The inspiration for the Starlings Volleyball Clubs, USA came to Byron Shewman, a writer and former USA

 Men�s Volleyball Team member, in 1995.  Wanting to develop a program which incorporated academic

 enrichment with sports, he recruited two-time Olympian and former U.S. Women�s Team Captain Kim Oden

 and initiated the first club in San Diego, California.

In 1996, the second club was formed in New York City by Omar Vargas.  Through initial funding by Nike, Inc.

 and the Amateur Athletic Foundation, programs were soon established in Chicago, Los Angeles, and on a

 Navajo reservation in the Four Corners area of Arizona.  Currently, over 30 cities nation-wide have Starlings