2007-2008 TRYOUTS

12 & under
Sat 11/3
5:30pm - 7:30pm
13 & under
Sat 11/3
8:30am - 10:30am
14 & under
Sat 11/3
11:00am - 1:30pm
15 & under
Sun 11/4
10:30am - 1:00pm
16 & under
Sat 11/3
2:30pm - 5:00pm
17 & under
Sun 11/4
2:30pm - 4:30pm
18 & under
Sun 11/4
2:30pm - 4:30pm

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Tryout registration is $25 in advance, $40 walk-up.
  • Plan on arriving 30 minutes prior to start of tryout for check-in
  • Tryouts are mandatory for players wanting to participate
  • A 30 minute parent meeting will be held at the begining of each age group tryout
  • A parent must accompany players to sign necessary forms
  • Please be sure to have the player's social security number, health insurance information, and payment
  • Players must tryout for their own age division. Club must pre-approve any exceptions

Download tryout flyer (inside / outside)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What age group do I try out for?
Here are the USA Volleyball age definitions:
18 and under (most HS Seniors): Players born on or after September 1, 1989
17 and under (most HS Juniors): Players born on or after September 1, 1990
16 and under (most HS Sophomores): Players born on or after September 1, 1991
15 and under (most HS Freshmen): Players born on or after September 1, 1992
14 and under (most 8th graders): Players born on or after September 1, 1993
13 and under (most 7th graders): Players born on or after September 1, 1994
12 and under (5th and 6th graders): Players born on or after September 1, 1995

Typically, we encourage players to play within their own grade, but there are times when players will be invited to play "up" and typically this is presented as an option to the player, with the choice given to stay with their own age group if they prefer.

What are tryouts like?
Tryouts can be a little scary and intimidating, so we suggest players who have not been through club tryouts attend at least one of the pre-tryout clinics just to get familiar with the coaches, types of drills, and basic instruction. Players will be run through a series of drills to demonstrate competancy in the basic fundamentals of passing, setting, serving, and hitting. Toward the latter part of each session, there will be game-like situations to demonstrate players' ability to execute skills in competition. Players will also be moved across courts and groups based on performance and/or specific positions. It is important that players do not get caught up in which court they (or their friends) are on or how they are being moved, and instead just focus on doing the very best they can, no matter what.

What are you looking for?
There will be coaches standing around the court with clipboards in hand, taking notes. What are we writing and what are we looking for? To start, we are looking for your current level of skill and experience, with particular attention paid to both proper mechanics and maximum effort. In lieu of significant experience or proper teaching, we are looking for potential. Raw athletic ability, general "ball sense" and "tracking" (e.g. how well a player anticipates and reacts to the game), and "coachability" are also scored highly. Other intangibles that coaches like are the ability to respond well to mistakes, encouraging and motivating others, and the attitude of players who simply love to play.

How are teams selected?
Our goal is to collectively put the most competitive teams together. If we have multiple teams in one age group, we expect one to be better than the other, rather than create two separate teams. This does NOT mean, however, that the 12 best overall players necessarily end up on one team if there happens to be an imbalance of players at a particular position.

How many teams will there be?
We are not sure exactly how many teams we are going to field this season. We are hope to have at least one team in the 12s, 13s, 14s, 15s, 16s, and 18s age division, but will wait until tryouts are completed to make final decisions.

Are returning players given priority?
No. Obviously it helps if our coaches are familiar with a player’s skill and experience, but our objective for tryouts is to put together the most competitive teams possible.

What if I can't make tryouts?
Tryouts are mandatory. We understand, however, that there are scheduling conflicts, illness, injuries, and other circumstances that may prevent players from coming. We will make decisions based on the information we have, so it will help if you can attend the clinics. If there are conflicts, please make sure you inform the coaching staff when you check in for the tryouts or contact us ahead of time. We may also schedule a make up tryout for players who miss the scheduled dates.

Is player selection based purely on tryouts?
Not always. We will also consider what we see in clinics and in the CYO and High School season. In some cases, we will contact current and/or previous coaches to gather more information on a player. We will consider past history with the club, with respect to commitment and attitude.

When will I hear from the club?
Players will be contacted as soon as possible. The top team in each age group will be notified first, and will have 48 hours to commit. After that team is finalized the next teams in the age group will be notified. We will utilize the web site to publish team selections as players accept.

Who will be coaching which team?
The coaching staff will be announced soon.

What is the schedule? What will the practice and tournament schedules be?
Most teams will begin practice in mid-December or early January. Tournaments will begin in late January or early February. Players must be able to commit to a minimum of two, two-hour practices per week. Additional opportunities to practice on weekends or participate in club-wide clinics may also be available to interested players.