WHAT IS CLUB VOLLEYBALL?

Club volleyball refers to USA Junior Olympic (JO) Volleyball, which is a highly organized, national competitive volleyball network designed to provide training and playing opportunities for young pre-college athletes. Club volleyball is an avenue for players age 10 (and even younger) to 18 to receive advanced training and competition on local, regional and national stages. Many volleyball clubs exist both locally and nationally, most composed of multiple teams. All of these clubs compete under the same rules laid out by our national governing body: USA Volleyball.

WHY PLAY CLUB VOLLEYBALL?

• Talented coaches – Many of the best volleyball minds choose to coach at the club level because of the opportunity to reach more players for a longer period of time.
• Extensive practice – The extended season offered by club gives players a chance to get thousands of valuable reps that ensure improvement in skills and fitness.
• Purposeful friendships – Club volleyball brings together like-minded athletes with similar goals and helps form friendships that can last a lifetime.
• Wide-ranging competition – Club volleyball tournaments are some of the largest, most competitive and fun sporting events out there. You get to test yourself against players and teams from all over the region and possibly the nation.
• College exposure – The tournaments provide athletes exposure to college coaches. Many of these coaches recruit exclusively through club volleyball. Last year over 98% of high school girls from Georgia and South Carolina who received college scholarships played club.

WHERE DO WE GET OUR TRAINING TECHNIQUES AND PHILOSOPHY?

We want to hold ourselves, and our athletes, to the highest standard. For us, that means adopting the principles of the best and most successful teams in the nation and the world, the USA National teams. We are using many of the concepts laid out by Gold Medal Squared Volleyball, which is a collection of some of the greatest volleyball minds in the country including gold medal winning National Team staff and NCAA champion college coaches. Learn more about Gold Medal Squared Volleyball at www.goldmedalsquared.com.

WHEN ARE TRYOUTS? WHAT CAN I EXPECT AT TRYOUTS?

The age divisions mandated by USA Volleyball will divide tryouts. The tryout date range is regulated by the Southern Region Volleyball Association (SRVA), our regional governing body, and is subject to change from season to season. Typically tryouts will begin sometime between mid and late October. Please refer to Tryout Information for the exact tryout schedule.

At tryouts, players will go through a series of drills with coaches evaluating their skills. There will be some group play along with individual skill introduction and evaluation. Players may be moved to different courts during the tryout so different coaches may evaluate the skills in our efforts to find the best fit and team environment. In addition to skill evaluation, players will be evaluated on court play, team play, and enthusiasm and attitude.

Due to the limited availability of facilities and coaches, we will only offer positions to the number of players that we can effectively accommodate. This is usually two teams in each age group but varies from season to season.

WHAT ARE THE AGE DIVISIONS AND WHICH AGE GROUP SHOULD I TRY OUT FOR?

Players MUST attend the tryout for their age as defined by USA Volleyball.

To determine the correct age division, please use this guide provided by USAV 2016 Age Definition Chart .

Players may be invited back by the club director to tryout for an upper age-level team after attending their age level tryout. There will be no additional fees added for a second tryout. Please let a club director know if you are invited for a second tryout if you are not interested in playing up in age levels.

IS THERE A FEE FOR TRYOUTS AND WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

There is a tryout fee. Be sure to check Tryout Information  for registration instructions. There are several forms you need to fill out and bring. You should also come ready to play with appropriate clothes, shoes, kneepads, water bottle etc.

HOW ARE TEAM SELECTIONS MADE?

After the tryout process, players will be informed of their tryout results and team placement. Our goal is to place players on teams where they will have the best chance for individual success and growth. We also want players to be capable of making a significant contribution to the team’s success. We take into account positions played and other factors that will allow for the strongest possible lineup.

HOW MANY PLAYERS WILL BE ON A TEAM?

We will place between 10-12 players on a given team. We believe that this number of players will give coaches enough options if a player is unable to attend a tournament or practice and to make necessary substitutions in match play. Having 10-12 players on a team also guarantees that each and every player has an opportunity to make a contribution to the team and will not get lost in the shuffle as happens with larger teams.

WHERE AND HOW OFTEN WILL WE PRACTICE?

Our main 2 training facility are Westminister Christian Academy and Bear Creek Middle School.   We will use satellite facilities in the same general geographical area. National and Elite teams will practice at least three times per week and Regional teams will practice at least two times per week. The majority of practices will take place from Monday through Thursday for Regional and National teams, with an additional practice on Sunday afternoons for National and Elite teams.

National and Elite teams will also have at least one week night of mandatory physical training.

HOW LONG DOES THE SEASON LAST?

The club season begins with tryouts in mid to late October. All teams will begin practicing in early November. We will begin competing in tournaments in mid-January. Regional teams will compete in approximately 6-8 tournaments through our Regional Championships, usually held in late April. National teams will compete in 8-10 tournaments including national qualifiers and national championship events such as Junior Olympic Championships, AAU Nationals, and JDVA Nationals, which usually occur in late June to early-July. Elite teams will compete in 6-8 tournaments including multiple national qualifiers and national championship events such as Junior Olympic Championships, AAU Nationals, and JDVA Nationals, which usually occur in late June to early-July. The schedules for these championship events vary slightly from year to year.

HOW IS TOURNAMENT PLAYING-TIME HANDLED?

Most parents want or expect their child to play all the time during tournament play. This is the number one issue of clubs throughout the United States. We hope the following explanation resolves most concerns. At EVBA, we guarantee that every athlete will receive equal practice time. It is our belief that playing time at tournaments is earned at practice through attitude, hustle, performance and many other factors. We will award fair playing-time based on these factors and on what is best for the team.

Every EVBA team runs a Cauldron in practice. Basically, the Cauldron is a training tool in which we keep score in everything we do in practice, and those scores are recorded and reported for the coaches and players. The cauldron gives us completely objective feedback and helps ensure that each athlete has the same opportunities to compete for fair playing time.

FAIR PLAYING TIME DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL PLAYING TIME. Some players will play more than others in any given match, day, or tournament. Also, what happens in the first tournament of the season is not necessarily what will happen at the end of the season. Everyone will be given the opportunity to contribute. Coaches have an open door policy for players who wish to discuss their playing time and personal roles and development within the team.

HOW ARE THE TOURNAMENTS SELECTED? WHEN WILL WE GET TOURNAMENT INFORMATION?

Each team will have a custom tournament schedule selected for them based on their competitive needs and schedule requirements. We are fortunate to be in an area where we can get a fairly comprehensive tournament schedule for both National and Regional teams within easy driving distance. There are several nationally recognized tournaments in our own backyard. This allows us to schedule great tournaments without having the expense of flying all over the country to gain exposure and top-level competition.

At the beginning of the season, after tryouts and team selections, we will hold team meetings to go over the specific tournament schedule options. We will set the schedule and know general information by early December. However, specific information, such as the exact playing facility may not be available until much closer to the tournament date.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ELITE TEAM, A NATIONAL TEAM AND A REGIONAL TEAM?

Regional teams will have two mandatory practices per week and will play in approximately 6-8 tournaments beginning in January and concluding with the Regional Championships in late April. 2-3 of these tournaments will be out-of-town tournaments requiring an overnight stay but within easy driving distance. 10s-13s teams will play in approximately 4-6 local tournaments during this period. National teams will practice three times per week with an additional day of mandatory physical training and will typically play a more comprehensive schedule consisting of 8-10 tournaments. In addition, National teams will compete to qualify for one of the National Championship tournaments. We will play in one of these National tournaments in June. Elite teams will practice three times per week with an additional day of mandatory physical training and will typically play a more comprehensive, competitive schedule consisting of 8-10 tournaments, including multiple national qualifiers in order to qualify for one of the National Championship tournaments.

WHO WILL COACH MY TEAM?

Our philosophy and coaching model ensures that while a master coach and head coach are dedicated to your team, many different coaches will work with the team throughout the year. This model provides for maximum consistency both within the team and within the club. All of the coaches and players will be utilizing the same systems, techniques, and tools. This environment facilitates learning and growth of both players and coaches.

WHAT IS EVBA’S POLICY ON PARENT INVOLVEMENT? ARE PARENTS ASKED TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME FOR EVBA?

Eclipse prides itself on our relationship with our parents. We ask parents to volunteer their time as team chaperones and as team parents. Team parents will help with communications and coordinating events. Eclipse has an open door policy with our parents and encourages our parents to communicate with our staff. However, the open door is closed during tournaments and practices so that there are no distractions or interruptions. We can set up appropriate times to provide for productive parent/staff discussions. We encourage parents to support their daughter and the athletes on her team.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY FOR EVBA? WHAT ARE YOUR PAYMENT OPTIONS?

Because there are several different price structures for different club teams, we ask that you contact us directly for fee information. We offer flexible payment plans in an effort to make playing club volleyball as affordable as possible. DON’T LET FINANCIAL CONCERNS BE AN EXCUSE. If your daughter wants to play volleyball, we want to give her that opportunity. Please contact us so we can come up with a solution that will work for you.

WHAT DO CLUB DUES COVER? ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS?

Club dues will cover most costs associated with playing club volleyball. We have consolidated several different fee areas into one in an effort to make the financial commitment as easy and hassle free as possible. There are no hidden fees or dues to be determined later. This includes but is not limited to registration fees, tournament registrations, court fees and coaching costs. In order to offer flexible options, the uniform package will be a separate fee. Players will be required to purchase certain items, but will have far greater options in other areas. The only additional expense will be for cost associated with tournaments such as parking, food, related travel and individual player accommodations at out-of-town tournaments.

WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS DOES ECLIPSE OFFER?

In addition to Club volleyball, Eclipse offers a range of programs for athletes of all ages and experience levels. Please visit our website or contact us for more information.

DOES ECLIPSE OFFER ASSISTANCE WITH COLLEGE RECRUITING?

We know that it is a dream of many athletes to play at the collegiate level. There are many opportunities out there, but you must know where to look and how the process works. Eclipse has in place a college track for players beginning their Freshman and Sophomore years in high school and continuing through graduation. We have valuable information and a plan to give players the best opportunity to play at the next level. This includes making skills videos, contacting and exposure to college coaches, and NCAA eligibility and clearinghouse information. Contact us for more information.

Please contact us for more information.