Coach Mike DZ standing on a volleyball court, photographed in black and white

About SIDELINE

BUILT FROM
25 YEARS
ON THE SIDELINE.

SIDELINE didn't start as an idea for another volleyball website. It grew from decades of coaching, listening, learning — and watching athletes and families try to navigate a sport they love without enough trustworthy information.

Michael "Coach Mike DZ" DeLeon

Founder, SIDELINE

Why SIDELINE exists ↓

This started in a gym.

I've spent most of my adult life around volleyball.

I started coaching at the middle-school level and eventually had the opportunity to spend approximately seven years learning under Debbie Sokol, former Rice head coach and USA National Team player.

What began as coaching became much more.

Over the next 25+ years, volleyball took me through nearly every side of the youth-sports experience — coaching athletes, owning clubs, operating a volleyball facility, helping families through recruiting, developing coaches, scouting players, directing showcases and events, writing about athletes and spending thousands of hours talking with players, parents and coaches.

I've celebrated championships and college commitments.

I've watched young athletes become confident adults.

I've seen great coaches change lives.

And somewhere along the way, volleyball stopped feeling like something I did. It became part of who I am.

25+

Years around the game

These experiences allowed me to see the sport from many different perspectives.

Two volleyball clubs owned / operated
Six-court volleyball facility built / operated
USAV Junior Nationals qualifiers and medalists
Hundreds of athletes helped through college recruiting
Thousands of athletes and families served
Coach development and mentorship
National volleyball scouting
Six years with Prep Dig
National showcases and events
Thousands of scouting / exposure articles
Thousands of athlete evaluations
The Dig Podcast / volleyball conversations

I kept seeing
the same problem.

Families are asked to make major decisions without enough trustworthy information.

Parents may spend thousands of dollars joining a club without really understanding the coach, environment or experience they're choosing.

Athletes often don't know what questions to ask.

Families may not understand recruiting, development, playing time, club structures or what is normal in youth volleyball.

Coaches themselves often enter the profession without enough education or mentorship.

Families end up relying on Facebook groups, word of mouth, fragmented club websites and private conversations.

There wasn't one trusted volleyball destination designed to help people research, learn, connect and make better-informed decisions.

After 25 years,
I kept coming back
to one question:

Why doesn't that place exist?

So we're building it.

Coaching matters more
than the name on the jersey.

One of the original ideas behind SIDELINE was simple:

A family shouldn't have to choose a volleyball experience based solely on a club's reputation.

The individual coach matters. The environment matters.

Communication matters. Development philosophy matters. The athlete's actual experience matters.

This became the foundation for:

KNOW BEFORE YOU COMMIT.

SIDELINE began as a way for families to research clubs and coaches, understand programs, and share legitimate experiences that could help the next family make a more informed decision.

Verified Experience exists to strengthen trust. Evidence submitted for verification remains private and admin-only. It is not intended for public display. The purpose is accountability and better information — not gossip, not attacks, not drama.

Transparency
wasn't enough.

Knowing more can help families make better decisions. Learning more can help us create better experiences in the first place.

RESEARCHLEARNCONNECTGROW

Players. Parents. Coaches. Clubs. One volleyball community.

Club & Coach Research

Helping families understand programs, coaches and experiences. Club research is launching Texas-first and expanding state by state.

Learning Center

Education created specifically for players, parents and coaches — available nationwide.

Interactive Learning

Volleyball IQ, scenarios, decision-making and What Would You Do? experiences.

Volleyball should
develop people,
not just players.

Winning matters. Competition matters. Excellence matters.

But I've always believed coaching is bigger than volleyball.

The athletes we coach can become almost like our own children. We celebrate with them, hurt with them, challenge them, believe in them and hope something we taught them stays with them long after they stop playing.

That responsibility has shaped the way I coach. It also shapes SIDELINE.

Do the right thing even when nobody is watching.
Put athletes first.
Development matters more than quick fixes.
Coaches should never stop learning.
Parents deserve education too.
Athletes should learn how to think — not simply follow instructions.
Accountability and empathy can coexist.
Sports should prepare young people for life beyond sports.

What SIDELINE
should always stand for.

Trust

People should be able to trust the information and the intentions behind the platform.

Transparency

Families deserve more information before making major youth-sports decisions.

Education

Better-informed athletes, parents and coaches create better volleyball experiences.

Empowerment

Give people tools to make informed decisions rather than telling them what decision to make.

Accountability

Clubs, coaches, parents and athletes all play a role in creating healthy sports environments.

Community

Volleyball people should be able to learn from and help one another.

What we are.
And what we aren't.

SIDELINE is not a gossip website.
SIDELINE is not a place designed to attack coaches or clubs.
SIDELINE is not a replacement for communication between families and coaches.
SIDELINE is not a recruiting ranking service.
SIDELINE is not a volleyball club.
SIDELINE is not a governing body.
SIDELINE is not a platform built around negativity.

TRANSPARENCY
+ EDUCATION
+ ACCOUNTABILITY
+ COMMUNITY

This is the mission.

Built for the
volleyball community.

SIDELINE's educational ecosystem is intended to serve the volleyball community nationwide. Learning, recruiting education, interactive experiences and other educational resources can serve families regardless of state.

Club research is launching Texas-first because trustworthy local research requires density, accurate information, reviews and participation. Additional states can expand over time.

Professional Coach Profiles are available nationwide.

LEARNING NATIONALLY. RESEARCH LOCALLY. EXPANDING STATE BY STATE.

Meet Coach Mike DZ

Michael "Coach Mike DZ" DeLeon

Founder, SIDELINE

Michael DeLeon has spent more than 25 years coaching, leading and working throughout volleyball.

His journey has included club ownership, facility operation, athlete development, recruiting, coach development, national scouting, showcases, volleyball media and working directly with thousands of athletes and families.

But SIDELINE isn't being built to document his career. Those experiences are the reason he believes the volleyball community deserves better tools, better education and better access to information.

View Coach Mike's Profile

This isn't
just my story.

It's ours.

I can build the platform.

I can share what 25 years in volleyball has taught me.

But SIDELINE will only become what I believe it can become if the volleyball community helps build it.

Every legitimate experience that is shared can help another family.

Every club that claims and improves its profile makes the information better.

Every coach who shares their background and knowledge adds something to the community.

Every parent who shares an educational resource may help another parent.

Every athlete who learns something and shares it with a teammate helps improve the game.

SIDELINE becomes more valuable when the volleyball community contributes to it.

Let's build what we wish existed for the generation before us — for the generation coming next.

Coach Mike DZ

Founder, SIDELINE

Help build SIDELINE.

Research. Learn. Share. Contribute.

Discover Coaches Visit the Learning Center

Find a Club Join the Community

BUILT FROM
25 YEARS
ON THE SIDELINE.

This started in a gym.

I kept seeing
the same problem.

Coaching matters more
than the name on the jersey.

Transparency
wasn't enough.

Club & Coach Research

Learning Center

Interactive Learning

Volleyball should
develop people,
not just players.

What SIDELINE
should always stand for.

Trust

Transparency

Education

Empowerment

Accountability

Community

What we are.
And what we aren't.

Built for the
volleyball community.

Meet Coach Mike DZ

This isn't
just my story.

Help build SIDELINE.

Recruiting Education

Beyond the Game

Community

Podcast / Stories

Legal

BUILT FROM25 YEARSON THE SIDELINE.

This started in a gym.

I kept seeingthe same problem.

Coaching matters morethan the name on the jersey.

Transparencywasn't enough.

Club & Coach Research

Learning Center

Interactive Learning

Volleyball shoulddevelop people,not just players.

What SIDELINEshould always stand for.

Trust

Transparency

Education

Empowerment

Accountability

Community

What we are.And what we aren't.

Built for thevolleyball community.

Meet Coach Mike DZ

This isn'tjust my story.

Help build SIDELINE.

Recruiting Education

Beyond the Game

Community

Podcast / Stories

Legal

BUILT FROM
25 YEARS
ON THE SIDELINE.

I kept seeing
the same problem.

Coaching matters more
than the name on the jersey.

Transparency
wasn't enough.

Volleyball should
develop people,
not just players.

What SIDELINE
should always stand for.

What we are.
And what we aren't.

Built for the
volleyball community.

This isn't
just my story.