The 2026-27 Signing & Tryout process

Definitions • LOI - Volleyball Alberta (VA) Letter of Intent (LOI) is the formal recruitment process utilized by VA clubs.

• Re-Signing - The act of offering and signing a VA LOI to commit to a team for the upcoming membership year with the club that the athlete was registered with in the previous membership year. Re-Signing must occur within the prescribed timeframe and can only be offered by a Certified Club or Registered Business.

• Signing - The act of offering and signing a VA LOI to commit to a team for the current membership year. • Open Commitment Period – Defined on page 3.

• Fall/Winter Tryout - The prescribed time windows where clubs are permitted to host tryouts for the purpose of selecting athletes for teams and clubs. VA LOI’s can only be offered during these tryout periods.

• Open Gym - Clubs may offer these sessions as an opportunity to see prospective athletes for future selection. Best Practices Recommendations Clubs may consider working with other club(s) in the area to host a group tryout. The benefits of a group tryout:

• Collaboration and shared resources, including facilities.

• More coaches may be present for improved coach to athlete ratio and more effective athlete evaluations.

• Improve athlete performance as athletes attend fewer sessions during the tryout process. Training Volumes: We encourage all families to read the Long-Term Development Resources. There are developmentally appropriate training recommendations for the Train to Train and Learn to Compete stages that outline appropriate season lengths, training volumes, and offseason recovery.

• Any Indoor Programming offered outside of the Fall and Winter Tryout periods should align with Long-Term Development principles, prioritize multi-sport opportunities, and provide appropriate rest.

• The Indoor Club Season ends May 31, 2026, and the 2026-2027 Indoor Competitive Club Season starts November 29, 2026. VA recommends clubs and athletes follow a Yearly Training Plan that allows for periods of rest from volume, intensity, and competitive pursuits. Letter of Intent (LOI)

• The only form Volleyball Alberta will recognize is the current VA LOI for signing to a club. The maximum number of LOI offers that can be distributed at any given time is equal to the number of athletes a team is committing to carry.

• It is recommended to deliver LOI’s via email the day following the tryout to reduce time pressure on athletes and allow coaches time to reflect to make informed decisions.

• All LOI offers must be honoured for a minimum of 48 hours. Athletes can request an extension to any deadline, but that would be at the discretion of the club and must be documented.

• Financial commitments can be made upon signing with a non-refundable amount that is clearly defined on the LOI.

• Athletes register to their club as a Youth Competitive Player upon signing an LOI.

• Clubs and families are responsible for maintaining copies of all signed LOI’s.

• Athletes sign the LOI with their LOI club and not with a particular individual. They agree to remain bound to the terms except due to extenuating circumstances.

• Clubs must post Re-Signed and Signed athletes to their website or social media page by prior to the prescribed timeframe for each period listed below.

• VA LOI’s can only be offered in the Re-Signing and Tryout Periods as listed below.

Re-Signing Period Note: Clubs are not obligated to re-sign athletes or run tryouts. 13U-18U age groups, The Re-Signing Period starts June 8 and ends June 26. Only 2025/26 Certified clubs or Registered Businesses are eligible to re-sign athletes registered to your club from last season using a VA Letter of Intent (LOI) Form. Re signed athletes to be posted on club website or social media page by Sunday, June 28. This is important for transparency leading into the Open Commitment Period, clubs in violation may be subject to a fine or sanctions. Re-signing is optional, clubs are not required to re-sign teams and athletes are not obligated to re-sign.

1. Clubs may only choose to re-sign a limited number of athletes or certain age groups based on the club’s philosophy.

2. Clubs and teams can choose a specific day to provide re-signing offers within this period.

3. Athletes who do not receive a re-sign offer, are still able to commit to their club from the previous season through the Open Commitment Period, Fall-Tryouts or Winter-Tryouts.

4. The only document Volleyball Alberta will recognize is the VA Re-Signing LOI Form. All re-sign offers must be honoured for 48 hours from the time indicated on the form.

5. All fields on the Re-Signing Form should be filled out to the best of the club’s ability using the information available at the time. If any of the fields are left empty, stipulations related to the missing information MUST be listed in the other conditions field. If there are any changes in the terms on the form, or there is a failure to meet the terms, the offer may be voided.

6. Clubs are permitted to collect deposits for club fees from re-signed athletes once they have accepted a re-signing offer. All collected deposits/fees must be returned if a club fails to meet the terms of the offer.

7. Prior to signing, athletes and families are responsible for reviewing the club’s policies such as: refunds, playing time, travel, coaching code of conduct, ethics, expectations, concussion management, conflict resolution, athlete code of conduct, media sharing, etc.

8. Clubs must create Roster Sheets in Sportlomo for their re-signed teams starting August 5, 2026 posting all re-signed athletes by August 28.

9. Re-signed athletes are committed to their clubs until the end of the upcoming VA Club Season (May 31, 2027); athletes and families cannot communicate with other clubs after signing. There can be no communication or recruiting of re-signed athletes. Please review Volleyball Alberta’s Conduct for Scouting & Recruiting.

10. Re-signed athletes are committed to the club for the season and are NOT permitted to participate in the Open Commitment Period or attend tryouts for other clubs.

11. Athletes who attend tryouts after returning a VA Re-Signing Form will be found in violation of this policy and may be subject to fines or sanctions.

Open Commitment Period Note: Clubs are not obligated to utilize this process or run tryouts. 13U-18U age groups, Open Commitment Period starts July 1 and ends August 23. Only 2025/26 Certified Clubs or Registered Businesses are eligible to participate in the Open Commitment Period. Clubs must post signed athletes in the Open Commitment Period to the website or social media page by August 28 prior to the Fall Tryouts. This is important for transparency leading into the Fall Tryouts. Clubs in violation may be subject to a fine or sanctions. While early selection of athletes during this period is not considered a best practice, many athletes seek out training opportunities with different providers, facilities and clubs and these opportunities can lead to informal commitments. The Open Commitment period is meant to acknowledge the current practices and create transparency within the process. The Open Commitment Period is optional; clubs and athletes are not required or obligated to utilize this process and can wait until the Fall or Winter Tryouts.

a) Clubs may only choose to use the Open Commitment Period for a limited number of athletes or certain age groups based on the club’s philosophy. These commitments can be made at any time between July 1 and August 23. Clubs should consider facilitating this process within a defined and communicated period (e.g. one week) to limit the load on coaches and athletes.

b) The Open Commitment Period is meant to allow athletes to commit to a new club. Clubs may collect deposits after seven days to secure the commitment.

c) It is the club’s responsibility to provide the athlete’s family with all information currently available about its program. This information would be communicated on a Commitment Form (a sample template will be provided to clubs) that is signed by the athlete/family. It is the responsibility of each athlete and their family to become educated about the program they are considering joining. Basic information to be included on the commitment form: confirmed head coach, estimate of club fees potential practice(s) venue(s), weekly training hours, team hierarchy if multiple teams are expected in an age category.

d) This commitment can be terminated by the athlete or club at any time during this period. If the club terminates the commitment, they are required to return any deposits they have received to the athlete and their family. If the commitment is terminated by the athlete, the club is permitted to keep the deposit.

e) Athletes are not permitted to have open commitments with more than one club and must not attend Fall or Winter Tryouts. Athletes found in violation of this policy may be subject to fines or sanctions.

f) Clubs must sign athletes with a VA LOI at the start of the athlete’s age class Fall Tryout window. Fall Tryout & Signing Period Athletes must have the minimum membership requirement, Youth Development Player-Tryout role for the current season. 16U-18U Signing Period (all signings are to the club’s age group and team): Clubs may offer LOI’s starting on Sunday, August 30 and ending Sunday, September 13*. Athletes register to their club as a Youth Competitive Player by September 27. Clubs must post signed athletes to the website or social media page by October 4. Club administrators must add signed LOI athletes to their team’s roster sheet in their Sportlomo portal by November 1. This is important for transparency leading into the Winter Tryouts. Clubs in violation may be subject to a fine or sanctions. Once an athlete has signed an LOI, they are NOT permitted to attend any tryouts or accept offers from other clubs. Athletes found in violation of this policy may be subject to fines or sanctions. *School Sports Alberta policies stipulate student-athletes on a High School Senior Varsity team may participate in club tryouts on August 30, August 31, September 6, 7, & 13. Student-Athletes who participate with non-school teams on any other dates between August 31 and November 28 will be ruled ineligible for School Sports Alberta volleyball competition. Check with the school’s athletic director for any local league restrictions that may apply. 14U-15U Signing Period (all signings are to the club’s age group and team): Tryouts may be held starting on Saturday, September 12 and ending Sunday, September 20*. Athletes register to their club as a Youth Competitive Player by October 4. Clubs must post signed athletes to the website or social media page by October 13. Club administrators must add signed LOI athletes to their team’s roster sheet in their Sportlomo portal by November 8. This is important for transparency leading into the Winter Tryouts. Clubs in violation may be subject to a fine or sanctions. Once an athlete has signed an LOI, they are NOT permitted to attend any tryouts or accept offers from other clubs. Athletes found in violation of this policy may be subject to fines or sanctions. ** School Sports Alberta policies stipulate student-athletes on a High School Senior Varsity team may participate in club tryouts on September 13. Check with the school’s athletic director for any local league restrictions that may apply. Winter Tryout Period Clubs are not obligated to offer Winter Tryouts; teams may be finalized through Re-Signing and Fall Tryout period. 12U-18U Signing Period (all signings are to the club’s age group and team): Approved clubs may offer LOI’s starting on Sunday, November 29. Athletes must have the minimum membership requirement, Youth Development Player-Tryout role for the current season.

• Initial offers must be honoured for a minimum of 48 hours. Offers provided on Wednesday, December 2 or later are honoured for a minimum of 24 hours. Athletes can request an extension to any deadline, but that would be at the discretion of the club and must be documented. The maximum number of offers that can be distributed at any given time is equal to the number of athletes a team is committing to carry. Financial commitments can be made upon signing with a non-refundable amount that is clearly defined on the LOI.

• Upon signing an LOI, athletes are required to register in the Club’s portal as a Youth Competitive Player within 7 days. Additionally, club administrators must add signed LOI athletes to their team’s roster sheet in their Sportlomo Club portal as soon as possible. Penalty for Breach

• Clubs are independent organizations, however when a club applies annually for membership with Volleyball Alberta, they accept all policies, processes, and procedures.

• The LOI is subject to Volleyball Alberta regulations and failure to abide by its terms by any parties (clubs, athletes and their guardians) could result in a review by Volleyball Alberta through the Discipline and Complaints Process.