Frequently Asked Question List

1. What is club volleyball?
2. When does the season start?
3. What happens at tryouts, do players get cut?
4. What age group should I tryout for?
5. Who do I contact for questions?
6. Where and when are practices?
7. How long does the season last?
8. How many tournaments are there?
9. Where are the tournaments held?
10. How often do we play tournaments?
11. When will we get tournament playing site information?
12. What can we expect at a tournament?
13. What are the costs associated with OPVBC?
14. What happens if I get hurt?
15. Are there fundraisers offered by the club?
16. What is the OPVBC Youth Development League?
17. Why does the club not reply to certain types of questions?

Q: What is club volleyball?                                                                                 A:  Club volleyball is much like select soccer and softball. There are open tryouts for team selections after which teams will practice 2 times a week and play a tournament about every other weekend for 4 - 6 months.

Q:  When does the season start?
A:  The tryouts for the 2010 season will take place at Olympic College and Peace Lutheran School in November.  Dates and times are listed on the website. www.opvbc.com.  The practices will start in December.

Q:  What happens at tryouts, do players get cut?
A:  Tryouts are divided by age divisions and they will go through a series of general drills while coaches are evaluating skills.  There will be a lot of live action balls during tryouts, some small group and team wave play.  Players will be moved to different courts during the tryout so that different coaches may evaluate the skills in our efforts to find the best fit and team environment.  In addition to skill evaluation, all staff will also evaluate how a player competes on the court, what type of teammate they are, and the ability to display a positive attitude.  Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to keep every individual that attends the tryout.  We do make every effort to assist all the players to find a place to compete.  It doesn't make sense to keep more teams than we can facilitate with gyms and qualified coaches.  We will only keep between 10-13 players per team.  Ideally we like 12 but if the skill level cut off or coaches' comfort level varies we can be flexible.

Q:  What age group should I try out for?
A:  Players must attend the tryout for their age as defined by USAV Volleyball, please see below.  It is easiest to determine what age you will be on September of 2008! AGE DEFINITIONS FOR JUNIOR VOLLEYBALL 2007-2008

18 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1991
* or players who were born on or after September 1, 1990 and
* a high school student during some part of the current academic year

17 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1992

16 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1993

15 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1994

14 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1995

13 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1996

12 and Under Division:
* Players who were born on or after September 1, 1997

Q:  Who do I contact for questions?
A:  For all general club questions email Tami Brustad, the OPVBC club director, at tami@opvbc.com. 

Q:  Where and when are practices?
A:  Most practices will be at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion or Olympic College. Our typical practice days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  All teams will practice 2x / week.  Practice times at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion are 6:30-8:30pm and at Olympic College 7:00-9:00. 

Q:  How long does the season last?
A:  The season lasts for 5-7 months.  Our younger teams (12's & 13's) are usually on a 5 month schedule.  They will play through the regional championships in early May.  Our older teams will play through Memorial Day Weekend with our U18’s competing to qualify in the Junior Olympic Championships or USA Invitational in late June.

Q:  How many tournaments are there?                                                                           A:  Our younger teams play approximately 1 tournament every 3-4 weeks, while our older teams play approximately every other weekend (1-2 day events).  The qualifier season runs (mid March - late April) where the older teams may play 2 - 3 day tournaments a couple times per month.

Q:  Where are the tournaments held?
A:  OPVBC strongly believes in representing our region by playing in as many Puget Sound Regional Events as possible.  You can expect regional events to be anywhere from Mt. Baker/Bellingham to Kitsap/Olympia area.  The regional tournaments will most likely never have to have teams stay in a hotel (unless you prefer). In addition to PS Regional Events our older teams (U14 and up) will also travel to an out of region event and one out of state event like the Willamette Classic at Oregon State University.

Q:  How often do we play in tournaments?
A:  Teams usually participate in an average 2 tournament days per month over the course of a season -- with February, March, and April being the heaviest months.   The tournaments are typically played on either Saturday or Sunday, or both. Unfortunately, we can not avoid Sunday participation.  We respect and appreciate your valued time with family and church but many tournaments and gyms are only available on Sundays. Ultimately, how often you will play in tournaments will depend upon which team you are on.

The open weekends remaining from the minimally-scheduled season may be filled with additional tournaments.  A tentative schedule will be available at tryouts, but this preliminary schedule is likely to change once the teams have been selected and the actual start of the season approaches.  All the practice and tournament information will be maintained on the website.  Please check the site frequently to keep up to date with important information.

Q:  When will we get tournament playing site information?
A:  The timing for receiving tournament information such as gym location and start times primarily depends upon the respective tournament director.  Due to team cancellations, the tourney schedule is typically not set until the week prior.  Most directors manage to inform the team coach by the Wednesday immediately preceding the weekend's tournament. 

   Q:  What can we expect at a tournament?
A:  Many single day events will start early in the morning and last 8-12 hours.  There will             usually be pools of 4 teams on one court for pool play and then bracket play (usually single elimination).  There will be many two day tournaments where a similar format is on the second   day.  Players will be expected to come early to warm-up, play and/or officiate throughout the day.  Bringing stuff for the whole day is important as there is not always an opportunity to leave the facility.  Often there are concessions or vendors selling things at the bigger tournaments.  Players usually bring blankets to spread out, while spectators bring fold up chairs to have a place to sit.

IMPORTANT- Teams usually are required to officiate the game following a loss in the championship brackets and ALL team members are required to stay until ALL officiating duties are completed and until released by the coach of the team.  Please respect the gyms and facilities rules, as we are privileged to use them and gym space is very hard to come by.

Q:  What are the costs associated with OPVBC?
A:  OPVBC club costs vary depending on the team that you are selected for participation.  Our younger teams range from $1000-$1100 for the season (5-6 months).  Our older teams (U14 and up) range from $1100-$1500 for the season (5-7 months). These fees are determined by the costs required for the teams to participate for the full season. The fees are paid in installments with an initial payment prior to the season start, and monthly dues payments for the balance.  Parents sign a binding written contract between each participant and Olympic Premier Volleyball Club.

 These Club Fees cover: 

1. Coaches expenses and stipend to help offset the cost of travel, gas, food, apparel, registration, insurance.
2. Coach Training and Certifications (each coach is required to be Impact Certified), we also train coaches to teach the same coaching methods in the "Gold Medal Squared" System, and other training if necessary such as First Aid/CPR Certifications, Background Checks or other Coaches Clinics/Camps  
3. Volleyball Equipment, Facility Charges, Initial Medical Supplies/1st Aid Kit, Tournament Entry Fees
4. USA Volleyball registration and Secondary Insurance Fees
5. Administrative Fees (postage, accounting, webmaster, travel, uniform ordering, facility scheduling, general admin)
6.  Uniforms-2 playing jerseys and 1 pair of spandex

 Other costs that you have to include in addition to Club Fees:

1. Travel Costs - Straight pass through cost of Air Transportation, Hotel Costs of Players/Chaperone and Ground Transportation (vehicle, parking, gas, insurances) will be equally split among players.  Coach's Travel costs will only be in addition at the out of region and out of state tournament.  All other coach travel is included in the Club Fees.
2. Food - All food at tournaments and during travel will be at the costs of the player.  When traveling the chaperone/team rep will purchase food for a majority of the meals and have it available for players (cost will be equally split)
3. Shoes, socks, knee pads
4. Primary medical insurance
5. Misc. other items that come up

Q:  What happens if I get hurt?                                                                                        A:  Unfortunately, like any sport injuries do occur.  Your registration into USA volleyball does provide a secondary insurance coverage, so it is unlikely that there will be any out of pocket costs for medical attention that may be needed.  If you are unable to participate in practice due to your injury our club policy is to still have you attend practice and be 'part of your team'.  Bring your books to study if needed!  Our team budget is based on a designated number of players so without being able to replace a player it is difficult to refund money.  However, many circumstances (like injury) are out of our control and we will certainly do what we can to ease the financial burden on a case by case basis.

Q:  Are there fundraisers offered by the club?
A:  No.  We do not offer tuition or travel scholarships. OPVBC operates as a non-profit organization and does not have the funds to offer tuition scholarships. We do not organize or facilitate any club-wide fundraisers however; once teams are formed the individual teams may organize a fundraiser to help offset travel costs.  All fundraisers must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Q:  What is the OPVBC Youth Developmental League?                                                  A:  Our OPVBC Youth Developmental League is designed for players that are beginning volleyball, or not yet to the skill level to be selected to our U12 or U13/U14 team.  We will offer this program to girls that are not yet ready to commit the time and money necessary for the Club level of play, but want to learn the game and enhance their skills.  Please watch the website for more details.

Q:  Why does the club not reply to certain types of questions?                                    A:  The Puget Sound Region has rules around recruiting during this period.  Please forgive us for not responding to all of your questions and concerns regarding teams, players, openings, and other specific information.  We will be able to address all of those questions during or after tryouts that you attend, please check our frequently asked questions (FAQ's) in hopes that you can get some answers you need.

If your question was not answered here please feel free to email the Club Director, Tami Brustad, at: tami@opvbc.com or call (360)731-6357.

FAQ page.