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VB4Y Club Player Questions and Answers

for the 2011-2012

What age groups will your club have for the 2011-2012 club season?

• VB4Y will have tryouts for 10-15 year olds

• We will have club, regional and national level teams

What is the difference between the club, regional and national teams?

• Club players will get the same training as other team members during Sunday training sessions. Club members will have the opportunity to sign up for local team events held in the Virginia Beach area. Club player teams are for those players that want to keep up and or improve their playing skills during the middle and high school off season without having to play on a travel club team. It is also for those just learning the sport and are interested in becoming competitive players.
• Regional team players will need to tryout for a team, and be willing to commit to 2 days a week practice.
• National team players will need to tryout for a team, and be willing to commit to 3 days a week practice.
  • The team practice schedule will start in September for committed players and continue through May.

Where do VB4Y teams play in tournaments?

• Club players will have the opportunity to play in one day local events in the Virginia Beach Area.

REGIONAL TEAM WILL PLAY IN THE FOLLOWING EVENTS;

The additional fee for tournaments and travel expenses will be divided up among the team players.

1. January -Regional ODR one-day event
2. February-Regional ODR one-day event
3. March-Shamrock Festival, Roanoke, Virginia (2-day event)
4. April-Williamsburg Rumble, Williamsburg, VA (2-day event)
5. May-ODR Regional Championships

NATIONAL TEAM WILL PLAY IN THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:

The additional fee for tournaments and travel expenses will be divided up among the team players.

1. December 31, January 1, 2012,Quest for Excellence, Greensboro, NC
2. January 14-16, 2012, Monument City Classic, Richmond, Virginia
3. February 18-20, 2012, Capitol Hill Classic ,Washington, D.C
4. March 31-April 2, 2012, Northeast Qualifier, Baltimore Convention Center
5. May-26-28, 2012 , South Atlantic Championships, Richmond Virginia

I want to tryout for a team, but I cannot attend the scheduled tryout dates,What do I do?

• You should send us an e-mail with your interest in playing for our club. Try and get as much practice time in front of the club coaches as possible. If you school team is playing in the fall, let them know when and where your current team is playing so they can come and watch. We will have additional tryouts after the fall season to fill in any vacant spots.

How many teams will you have at each age level ?

• We will have a maximum of 12 players in each group (Club, Regional,National).

• Age levels will range from U10-U15

• This will give all players a chance to get a lot of touches on the ball as well as quality instruction from the coaches during workout sessions.

How much does Club cost?

• Club fees range from $1,200.00 to 1,800.00 for 2011-2012 season . (there are discounts for early signing)
• Regional and National teams will incur additional fees for tournaments and travel expenses that will be divided up among the team members.

Who will be my coach?

• The club Director and Head Coach is Venesa Walker
• Coach Walker will be at all practices and tournaments unless she is out of town with the national teams
• National Head Coach is Venesa Walker
• Regional Coach is Leslie Lewis
• Regional Coach is Lori Johnson

How long is the season?

Contracts for the 2011-2012 season can start being signed June 12, 2011.

• We will start indoor training June 12, 2011-and club members can work out with the indoor and beach team members throughout the summer with any events VB4Y is hosting, which includes camps, tournaments, and practice sessions indoor or on the beach.

• September 11 will start indoor training for club, regional and national teams.
  • weekday practice schedule has not been finalized.
  • Sunday schedule will be 2-6pm on most Sundays. Sometimes the college has events we must work around and we will need to cancel a Sunday session. If the weather is nice we will train at the beach, or on the outdoor sand court at the college. Each age group will have a 2 hour time slot for court usage.

When are practices? How often do teams practice? Where do they practice?

• All of our practices are held out Virginia Wesleyan College. Sometimes we may add a practice site, or met at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for training. VB4Y has indoor courts and beach courts that they use at VWC.

• Practices days will vary by semesters at VWC. We will always have practice hours on Sundays from 2-6pm unless there is a scheduled college event or the college is closed. In the past we have practiced on Tuesday and Thursdays in the Fall and Spring, and Wednesday and Friday in the Winter.

  • Club Team Members will practice 2 hours a week (Sundays only)

  • Regional Teams will practice 4 hours a week (Sundays and one day during the week)

  • National teams will practice up to 8 hours a week (Sundays plus 2 days during the week)

When are games played? How often do the teams play? Where are the tournaments played?

• Most tournaments start at 9am in the morning and players are expected to arrive 60 minutes ahead of their playing time to get ready and warmed up. For a one day event the teams will play a minimum of 6 sets(games) and could play up to 12 sets in one day. In a two day event they usually guarantee a minimum of 6 matches( best 2 out of 3 games is a match). Tournaments are played in schools, colleges, recreation centers and convention centers.

What is Club ’s policy on parent involvement? Are parents asked to volunteer their time

Each Team would like to have parents to volunteer. Parents are not required to volunteer their time, attend fundraising events or attend tournaments. Of course we appreciate all of the support, but we do understand that some families have many commitments and are not always available to be physically supportive. Monetary support is always appreciated!

1. Organize travel to events ( hotel and transportation of players)

• Make sure all players have a ride to the event as well as home from the event.
• If we are staying in hotels, make sure player's not staying with their parent know the hotel and team rules
• Make a contact list for hotels and hotel rooms for all players and parents in case of an emergency.
• Make sure all players and parents have the right location and attendance time for each scheduled performance.

1. Organize tournament water, snacks and meals

• Make sure players have their water bottles filled before each set
• Organize Food Station -
  • Do we collect money and assign a team food shopper
  • Do we assign each player a different tournament day for snacks and water
  • Does everyone bring their own food and fend for themselves
  • When traveling organize restaurant reservations
  • Make sure food is available for late night tournaments

1. Maintain Uniform Bag Care during the season

• Make sure roster has each players correct jersey number
• Make sure each players jersey actually fits the player
• Make sure each player has a jersey in the uniform bag that will be attending the tournament
• Make sure all jerseys are collected after the last match
• Wash all jerseys and keep them in the uniform bag, ready for the next event
• Bring jersey's to each event
• Make sure first aid kit is in jersey bag, and supplies are available
• Make sure jersey bag has a stop watch, whistle, pens, pencils, hair bands, tampons, pads, deodorant, extra socks, shorts, pre-wrap, ace wrap.

1. Organize team bonding and end of season party events

   • Get to know your team sleepovers are great during pre-season. (Highly not recommended during the season the night before a tournament.)
   • We like to have teams get together when possible the night before a tournament for an early pasta party, or after an event to celebrate a victory.
   • After the season is over, it's nice to have a team party with a swimming pool and pot luck dinner

Can my daughter play school sports, such as basketball or softball, and still play on a Club travel team?

• Club Players can be part of our Club without having to give up their school sports or other activities. These players attend practice when they are able too. If they are available for a tournament, they can sign up. There is no commitment to tournaments, and we give no guarantees as to how much tournament play they will actually get to participate in. All club players are expected to respect the VB4Y Club rules.

• Regional team players are usually those players that play a secondary sport competitively and still wants to play volleyball competitively as well. They are required to attend practice 2 days weeks. But during the non tournament weeks, will be given some lead way to attend scheduled games with their secondary sport without being penalized from playing time.

• National club team players must focus on the intense team practice and team bonding events. They can play on their school volleyball team, and if they can meet the requirements and expectations of the team, we will allow them to play additional sports as long as it does not interfere with their team responsibilities. Players that miss practice or events due to other outside activities including school, family or sport events will be penalized from playing time. We expect our national team players to be available, and attentive three days a week for practice.

What is Club philosophy on playing time?

• Club players will get a chance to experience playing on a team in a tournament if they are available on schedule tournament dates for their age group. We try and make sure all players get to experience at least 40% playing time during pool play games. If we are in the play offs, the coaches will do their best to have the team win, by putting in the strongest line up for that particular day. There are so many reasons a player will not get a lot of playing time in a particular tournament. Most of the time is is at the request of the player, or they are having difficulties with their attitude. Playing time will be averaged out as much as possible between the players in attendance.

• Regional team players need to earn their spot on the court. All players that make the team have a role to play on the court. Coaches will make every effort to play all players at least 40% of the game time during pool play. Once the team is in semi finals, the coach puts in the best rotation for success against the team that they are going up against. Players must be in good standing to be guaranteed 40% playing time. (Missed practices, behind in club fees and attitudes at practices are all causes for bench time.If a player chose not to attend a tournament and support their team, because they do not want to sit the bench or keep stats, will still be penalized at future events.)

• National team players need to earn their starting position each and every week. The best rotation will be used at each set for a winning outcome. With that said, the team does not take a player that does not have a specified position on the team.

When and where are the tryouts for Club Volleyball?

• We will have open gym tryouts through out the year.

• Check the web-site for dates, times and locations tryout registration link

I don’t know what age group my daughter should tryout for. How is that determined?

• USAV sets the age requirements for all of the tournament divisions. AAU follows the same guidelines as USAV. The cut off date is for "Players born on or after September 1", you can click on this link for a chart of each divisions age requirements .USAV Age Requirements

• We have many players that are skilled enough to play up in a division. The coaches will help give you guidance as to the best choice for your daughters skill and maturity growth for the sport.
  

Is there a fee for the tryouts?

• Yes, their is a fee for tryouts. If you are already a club member, you do not need to pay a tryout fee. If you are only interested in making a regional or national team, their is a fee of $60.00 for two days of tryouts. tryout registration link

What do we need to bring?

• Players need to bring a valid AAU membership
• Volleyball shoes or cross training tennis shoes( Vans, Sketchers, etc. are not acceptable)
• wear comfortable shorts and a t-shirt. (You do not need to wear spandex shorts for tryouts)
• Water bottle, snack
• Sweat towel
• Headband, hair ties (You must be able to keep your hair out of your face, and not always playing with it)
• No jewelry is allowed on the court-so leave your earring, necklaces, bracelets, pierces at home(or bring something to keep them it while practicing. (You will not be allowed to practice with piercing this coming up season-tournament rules apply at practice)
  

What will I be doing at the tryouts?

• Overhand serving , Self tossing attacks, Forearm passing drills, Overhead passing drills, Footwork drills on the floor ladder, Agility drills, Blocking drills, Wall Sits, Push Ups, Leg raises, lunges, squat jumps, bounding jumps, directional run drill, barrel rolls, pancake dives, jump rope, hi/low passing to self, communication call drill, 2 on 2 games, 4 on 4 games, 6 on 6 games

How does each team select players?

• Returning players in good standing are allowed to accept a spot on the team. The remaining spots are chosen based on ability to learn, acquired skills, potential skills, communication, and team bonding.

How many players do you carry on each team?

• We must have a minimum of 8 players and a maximum of 12 players

What are you looking for in a potential player?

• Click on this link for a list of traits coaches look for in a player What Coaches look for in a player
  

I just learned about your club, but it looks like I missed the tryouts What are my options?

• You can always get on the waiting list for a club spot. If you are in the club, and a coach feels like you are ready for a team position, and they have an opening after try outs have ended, they do have the option of adding addition al players if it will benefit the team.
• Try to sign up for one of our clinics or camps
• Or contact any of the coaches for private lessons.
  

When will I know if I made a team?

• All spots for all teams should be filled by November 20, 2011
• Coaches will send players evaluations after each tryout session.
• Players must attend at least two tryout sessions and have evaluations from at least two different coaches.
• The director will contact players and make them a team offer by e-mail that needs to be accepted within 48 hours.
  • If a player does not accept the offer within 48 hours the director has the right to select another player to fill that position. No positions will be held for a player after 48 hours. We will also not fill a position just to fill a spot on the team. All players selected must bond with the goal and focus of the team.
• Players that are not ready for the regional or national team will be notified after they have completed their second full tryout session.
• If a player does not complete two tryout sessions (in open tryouts or at a private tryout) they will not receive a written e-mail notification of their tryout results.

No verbal offers or commitments will be made or accepted .

I was selected to a team; what do I do now?

• You should receive an e-mail with the registration process.
• Complete the forms located on the Join us section of our web-site. Look over the forms under Player Check List.
• Visit the Calendar and Event page for your team schedule and club events
• Visit the team page for team meeting and tournament information

When is the Parents’ Night Meeting?

• We will have a parents meeting in November, sooner if all of the spots of the team has been filled at an earlier date.
• Travel fees will be discussed
• Tournament selection will be discussed
• weekday practice schedule will be handed out
• parents code of conduct must be signed
• Fundraising will be discussed
• Team Volunteers will be assigned if not already done
• Team Goals and expectations will be discussed