Ditch the Pricey Gym Membership and Get Your Sweat on With Volo Sports!
It’s no secret that daily exercise is key to a happy, healthy life. The challenge is choosing exercise that keeps you motivated. Good news! You aren’t doomed to counting down the minutes on a treadmill forever! Volo Sports San Diego has created sports leagues all across the city for players of every level, bringing the joy of sports back into our adult lives. Sign up for a no-pressure kickball team or crank it up a notch with a competitive volleyball league. Chances are, if you’ve missed it or wanted to try it out, Volo offers it. Look forward to exercising again and making friends along the way: here’s what you can expect when you join a Volo Sports league!
A Little Back Story (Because Every Cool Thing Has One)
Volo Sports didn’t start in San Diego. It originated as a bocce league in Baltimore and has since expanded into a national social-sports powerhouse. In 2021, they acquired the San Diego brand VAVi (yes, many locals still call it VAVi) and rolled out their model citywide. At its heart, Volo’s mission is “Genuine Human Interaction” (GHI): turning sweat into connection. With screens dominating our days and solo workouts getting old, they’re bringing us together on courts, fields and at social events.
What Joining a Volo League Feels Like
1. You’ll Meet New Friends (or Even a Fiancé!)
Expand your circle; enrich your life! When you join a Volo Sports league, you’re not only signing up to stay active and mix up your work week. You’re also opening the door to a welcoming community of players that often make even better friends! Competitive or novice, you’ll be surrounded with like-minded people that are looking for community. Just a fair warning, though: all that time spent together may cause extreme fondness. Love has sprouted more than a few times on the field; there have even been Volo teammate engagements over the years! Your No. 1 partner on the field might just become a partner for life.
Pro Tip: Think of Volo as a workout in a no-judgment zone. Everyone’s there to move, laugh and make friends just as much as they are to play. And when the game wraps, your night doesn’t have to. Teams often migrate to Breakpoint in or Bluefoot Bar to keep the energy flowing.
2. It’s A Fun and Stress-Free Way to Get Exercise
We’ve tried the repetition of the treadmill. We’ve attempted to hit every step in the trendy group classes. Everyone’s fitness journey looks a little different, but we’re partial to the pull of the field! When you live in a beautiful city like San Diego, outdoor sports can happen pretty much year-round, so why not take advantage? Breathe in the fresh air and de-stress from a long day at work in leagues that stay new and exciting each week. No Volo Sports game is the same; you’ll go head-to-head with a new team each time you play with your same teammates cheering you on. When the excitement is high and the team’s counting on you, it makes your exercise something to look forward to!
Pro Tip: Workouts here don’t feel like workouts. You’ll break a sweat in a chill, fun environment and won’t be asked to do a burpee.
3. Ditch the Expensive Gym Membership
Working out is meant for your muscles, but costly gym memberships and group classes tend to cause your wallet to lose weight too. Exercise should be accessible, but equipment costs and monthly memberships can add up, making affordability a challenge. Volo’s programs are created with players in mind, ensuring that even beginners who just want to dip their toes into something new feel the cost is worth it. The price of each sport is different and depends on the length of the program, but most span over several weeks! There are also no hard-pressed sales, making sure you’ll want to join again for the next season. Although after your first league, we’re certain you’ll be back for more.
Pro Tip: Not ready to commit to a full season? Grab a Volo Pass and drop into one-off games. It’s the best way to test the waters, make friends and still have all the fun.
4. There’s Something for Everyone
Across sunny San Diego, Volo leagues range from laid-back and social to seriously competitive, making it easy to test a new sport or return to one you already love. Volo runs over 12 programs across courts and fields all over the city, including volleyball, kickball, softball, soccer and tennis (to name a few). The leagues happen at rec centers, schools, beaches and even private clubs from Mission Beach to Chula Vista! Volo just released its spring leagues complete with weekday volleyball, social kickball, turf soccer, pickleball and coed softball! If you aren’t quite ready to commit, they also offer one-off drop-ins with their Volo Pass option!
Pro Tip: Celebrate your win (or laugh off the loss) with teammates and relive every play like it belonged on ESPN. North Park teams flock to Coin-Op for arcade games and drinks, while PB squads rally at Maverick’s Beach Club for buffalo fries, live music and outdoor games.
5. It’s A Great Way to Volunteer
For when a rest is in order but you’re still determined to be involved, Volo offers the Volo Kids Foundation, run solely by volunteers. If you’ve ever wanted to take part in shaping the lives of our youth, the time is now! Volunteers within the program take part in all aspects of the foundation, from coaching and mentorship positions to community outreach, networking and even down to social media presence. Youth programs happen all week long, all across the city. Connect with the Volo Kids Foundation to discover new ways to do good!
Pro Tip: When you volunteer with Volo Kids, you score good karma and get to play in a Volo Sports adult league for free.
6. Plenty of Awesome Collabs and Events
Volo is more than a sports league. It’s a connector of communities. That’s why they team up with local wellness spots like Breathe Degrees, whose new studio just opened at Liberty Station. Known for its cold plunges, breathwork sessions and holistic approach to recovery, they collab with Volo to create unique events that mix friendly competition with wellness practices. Think mornings of pickleball followed by icy plunges, local vendors and good vibes. These events highlight exactly what Volo is about: genuine human interaction that stretches beyond the scoreboard.
And the fun doesn’t stop there. Players can also look forward to Barnes Friday’s Recurring Series, where pickleball open play takes over every Friday evening with complimentary Stella flowing courtside. Or check out the upcoming Mini Golf Tournament at Maverick’s Beach Club, a night of playful competition with plenty of post-game partying.
Pro Tip: Past Volo event highlights also include women’s walks, paint-and-sip nights, bar crawls, speed dating and game nights. You can play, and keep the fun rolling with these off-the-field gatherings.
Volo Sports San Diego
1094 Cudahy Pl, Ste 310
San Diego, CA 92110
858.273.3485
@volosandiego
This article is brought to you by one of the many talented writers associated with Locale Magazine! We are a group of locals (whether born and raised or transplanted) who love this county we now call home!
