Moving between clubs

[Anonymous]

This is our first year in club volleyball (12s) so I have no experience. When DD tries out again next year, is she starting from scratch again? Is she likely to get into the same club again and will most of her teammates be there too? She’s in a club that has multiple teams at each age group and she is in the “middle” level. I’m assuming she wouldn’t be able to get into the top level as she hasn’t played at that level already?

[Anonymous]

You can look at it as starting all over again. There is no doubt that some clubs give preference to their returning players. Check your club retention to evaluate the chances of making the same club, but that's not a guarantee. The team level she receives an offer for depends on her skills - she might make a higher level team if she is better than whoever plays her position in the higher level team (assuming no better players come from the outside the club). At the same time, she could be demoted to the lower level team if a better player takes her spot on the higher level team. She has the option to move to a different club if she goes through a successful tryout with that club. You need to have a good tryout strategy based on what you learned in this first year of club.

[Anonymous]

Ok thanks. I guess I’ll have to think about a strategy as last year she just tried out for one club.

[Anonymous]

Assume no loyalty and you are starting from scratch every year. That way if a club does have some loyalty it’s a bonus. Some do, some don’t.