When does Club season start?

Club season doesn’t officially kick off until January, with evaluations taking place mid-November through to the start of December.  If you can’t see the schedule yet, it means that our club is still working on it, so hang tight!

How do I join a club?

I’ll outline it for you short and sweet.

Step 1 – Late October / November - Registration for SKY evaluations - MANDATORY- to attend your age group’s evaluation session, you must have registered for try outs. SKY volleyball club uses team snap for most of its communications and payment platform. No payment is taken on site, it must be done thru our registration form. The link will be on our website, when available.

Step 2 - Mid November-mid December- Evaluations- all sessions are held at SKY gateway (204-5000 silver star road).  You MUST have registered for evaluations to attend (step 1). There will be a whole bunch of lovely volunteers (hint hint parents) and coaches there to evaluate skills. Coaches will then place athletes on teams based on the evaluations and teams should be announced within the week following evaluations.  You will get an email from SKY with reference to your placement and all the details regarding the season.

Do I need to tryout?

You do need to tryout to be selected to a Sky team. We try our best to place as many athletes as possible on teams. If we have a large number of athletes trying out in a specific age group, we will do our best to run more teams at that age group. There will be some cuts due to the need to operate full teams of 10 players or more. Other opportunities to play volleyball are offered through camps & clinics throughout the year.

Do I need experience to make a team?

Athletes are encouraged to tryout regardless of skill level. At the younger levels we select teams based on future potential as well as current skill.

Age 12U are all equal teams. We evaluate all players and form equal teams based on evaluations.

Age 13U/14U will be up for discussion with coaches following evaluations. This will depend on total number of players and strengths.

Ages 15-18U will be tiered based on skill level; and a team of evaluators, working with the specific coaches will determine these teams.

How much are Try Out fees?

Tryout fees will be $175.  If you are selected to a team, $125 will be credited to your Club Season fees.  If you are not selected, $125 will be refunded.  Try out fees must be paid prior to tryouts.

How much does the Club Season cost?

That’s a difficult one to answer, as it varies from team to team. The younger teams who travel less, have lower fees. The older teams, who travel more, have higher fees. The HP (high performance)- one team in each age group U14-18 for the girls, and U15-18 for the boys, have additional tournaments and have a longer season, so they have higher fees.  SKY does not, in any way, profit off your fees.  As a not-for-profit organization, it is a “money in, money out” situation.  VBC sets the fees for tournaments and league games.  The SKY swag is also included in your athlete’s fees, that includes t-shirts, socks, hoodie, jersey and backpack. Every year the gear pack changes a little bit, so don’t quote me on exact goodies in the goodie bag, but gear is included in the fees.

Does SKY cover the cost of hotels and travel for the away tournament(s)?

After Covid, and the ever changing on again off again tournaments, SKY changed their hotel booking/funding approach. SKY decided NOT to add the hotel costs into the fees, and instead, pass down those costs to team level. In short, the club coordinator would call the hotel and book a block of rooms but NOT pay for them. Then the accommodation information would get sent to that team manager and he/she would make all the payment arrangements within his/her team. If some kids wanted to stay in a room with their parents, they could, if some wanted to stay in a team room, they could. Those decisions are made at team level, with your coach, and funds dealt with from parent to parent to work it out. It went pretty smooth last year, for the most part.

When are Club fees due?

The payment schedule will be set out in your Team Offer Letter.  We will break out the fees into two payments, one in January and the remainder in February.

When are the practices?

Your athlete’s team practice schedule will come out AFTER try outs, with your offer letter. No practice time requests or team switches will be accommodated. Unfortunately, no there is no pre-set schedule, so I can’t answer that question of “when will my son/daughter be practicing if she/he makes the team?”.

Where will my practices be?

Practices will be held at SKY Gateway.  204 & 205 - 5000 Silverstar Road (across the road from Butcher Boys).  Start times and duration of practices will vary day to day and will also be more details in your Team Offer Letter.

What is a Red Shirt?

A reduced fee is offered to Red Shirt (practice) players. Please see our Policies section for our full Red Shirt Policy. Top tiered teams at 14U HP to 18U HP will generally not carry Red Shirts. This varies season-to-season depending on numbers.

When will games/tournaments be?

You will be provided with a detailed schedule for the season that will include practice times, league games, tournaments and provincials.

A general outline is provided now on each age group Team Offer Letter for your planning.  Also, Volleyball BC will have some information on tournaments.

Are there programs that offer financial assistance for physical activity programs for families in need?

Yes!! There are a few options for you to explore. Each organization has forms you fill out and send back to THEM. No forms or financial information should be sent to SKY, but we receive payment from a third party, should you be approved. The links are:

JumpStart - https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/individual-child-grants

KidSport - https://kidsportcanada.ca/british-columbia/greater-vernon/apply-for-a-grant/

Athletics 4 Kids - https://www.a4k.ca/apply_now

What about Nationals?

We plan for our 15U-18U HP teams to attend Nationals each season. National's registration, coaches' hotel and per diem are included in the Team's fees.  Player hotels & all travel costs for Nationals are not covered, but we raise as much money as possible through our fundraising efforts to help offset some of these costs.  ie. The raffle draw that we have had the previous couple of years.

Other teams may be permitted to attend (at full team expense).  A request will then be made to the Sky Board for final approval.

Where do I find the most updated schedules?

Volleyball BC and Volleyball Canada website links are always the best source for the most up-to-date schedules for tournaments, Provincials and Nationals. A direct link to those websites has been placed on the homepage. These are also listed on the age-group Team Sheets.

Who do I contact if I have a question about playing time?

Your coach would be the first step.

What is team snap? I don’t have it...

Get it. Just get it. Download the app, create an account. Trust me, it makes your scheduling life easier, communication within your team and coach a breeze. It is the platform SKY uses for most of its communications and all its financials.  You will get an invite via email to join your team when team placement.  Recap- get it!

What is sportlomo?

Sportlomo is the platform VBC uses as its registration for insurance- IMPORTANT- your insurance is good for 1 year- sportlomo resets its calender AUGUST 31.   EACH athlete, who is on a club team, or participates in any of our camps/clinics/smashball, needs to have insurance. It is not optional- it is MANDATORY. It is for your safety and for the club. If you haven’t yet, create an account. Each athlete needs their own profile (if you have multiple kids, each one needs their own profile, and sometimes, only 1 child can be on a single email address. Technology baffles me sometimes) If you child is on a club team, they will require the COMPETITIVE athlete insurance, if they ONLY attend camps/clinics/smashball, then you require RECREATIONAL athlete insurance.

 

How do I become part of SKY as a coach – board member – team manager?

Are you interested in coaching? Assistant coaching? Do you have volleyball background and are just itching to get on the court and help in some capacity? I’m only an email away! info@skyvolleyballclub.ca

SKY covers the cost of all our coach’s training and certification, and we will work with you in your growth and development within our club!

Are you interested in being a board member?  Each March we hold our AGM where spots are available every year.  A few of the positions are locked in for two-years while others are only a one-year commitment.

Are you interested in helping manage a team?  After teams are selected coaches are always looking for team manager that can assist in communications, hotels, and finding other volunteers throughout the season.

 

How can I get my hands on SKY apparel?

SHOP | Sky Volleyball Club (square.site) will be populate with more merchandise soon.  Link can also be found on Sky Volleyball website near the bottom of the page called SKY STORE.