Club Volleyball
Club Volleyball is a unique experience, sometimes it can be quite overwhelming! Whether you are new or newish, or even a seasoned club family - It's nice to have a place to look up information! With having worked/had kids play for 5 different clubs in various states - we have a pretty good grasp of the ins & outs - we hope this helps you along your journey, whether you play for us or not.
How is club volleyball different from gym class, school teams, or recreational teams?
Compared to other ways to organize playing volleyball, many will tell you club sports of ANY kind is more a way of life. Many of the athletes on a club team have a higher level of commitment to the sport, either just for sheer passion for the game, wanting to excel on a high school team, or even looking to pursue volleyball in college. Most clubs require tryouts and there is a selection process.
Club's require higher fees, have governing bodies, frequently travel to tournaments, and families expect a much higher level of coaching to be provided. Many clubs, ours included, also provide game analysis, additional agility/strength training, and mental toughness training. Players and coaches are also required to "work" during tournaments - they will need to get certified to line judge, referee, and score games. From December through June, most dedicated club players know they will spend most of their free time doing something volleyball related. It seems intense, but it is a family atmosphere with a lot of fun along the way.
Governing Bodies?
There are three governing bodies in our area: Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association (CHRVA pronounced Cherva), Junior Volleyball Association (JVA), and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). CHRVA is a member of USAV and our local region. AAU and JVA are national orgainzations and do not break down into regions. Each organizations have their own National-level tournament qualifiers leading up to Nationals. Elevate Volleyball Club is an AAU Club but we are also a part of CHRVA so we are able to participate in both types of tournaments.
How do tryouts work?
Tryouts are a time where coaches evaluate players. The players are expected to do their best to accurately build a roster to be as competitive as we can be. Players may be placed on a team at their age level or if they are advanced enough, may be placed on a roster at a higher age level. Players will be evaluated based on their performance in all volleyball skills based on their position as well as attitude and coachability. Attitude and coachability are two aspects that are important in the growth of a player as well as the success of the team. We encourage players to try out for as many teams as they would like!
Generally, players will register with the clubs they'll be trying out for ahead of time, but most allow walk ins as well. Player's will need a membership to tryout for insurance purposes. They will check in, sometimes have a photo taken and try on uniforms, then they'll be directed to the gym to get prepared by putting on their gear and warming up. Some clubs do not allow parents to watch others do. We allow spectators, but want families to try to limit to one guardian as there will be a lot of people coming and going. After tryouts, some clubs will immediately offer a spot to the players, by either bringing them to another room to have a sort of orientation, or post a list for players to look at, others will offer spots via phone call or email. Because we are well aware of how very emotional this process can be, we prefer to hand out an envelope with the appropriate information so they can be with their support system when discovering their outcome. Some will be offered a tournament spot, others a taxi spot, others may be put onto a waitlist in the event that another player offered a spot declines the offer.
What's a taxi player?
A taxi player is still a member of the team. This position is better described as a practice player. They get all of the quality coaching at practice but are not on the tournament roster. There are many reasons for a player to be offered a taxi position. Some circumstances may be: a player's first year experiencing club and doesn't know if they can or know they can't commit to the tournament/practice schedule, skillset to compete at the club level isn't where it needs to be but the potential is there. Being offered a taxi position is an opportunity for your player to "get the touches" to improve their skills in preparation for following seasons. Just because they do not play in tournaments does not mean they cannot attend to support their teammates, help with warmups and working. Occasionally, at some point during the season if they improve significantly or there is an injury or a player leaves the team, the taxi player will be offered a full tournament spot.
Work Teams?
On tournament day, players and coaches will be required to be the "work team." Players will be required to be scorekeeper (book), score flipper (what parents/players see), libero tracker, and line judges. A coach or player will be required to perfome duties as R2 (or down-ref). In some cases, an R1 (up-ref) is required. At Elevate, all players and coaches will be trained and certifed to perform all of these duties adequately. It is our goal to ensure all players are comfortable when called up to work.