- How old does my daughter have to be to join MidShore Volleyball Club?
We cater to players beginning at age 9 for clinic style sessions + beginning at age 13 for our travel program. Some athletes with previous competitive experience may tryout for our 14U team at age 12.
- How do I know which team to tryout for?
Your age definition is determined by USAV guidelines found here. Players may tryout for teams one age group above guidelines and will be offered on a team that best suits the athlete and the team needs.
- What is a CHRVA Membership Number?
As a USAV club in the Chesapeake Region, all participants are required to be a CHRVA Member. You can join here, and find all of the necessary information on their page. Players will join with the "Junior Tryout - 10 days" membership. Once they are accepted to a club team, they will upgrade (and pay the difference) to the "Regular Junior Girls 10-17 membership".
- How long does the club season last?
Tryouts are held each November and practices begin in December. Tournaments run from January through the end of April for the regular season. The regular season will end with a CHRVA Regional Championship, where teams are seeded based on season performance at tournaments, then compete to earn a medal in their bracket. Some teams may choose to attend post season competition in May-July. Some post season events accept all teams while others, like the USAV National Championships require earning a bid through a qualifying event.
- I also play a seasonal sport or I'm involved with a club at my High School. Will that be a problem?
MidShore Volleyball supports players being involved in other activities outside of volleyball. In fact, we believe that athletes that participate in multiple sports end up better in the long run.
There are limits, though. Your coach and your teammates are making a commitment to the team and it is perfectly reasonable for them to expect the same level of commitment from you. If your activities outside of volleyball will cause you to miss a number of practices and/or tournaments then you'll need to decide which commitment you want to make that will further your best interests. Over committing will cause burn out, neglect and overall exhaustion for the player. While you may think you can handle multiple practices, tournaments, school and activities, we encourage you to map out your schedule and ensure that it will leave you with time to recharge and remain healthy.
- Club Volleyball costs a lot of money, am I guaranteed a chance to play in tournaments?
Most clubs make no specific guarantees regarding playing time in matches. MidShore follows the policy that all players will have playing time during pool play and the coach will make every effort to put the most cohesive group together for Playoffs during a tournament. We believe that players improve by playing and by offering you a spot on the team, we believe we have a role for you on your team. The number of players selected per team can have a large impact on your playing time. MidShore attempts to limit their team size to 10 players for travel teams 15U and above, and 12 players for travel teams 14U and below.
- What can I expect to pay for club volleyball?
We have a detailed writeup regarding costs on our Travel Program page. You will be responsible for your CHRVA Membership fee, any additional team gear and travel expenses throughout the season. MidShore Volleyball Club will not require additional fees unless you add more tournaments to the end of your season!
- Do you publish team tournament schedules prior to tryouts?
Most tournament dates are not posted or known at the time of tryouts. Typically, a club sets up their play schedule after most tournaments are posted in December and the availability of the selected players on each team is discussed.
- How long do tournaments typically last?
Regional club tournaments occur on Saturdays or Sundays and usually last 8-10 hours. Your arrival time at the tournament site will be between 7 and 8am, and the tournament won't end until some time between 5 and 7pm.
Multi-day tournaments are typically 2-3 days in length and often occur over long weekends. Their schedules vary greatly depending on the tournament format.
- If tryouts are on two different days, which day should I attend?
MidShore Volleyball strives to hold tryouts as two-day events. While you don't have to attend both days of your tryout, you will have a better chance to make a team if you do attend both days. This ensures you have the most opportunities to demonstrate your skills to the coaches.
- If tryouts are two days, are any cuts made after the first day?
Team selections are only made after the second day of tryouts and there are no cuts performed along the way. We would love to offer everyone who comes to tryouts a spot on a team, we have a limited number of spots available and we must make hard decisions regarding who to take. More than anything, we want you to play volleyball, even if it isn't with us
For further questions please reach out to Amanda Vanskiver, MidShore Volleyball Club Director via email.
