Who is eligible to try out for Lakes Volleyball Club

Lakes Volleyball is organized for players within School District 831 but has an open tryout welcoming players from in and outside the district. We offer 12U thru 18U. Age Chart is posted on the Club Information and Registration (lakesvolleyball.org) and updated each year mid-September once released by USA Volleyball.

Team Selection

Team selection is determined by age, ability, and position played (older ages only). The basis for team selection will be determined through required scheduled tryouts, defined by the Club, of athletes residing in School District 831 and surrounding communities. Rosters of the 1’s teams will consist of up to 10 players. The Maroon and White teams will target 8 to 10 players, but may have up to 12 players. Ten (10) is an optimal number of players per team due to rotation, position and play time. The teams in each age bracket will try to schedule practices together in order to facilitate teamwork and consistency within the age group. Equal playing time is not guaranteed and should not be expected nor discussed with the coaches. Determination of teams will be based on individual skill level and position within each team in order to create the strongest most competitive team roster. Player assessments will be made by unbiased coaches and evaluators according to the tryout criteria, and team rosters will be reviewed by the proper Lakes Volleyball committee and/or Executive board.

Lakes Volleyball reserves the right to move players within teams before and during the season in order to strengthen the team and offer opportunity for each player.

Playing up in age bracket

A player may be asked to play up in a higher age bracket by the tryout evaluators. Determination of skill level will be made by unbiased coaches and evaluators according to the tryout criteria. All age bracket exceptions will be authorized by the proper Lakes Volleyball coaches committee in accordance with the JVA Volleyball age bracket policy and guidelines.

Players and Parents

Parents are needed to support the teams by attending games, encouraging the players, and showing good sportsmanship. Parents please allow the coaches to do the coaching. There is a 24-hour cooling off period after a discrepancy, before a parent can contact their players coach. Parents are encouraged to talk to the parent representative of their team at an early stage in order to head off any concerns before they become issues. If concerns and issues cannot be addressed to satisfaction through a parent representative then parents are encouraged to use the Lakes Volleyball formal grievance process at any time.

Lakes Volleyball in accordance with Junior Olympic Volleyball program requires full dedication and commitment by the players and parents. Players are required to attend all practices and games unless arrangements between the player and coach were previously made. More than two (2) absences may be grounds for dismissal (and forfeiture of fees paid to Lakes) at the discretion of coach and appropriate committee. Lakes Volleyball expects that each player will attend practices and events with a good attitude and a willingness to work hard.

Players/Parents who do not fulfill their team financial commitments, may not be allowed to participate in Lakes Volleyball for the following season.

Player fees are to be paid before the mandatory parent meeting at the beginning of the season and will not be allowed to participate in practices or tournaments until it is paid.

Season Expectations

The Club season begins first week in December and goes through the end of March.  Club fees cover coaches pay, practice location rental and competition days played on Saturday or Sunday (in some cases both). Tournament registration begin when teams are defined.

Practices

Gym space is managed by the school district and coaches choose the time that works for themselves and the team. Schedules aren't posted until approximately 2 weeks before practices.  Although practices tend to be consistent once defined, there is some fluctuation based on availability.

All practices are held at Forest Lake Area Middle School and Forest Lake Area High School in Forest Lake and last for 1.5 hours.  We do schedule a 15-minute buffer before practices allowing your child time to be completely ready to take advantage of the gym time scheduled (ex: you have practice from 4:15-6 but are not able to get into the gym until 4:30 to practice). Coaches do their best to work around other activities your player may be a part of.

12s & 13s - 3 practices within 2 weeks plus monthly skill night
14s - 18s - 2 practices per week

Tournaments

Unfortunately, we do not know tournament schedules before tryouts. We begin registering for tournaments at the end of October through December once coaches and teams are defined. All teams will participate in our hosted tournament (Kill the Chill) in January.

Communication

All communication will come from our hosting website platform, TeamLinkt, email and social media. Coach information will be posted on the team website for specific team questions. 

Parent Reps

Parent reps work closely with the coach to ensure parents and players know when and where practice and tournaments are. Communicate time to be there with clear location information including specific gym location. The Parent rep picks up apparel and ensures players receive their orders. All practices and tournaments (including locations and times) are updated on the webpage calendar. The parent rep assists in using the SportsEngine app on parent phones if possible. Keeping the website up-to-date with clear and concise information on location of the tournament and gym. This is hard to say how much time as it is spread out across the season but it is a very important position and requires the ability to be organized and communicate early, often and effectively. Also, some parent reps will take pictures and share with the team.

Payments

We will provide 3 options to pay for the season. Initial payment will be due before the parent meet whether paying in full or choosing a plan. All payments will be made electronically through our hosted and secure platform.

Your commitment to Volleyball is critical for team success (remember... someone else may have been cut).