio. The core offerings include KIVA Girls (club volleyball for girls with National/Regional/Developmental programs) and KIVA Boys (club volleyball with Rep to Prep, Summer Teams, and Club Teams for U14-U18). Supporting programs include VolleyTOTS (ages 3-8 introduction), Junior League (K-8th grade beginner), Short Season (1st-10th grade intro to club), and Summer/Fall Camps at multiple skill levels. Regional programming extends through KIVA Lexington. Training services include Strength and Conditioning (via Mindful Performance Coaching and Propel Performance partnerships). The organization operates a development pathway called 'The KIVA Ladder' guiding athletes from beginner through elite competition, with recruiting support, college commits tracking, and team merchandise available. The company also organizes tournament events through affiliated brands Final Set Events and Top Court Events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KIVA Girls: Girls club volleyball program offering National, Regional, and Developmental programs for athletes
• KIVA Boys
• KIVA Lexington
• KIVA Short Season
• The KIVA Ladder
• KIVA Sports Center
• Final Set Events
• Top Court Events

Products and services

• KIVA Girls Club Volleyball Year-round competitive club volleyball program for girls with National, Regional, and Developmental team tiers, coached by experienced staff in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area, including national tournament competition and college recruiting support.
• KIVA Boys Club Volleyball Year-round competitive club volleyball program for boys offering Rep to Prep (beginner), Summer Teams, and Club Teams options across U14 to U18 age divisions, including the 2026 College Elite Camp.
• VolleyTOTS Introduction to volleyball for boys and girls ages 3-8 using age-appropriate drills (scooters, ladders, large volleyballs) to develop foot speed and hand-eye coordination.
• Junior League Entry-level league introducing K-8th grade athletes to volleyball fundamentals with one weekly practice and 6v6 scrimmaging, offered in Louisville and Lexington.
• Short Season Introduction to club volleyball for athletes in 1st through 10th grade with athlete evaluation, team placement by age and skill, 9-11 athletes per team, and one dedicated KIVA coach.
• Summer Camps Intensive summer training camps including General Skills Camps, Pre-Tryout Camps, Serving Camps, Passing/Defense Camps, Setting/Attacking Camps, and Elite College Camps at varying price points.
• Fall Programming Fall season programs including Short Season and Junior League offerings for athletes in 1st-8th grade, structured around the KIVA Ladder development pathway.
• Strength and Conditioning

Quantifiable outcome

• 55 National Championships (AAU, JVA, USA)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Propel PerformancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropel Performance provides volleyball-specific strength and conditioning training for KIVA athletes at their 12,000 sq ft private facility in Middletown. The partnership offers elite diagnostic technology including VALD Force Plates, DARI Motion 3D biomechanical testing, and InBody Composition Analysis, along with nutrition coaching and recovery strategies.
• PlayerFirst TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationPlayerFirst Technology provides single login access to 150+ youth sport organizations and event providers. KIVA uses PlayerFirst for member registration, waiver management, and account access across all programs.
• 3 Step Sports LLCcoreOthers3 Step Sports LLC is the parent company of KIVA Volleyball, owning and operating the club organization.
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIVA competes in AAU National Championships and AAU All-American program, hosting teams in various age divisions at national tournament events.
• Pioneer Region (USA Volleyball)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKIVA athletes register with Pioneer Region annually for USA Volleyball membership, which is required for club volleyball participation and provides access to regional tournaments.
• GearUpWithUs.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal team store platform for KIVA uniforms and spirit wear purchases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IMG Academy: National multi-sport training academy offering elite athletic development, college exposure, and residential programming. Comparable to KIVA on the athlete-development-and-college-placement value proposition and on premium strength-and-conditioning services (Propel-like diagnostics).
• 3 Step Sports: Parent organization of KIVA Volleyball and operator of multiple junior club brands plus tournament properties (Final Set Events, Top Court Events). Comparable as the broader portfolio platform that owns KIVA, shares the registration tech (PlayerFirst), and competes with independent clubs for athlete share.

Direct peers

• Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club: Top Midwest junior volleyball club with multiple teams per age group, camps, and a strong college-placement reputation. Comparable to KIVA on regional dominance, scholarship pipeline, and national championship participation.
• Aspire Volleyball Club: Multi-location junior volleyball club with national-tier teams, regional teams, and beginner pipelines. Comparable to KIVA on developmental ladder (beginner through national), satellite expansion strategy, and camp/clinic offerings.
• Wave Volleyball Club: Long-standing Southern California junior volleyball club with national and regional competitive teams plus extensive camp programming. Comparable to KIVA in club-tier structure, AAU/USAV tournament participation, and college placement orientation.
• Sunshine Volleyball Academy: Florida junior volleyball club operating competitive teams across age divisions with college-placement focus. Comparable to KIVA on tiered team model, AAU/USAV participation, and scholarship-outcome positioning.
• A5 Volleyball Club: Top-ranked Georgia-based junior volleyball club offering multi-level competitive teams, camps, and college recruiting pipelines. Comparable to KIVA on tiered team structure, AAU/USAV national championship participation, and scholarship placement focus.
• Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV): One of the largest junior volleyball club programs in Texas with multi-tier national and regional teams. Directly comparable to KIVA on club structure (girls/boys programming, camps, recruiting support) and on the goal of producing collegiate scholarship athletes.
• TStreet Volleyball: California-based junior volleyball club with national-tier teams and recruiting infrastructure. Comparable to KIVA on club-team hierarchy, Hudl/SportsRecruits recruiting support, and tournament-driven competition schedule.
• Pacific Juniors Volleyball: Bay Area junior volleyball club with multiple competitive tiers and tournament travel to national events. Comparable to KIVA on multi-level team offerings, recruiting support, and emphasis on AAU/USAV national results.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kiva-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KIVA Sports