By Taiwo Sokan on September 27, 2026
For Coach Harriett and Coach Sassan, volleyball is about more than learning how to serve, set, and spike. It is an opportunity for girls to become stronger athletes, build confidence, make friends, and discover what they are capable of accomplishing.
That philosophy is at the heart of AAA Sports Club , a nonprofit youth sports organization serving families throughout Orange County. Since 2012, the club has helped young athletes develop their volleyball skills in an encouraging environment built around strong fundamentals, experienced coaching, and fun.
Its philosophy can be summed up in four words: “We build A+ athletes.”
AAA Sports Club specializes in girls’ volleyball training for players ages 7 to 16, with programs offered in Irvine, Tustin, Mission Viejo, and Garden Grove. The club welcomes girls at different stages of their volleyball journey, including young athletes who are being introduced to the sport. The club also started advanced club volleyball for athletes who wanted the excitement of volleyball tournaments. The elite teams travel to Las Vegas every year to compete.
Rather than simply giving players a place to play, the program emphasizes proper volleyball techniques and a strong athletic foundation. The goal is to help girls develop skills they can continue building on as they become more experienced.
That combination of instruction and enjoyment matters. The CDC recommends that children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day and notes that regular activity can support physical fitness, brain health, and overall well – being. AAA Sports Club also believes sports should remain something young athletes look forward to. Practices are designed to provide serious instruction while remembering something simple: the players are still kids.
One of the defining features of AAA Sports Club is its coaching team.
The organization works with about 20 coaches, and volleyball experience is central to the program. Its coaching roster has included current and former competitive athletes, former NCAA Division I players, and athletes with international and national -team experience.
But playing experience is only part of what the club values. Coach Harriett looks for coaches who genuinely enjoy teaching young players and who can create an encouraging atmosphere. Some coaches also bring professional backgrounds in education, curriculum, and child development.
“We are not a recreational training program. We focus on techniques for building a strong foundation and also discipline for instilling a great work ethic.”Coach Harriett explained.
That approach is especially important because the organization works exclusively with girls. Coaches are expected to provide positive instruction while helping players grow at their own pace. The result is an environment where learning volleyball and enjoying volleyball can go hand in hand.
The lessons AAA Sports Club hopes to teach don’t stop at the edge of the volleyball court. (Coach Harriett) brings her experience working with schools and nonprofit organizations in Cambodia, India, China, and the Middle East to AAA Sports Club. She has taught girls on confidence, manners, and personal development. That background influences how she approaches the hiring and coaching philosophy of the club today. Her goal is to help young athletes become confident and considerate young ladies on and off the court.
Research supports the broader value of that kind of sports environment. The Women’s Sports Foundation reports that community -based sports participation can be associated with confidence in sports skills, leadership, reaching goals, and body confidence. Girls surveyed about what they enjoyed about sports also frequently pointed to having fun and spending time with friends or meeting new people.
Those themes are easy to recognize at AAA Sports Club. The organization creates opportunities for players and families to connect beyond regular training. Events surrounding tournaments give teammates time to bond, bring friends together, and allow parents to get to know other families and coaches. Over time, those relationships can turn a volleyball program into a community.
For Coach Harriett and Coach Sassan, some of the most meaningful moments come when parents tell them they have noticed changes in their daughters.
Families have shared stories about their girls becoming more confident, making friends, laughing more, and developing a greater enthusiasm for their sport. For the coaches at AAA Sports Club, those moments reinforce why youth athletics can matter far beyond wins and losses. “The passion that you have really does shine through,” Coach Harriett said.
Some players stay connected with the organization for years. And as longtime athletes grow older and head to college, some eventually express interest in returning as coaches themselves. It creates a cycle that Coach Harriett values deeply: young girls discover volleyball, develop their skills, grow as athletes, and may eventually return to share their experience with another generation.
AAA Sports Club has been part of the Orange County youth sports community since 2012, with Irvine serving as an important home base for Coach Harriett, who has lived in the city for more than 20 years.
During the school year, girls’ volleyball remains the club’s primary focus. During summer, the organization also offers opportunities in sports such as basketball, indoor soccer, flag football, and chess, which the club describes as a “mind sport.” Coach Sassan is actually one of the best chess coaches in town. He has been running the summer chess camps at the Irvine Chinese School for over a decade. It is still one of the most requested summer camps in town.
Whatever the activity, the emphasis remains on creating positive experiences for young people. Coach Harriett encourages parents to view sports as a journey rather than expecting immediate results. Developing athletic ability takes time, and she believes families should consider the complete environment surrounding their daughters —not simply how quickly they progress. Quality coaching, safety, friendship, confidence, skill development, and enjoyment all have a place in that journey.
For AAA Sports Club, success isn’t limited to what appears on a tournament scoreboard. It can be a beginner finally mastering a volleyball technique. It can be a shy player making new friends. It can be teammates laughing together after practice or a former player returning years later with a desire to coach. Those moments reflect the kind of athletes Coach Harriett and Coach Sassan hope to develop. Young players come to AAA Sports Club to learn volleyball. Along the way, the goal is for them to find confidence, community, strong habits, and a lasting love for being active.
That is what being an (A+) athlete means at AAA Sports Club.
To start your daughter in our volleyball training, please visit www.aaasportsclub.com.
To learn more about our advanced volleyball club, please visit athenavolleyball.com.
AAA Sports Club
10 Marconi, Irvine, CA
Website: AAA Sports Club
Email: info@aaasportsclub.com
Contact: 949-466-3737
Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
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