For the past 10 years, J.D. Malone coached volleyball for a high school team while handling club volleyball duties as a side business.
This week, Malone left his high school coaching career at Southwest Florida Christian Academy behind, devoting himself to coaching and developing the business behind Florida Conquer Volleyball Club in Fort Myers.
Florida Conquer Volleyball Club’s new 18,000-square-foot facility at 2501 Alessio Drive, Unit 145, in Fort Myers.
The club hosted an open house and pizza party Oct. 26 at 2501 Alessio Drive, Unit 145, in the southwest quadrant of Interstate 75 and State Road 82, inside one of the largest buildings ever constructed in the city of Fort Myers.
Malone spent about $500,000 outfitting 18,000 square feet of space with the court’s flooring, new nets for three courts, workout and weightlifting equipment and, of course, volleyballs — lots of volleyballs.
J.D. Malone, founder and coach of Florida Conquer Volleyball Club, inside the club’s new Fort Myers complex.
“I’ve always been on a mission to bring the volleyball community together,” Malone said. “And this was one of the first things that I noticed was missing from our area, was someplace that wasn’t just club driven but was whole volleyball community driven.”
Florida Conquer Volleyball Club will be more than just a place for high school-aged players to get in their digs, blocks and aces. It will be a place for adult-league competition and youth-league instruction, as well, Malone said.
“Our major thing is club volleyball,” Malone said. “Kids will come in after the school season ends. They’ll compete in state tournaments or out-of-state tournaments.”
The Alessio Drive complex houses the new Florida Conquer Volleyball Club facility, one of the largest indoor sports spaces in Fort Myers.
Local club and regional tournaments will be hosted at the new facility, which has Ace Pickleball Club as a neighbor on the southern end of the building and Gerzeny’s RV World on the northern end.
Indoor volleyball rules require a ceiling of at least 24 feet high. The new facility has plenty of room to spare, with ceilings of 36 to 40 feet high.
Florida Conquer pays about $22,000 a month to lease the space. Team fees start at $450 for an eight-week league with at least six teams per league. Those, and sponsorships, will make the business model work, Malone said.
Malone spent eight years in Colorado Springs, Colorado, working for USA Volleyball and coaching Team Colorado before moving to Fort Myers. He said he developed a feel for how Florida Conquer’s business model would work after previously renting space in other facilities.
Players practice at Florida Conquer Volleyball Club’s new facility, which includes three full courts, weight training and fitness areas.
“It’s going to work,” Malone said. “It’s a big bill compared to where we were. Our monthly costs went significantly up. But the response has been nothing but positive. Everybody is super excited to get into the gym and start training for the new club season.
“There’s a lot of excitement about what we’re doing here. We’re looking at doing a summer camp every week during the summer.”
Florida Conquer has 20 club teams with a combined 200 players as members. With the new facility, it will be poised to grow.
“It’s a good feeling,” Malone said. “You never quite know when you take risks like this how people are going to respond to it or even want it. But it’s been nothing but a positive response since we signed the lease.”
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