Should I tryout with my age or my grade?

We have always recommended that athletes tryout with their grade (e.x.; U15 - 9th Grade; U16 - 10th Grade). Even though athletes may be young for their grade according to the USAV age chart and able to tryout for an age group below the one that correlates with their grade, we ask that you still sign up with your grade and we will find the right placement from there. If an athlete is too old to participate in their grade, they should try out with the older age group. Please refer to our Age Definition Chart for more information.
 

Which tryout session(s) should I attend?

Your tryout fee allows you to attend every tryout for your age group. We advise that you come to as many sessions as possible so as to increase your time in front of our staff and paint a clearer picture of your game.

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*GIRLS ONLY: Athletes in the U15 & U16 Age Groups will be assigned a wave to attend on each day of tryouts. This wave will be assigned to you three (3) days before the first tryout for your age group. Athletes will not get to choose their own wave.
 

How will you evaluate the athletes and select the teams?

Four main factors are weighed when evaluating teams

• Current Skill Level - Assessment of "General Skills" and "Position Specific" skills.

• Physical Potential (i.e. height, speed, and vertical leap) - These are important factors in volleyball, and will be weighted heavily for athletes looking to play on an Open level team.

• Coachability and Mindfulness - The ability to learn and be mindful are important indicators of potential in our gym. We actively coach the athletes during tryouts and look to see who is learning and applying feedback.

• Leadership and Communication - These are essential to volleyball as a team sport and are considered heavily, especially when athletes are similar in skill.

• Other evaluation factors include: Volleyball IQ, Commitment Level, Work Ethic, and Attitude

 

We take pride in our evaluation process having integrity. We will NEVER offer an athlete a spot without seeing them play live OR watching current film that the athlete has sent us. Athletes are evaluated using qualitative metrics by multiple coaches during tryouts. Using this data, athletes will be ranked by position and then assigned to teams based on their position rankings and/or adjacent positions. We ensure a fair evaluation by briefing our staff about bias and excluding the evaluations of any athlete's high school coach who may be part of our staff.

 

We will begin to offer some spots immediately after each session and will continue making offers a few days after tryouts.
 

Do you offer financial aid? If so, how do I apply?

We are thrilled to offer financial aid through the Nectar Volley Fund. You must FIRST register for tryouts then submit your financial aid application. Applications MUST be submitted BEFORE the tryout for your age group. Please see our Nectar Volley Fund website for more information on how to apply.

 

How many teams will you make in each age group?

BOYS: This season, we will again have one Open team at the U15-U18 levels. We also plan to field one-two Club teams at the U14-U18 levels.

 

GIRLS: This season, we will again have one Open team at the U14-U18 levels. We also plan to field two Club teams at the U12 level, at least one Club team at the U13-U18 levels, and up to two Club teams at the U16 levels. For Regional, we will have 3-4 teams at the U13/U14, U15, U16 levels, as well as 2-3 U17 teams.

 

What are the differences between the different level teams?

In order to best differentiate between the numerous offerings each team receives, we use the following terms to describe the level of commitment and competition across the various programs:

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• Boys: 1's, 2's, 3's (example: 18-1, 15-2, etc.)

• Girls: Open, Club, Regional (example: 17 Open, 13 Club, etc.)

 

To read more about the various levels, check out our Boys Club and Girls Club pages.

 

I was on a team last year - will I make a team this year?

We do not reserve any team spots for prior season athletes. We believe athletes have to earn their spot on a team every year during a fair tryout, which is how we will continue to build the most competitive teams in the area.

 

I'm new to NEVBC - do I have a chance to make a team?

Yes, we welcome new athletes into all of our programs every season! We are always excited to meet new athletes and to get the chance to coach them.