For Brooklynn Slater, volleyball was never just a sport. It was a pathway to opportunity, identity, and ultimately, purpose.
Now, the former Keiser University standout and NAIA record-holder is channeling that purpose into something much bigger through Jump City Volleyball, a growing volleyball hub in South Florida designed to remove barriers, expand access to quality training space, and create a true home for athletes in Palm Beach County.
“My coach’s response to my injury and how it impacted my scholarship and future opportunities was the first turning point for what I was meant to do for this community,” Slater said. “That experience made me realize players deserve better: better coaching, better facilities, and more opportunities to become the best athletes they can be.”
Slater’s volleyball journey began at a young age and eventually led her to Keiser University, where she earned All-American honors, Player of the Year recognition, and set the NAIA single-season kills record. During what would unknowingly become her final collegiate season, she competed through a stress fracture that eventually broke completely, requiring surgery and a long, isolating recovery process.
That difficult chapter later became the foundation for her mission.
After college, Slater coached at several clubs in West Palm Beach and quickly recognized a major issue facing the volleyball community in South Florida: a lack of dedicated volleyball facilities. Athletes trained in inconsistent environments such as school gyms and shared recreational spaces, while families routinely drove more than an hour each way to find quality court time.
“It didn’t take me long to identify the problem I had to solve in Palm Beach County’s volleyball community,” Slater said. “The growth of club volleyball was becoming unmanageable, basketball was prioritized in most shared spaces, and quality court time was simply inaccessible.”
Rather than accepting the problem, she decided to build a solution.
Jump City Volleyball was created with the mission of providing a consistent, high-quality training environment for athletes of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to competitive adults. Beyond skill development, the program emphasizes confidence, discipline, and community.
Today, Jump City offers private lessons, small-group training, camps, open gyms, and tournaments, with plans to continue expanding into a dedicated volleyball facility capable of hosting youth and adult leagues and tournaments.
The journey from idea to grand opening, however, was anything but simple.
Slater spent months researching the commercial leasing process, studying zoning requirements, and learning the realities of financing and operating a sports facility. She toured more than six warehouse spaces throughout West Palm Beach, facing repeated setbacks ranging from construction limitations to property owners unwilling to lease to sports businesses.
“There were so many moments where I got my hopes up,” she said. “I learned very quickly that entrepreneurship requires resilience. You have to be willing to hear ‘no’ over and over again and still believe in your vision.”
In the early stages, Slater validated her idea through grassroots community events, hosting beach and indoor tournaments for local adult players. The response was immediate. Attendance grew quickly, and word-of-mouth support confirmed what she already suspected: the volleyball community was desperate for dedicated space and consistent programming.
At the same time, Slater leaned heavily into self-education and innovation, using artificial intelligence tools to help navigate business planning, legal questions, logistics, and financial modeling.
“I spent hours every single day learning,” Slater said. “I used AI to ask questions, understand concepts, and fill in knowledge gaps where I lacked experience. I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without using the resources available at my fingertips.”
Funding presented another challenge. While working in property management, Slater built relationships with successful business professionals and began pitching her vision to potential investors. Many conversations led nowhere, particularly with individuals unfamiliar with volleyball or unconvinced by the market demand.
Eventually, she found the right supporters: a couple with a sports-family background who believed in both her mission and the long-term potential of Jump City Volleyball.
“That was a huge turning point,” Slater said. “They saw the vision beyond just volleyball. They understood the impact this could have on the community.”
From there, momentum accelerated quickly.
What began as an idea in March 2025 evolved into tournament hosting by August, official business registration by October, secured funding in November, finalized lease agreements in January 2026, and finally, Jump City Volleyball’s grand opening on March 7, 2026.
Now, the facility continues to grow into what Slater envisioned from the beginning: not just a training space, but a true community hub.
The impact extends beyond competitive volleyball. By creating more accessible court space and local programming, Jump City is helping reduce the financial and logistical barriers many families face simply trying to participate in the sport.
Parents no longer need to spend hours commuting to neighboring counties for practices or open gyms. Athletes have access to a dedicated volleyball environment built specifically for their development. Adult players have opportunities to stay connected to the game through leagues, tournaments and weekly open volleyball, which regularly sells out. Young athletes are finding mentorship and community in a space intentionally designed for them.
“What’s been most rewarding is seeing the response from the community,” Slater said. “The growth in attendance, repeat athletes, and support has validated the need for what we’re building.”
Slater also hopes her story inspires others with ideas of their own to take action, even when the process feels overwhelming.
“One thing I’ve learned is that if you have a mission in your heart to build something that truly adds value to people’s lives, you have to go all in,” she said. “If you’re not sweating, you’re not winning.”
For Slater, Jump City Volleyball is about far more than volleyball itself. It is about creating opportunities where limitations once existed, building community where there was fragmentation, and proving that with enough persistence, vision, and belief, barriers can be broken.
In South Florida, that mission is only just beginning.
Jump City Volleyball is based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Junior Volleyball Association is focused exclusively on junior volleyball and the needs of the club community. Since 2006, JVA has worked to improve the junior volleyball experience by supporting a growing network of nearly 1,800 member clubs while continuing its mission to ‘Better the Ball’ at every level. Built by Club Directors for Club Directors, JVA provides resources, events, education, and advocacy to help the sport grow in the right direction. Known for a more innovative and forward-thinking approach than traditional governing bodies, JVA continues to push the game forward by introducing new ideas, elevating the event experience, and creating opportunities that reflect where the sport is going, not where it’s been. Learn more at www.jvavolleyball.org or follow @jvavolleyball on all social media platforms.
