Tryouts

Cost: $65

What to bring:  Water bottle that seals completely - NO STANLEYS; Check made payable to Red Storm Volleyball or cash in the amount of $400; Snack/Lunch; Long Sleeve shirt or sleeves

What to expect:  When you arrive, we will check you in, take a headshot photo of you, give you a tryout number and assign you to a court.  For the skill session, we will warm-up and then begin drills that focus on specific skills i.e. attacking, blocking, serving, serve receive, defense, setting, out of system.  For these drills, coaches will rotate from court to court and run drills for specific skills.  For the play session, you will start on the court you were on for the skill sessions and we will begin a play progression i.e. doubles, triples, quads, 6 on 6 with a focus on executing certain skills/outcomes or playing through certain scenarios, etc.

When and how will you know the result of the tryout?  Everyone will be notified no later than August 2nd via email or a phone call.  This will allow us some time to have make-up tryouts for those who will be out of town on July 28th.  We will require an answer from you no later than August 4th. Once you accept your position, we will deposit your check/cash in the amount of $400 to secure your spot.  This payment is non-refundable if you change your mind at a later date.  Understand that when you accept your position, another player is being cut.

*Check/Cash will not be deposited until the result of the tryout has been determined and you have accepted your position on the team.  If you are not selected or decide not to play with Red Storm, we will return the cash or destroy the check.

FAQ

What benefit does trying out earlier in the year offer to my athlete?

As our Red Storm teams become more and more competitive and our athletes are desiring to play and compete at a higher level, it is important that we know the make-up of each of our teams earlier so we can register for the larger tournaments such as Qualifiers when registration opens on October 1st.  With our tryouts being at the end of November and teams not completely filled out and committed until almost December, it makes it more difficult to get into all the tournaments we want to attend.  Also, knowing our teams makes it easier for us to order gear and have everything ready once practices and tournaments begin.  Additionally, we will be able to offer sponsorship opportunities before the season gets fully underway so parents can help offset their tuition costs sooner and our sponsors will get exposure for a longer period of time.

What is the time frame of acceptance to the team?

Tryouts will be on July 28th.  Everyone will be notified by the evening of August 2nd. 

We will require an answer no later than August 4th.

How much will the tryout registration fee be?

Since we will be having two sessions for these age groups this season, the tryout fee will be $65.

What is the anticipated cost of tuition per club level?

National Level teams for 15s - 18s will be $2,600-$3,000 depending on the tournament schedule.

Elite Level teams for 15s - 17s will be $2,400-$2,700 depending on the tournament schedule.

What does the tuition include?

Tuition includes entry fees to all tournaments, coaches’ pay, coaches’ travel, facility costs, Red Storm Rumble fee (goes towards items to sell in concessions and for hospitality suite), Red Storm gear (warm-up shirt, warm-up pants, 2 practice t-shirts).  This fee does NOT include USAV membership fee as parents must do that, but it DOES include AAU membership if required.  It does NOT include uniforms as many of the players will be able to use their uniforms from this past season.  There are 3 uniforms which cost $75 each for a possible additional cost of $150 + tax.  If you are chosen for a team, this fee will be due upon acceptance so we can get the uniforms ordered.

Do we know what the anticipated season may look like with early tryouts pending?

The potential tournament schedules for each age group for both National and Elite are posted on our website.  There is room for some adjustment if necessary which is why there is a range for tuition.  Committing to a team means committing to attend EVERY tournament.  If a player and their family decides not to attend a tournament for reasons other than a death in the family or legitimate injury i.e. vacation, concert, they will be assessed a $150 fee for that tournament.  Commitment is a MUST.

When would practice begin with an early tryout season and high school season colliding?

Practices will begin on December 1st to allow the athletes to recover from the high school season, and spend some time with family during Thanksgiving.

What happens if someone who has accepted a position on a team has a season-ending injury before the season begins?  

We will refund the deposit for the injured player and open a tryout for that position at that time ensuring that we are not in violation of any LHSAA rules.

Practices are MANDATORY.  It is extremely difficult to go to high level tournaments and compete well if the team is always missing someone or several players at practice.  Additionally, please do NOT leave early for a tournament for “vacation” days and miss practice before the tournament. There are some tournaments that have college ID camps or showcases the night before the tournament begins.  This is an acceptable absence. If you are offered a position on a National team (especially for ages 15s - 18s) and play another sport, it is IMPERATIVE that you check both schedules to make sure you will be able to manage both.  If you accept a position on a National team (especially for ages 15s-18s) and then have repeated conflicts with practices/games for a school sport, there will be a negative impact on your playing time.  While we definitely support multi-sport athletes, it becomes an issue when families make a huge time and financial commitment to travel and we struggle to compete because we have not had a full team at practice.

What if my daughter's birthdate puts her in the 14s age division but she is a freshman in high school? 

We would recommend that she tryout for the 15s age division which would be grade level appropriate.  If we think she will fit better with a 14s team, we will make that recommendation and ask her to try out with the 14s later in the fall at no additional expense.

When will we find out who our coach(es) will be?

Once we have chosen all of ourteams, we will announce the coaches.

How many teams will there be?

We are anticipating having the following teams: 15s National, 15s Elite, 16s National,16s Elite, 17s National, 17s Elite, and 18s or 17/18s National.  This will be dependent on the ability to field strong teams with depth at each position and earnest commitment from the families.

How many players will each team have? Teams will have 10-11 players which will provide depth in the event of an injury and competition for positions.  Players will be asked to participate in healthy competition at every practice and match to EARN playing time. Just being asked to be a part of a particular team does not guarantee playing time.

When will gear fitting take place? We will have a deadline for when all try ons must be completed and will offer several times before the end of the summer for players and parents to come in to take care of this as we know many families will be traveling at the end of the summer or teams will have team camp.

It is imperative that the player and her parents read the Parent/Player Contract and understand the level of commitment expected to be a part of Red Storm before trying out.  We want to make sure it is a good fit for all involved so we set ourselves up for an amazing club season.