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Anonymous wrote:FPYCparent wrote:...
No. The only way to get a CHRVA bid to USAV nationals is at Regionals. CapClassic and National Harbor aren't qualifiers for nationals. I'm not aware of any local qualifiers but please correct me if I'm wrong. There are tournaments just for tournaments sake- the teams that want to go to qualify for USAV go to the qualifiers to do that.
You are correct. Cap Hill Classic and National Harbor apparently meet the requirement to compete in the **CHRVA Bid Regionals.** I did not mean to imply that by competing in those two events that a team can earn its way to USAV. Apologies for any confusion.
Through CHRVA Bid Regionals, teams can earn a National, American, or Freedom division bid to USAV. Bids to other divisions (Open, USA, Liberty) can only be earned at national qualifiers.
For better or for worse, there are local CHRVA events nearly every weekend starting in January. Not every team at every club will participate in every event. If there are 75+ CHRVA teams in nearly every age group, there are going to be plenty of local events (Open or otherwise) where teams will compete and win. As I understand things, CHRVA "only" requires that teams compete in two local events to qualify for Bid Regionals in March ... and they only need to compete in one event at the Open level. So, you may not see supposedly higher-tier clubs teams playing at tons of local events.
While my kid was at Paramount last season, I learned that Paramount (1s) and Metro Travel tend to avoid each other at these local tournaments. (I have no idea if that is intentional on both sides ... or just on one). As best I can tell, a club like VA Juniors doesn't participate in many local one-day tournaments, seemingly relying on Cap Hill and ?National Harbor? to fulfill the CHRVA Bid Regional requirements. And then you have Blue Ridge which seems to meet requirements for competing at Bid Regionals, but will then decline to accept any bids their teams earn.
So, clubs have plenty of opportunities to put their teams in events where they can win. They just need to go out and do it on the court.
While my kid was at Paramount last season, I learned that Paramount (1s) and Metro Travel tend to avoid each other at these local tournaments. (I have no idea if that is intentional on both sides ... or just on one). As best I can tell, a club like VA Juniors doesn't participate in many local one-day tournaments, seemingly relying on Cap Hill and ?National Harbor? to fulfill the CHRVA Bid Regional requirements. And then you have Blue Ridge which seems to meet requirements for competing at Bid Regionals, but will then decline to accept any bids their teams earn.
So, clubs have plenty of opportunities to put their teams in events where they can win. They just need to go out and do it on the court.
As a short, general guide, higher level/competitive volleyball in this area tends to have club tryouts at the end of October/start of November for girls ... as the high school season come to an end. Club tryouts for boys may be as early as the end of September. The club season typically starts with multiple weekly practices in November/December, competitions start in January (maybe one or two in December) and can run through Nationals in June and early July. Those of us in this world are about to embark on another expensive season.
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At some point, it may be worth it to attend a local one-day event to get a feel for club volleyball, particularly if younger age groups are playing. I'm not sure if there are many of these on the Virginia side (maybe in Manassas or The St. James). I'd expect any event at The St. James will have an admission charge.
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I am not too knowledgeable on the rec volleyball side, but the offerings are likely seasonal (fall and spring). I'd check out BRYC, VYI. The St. James might have rolling training opportunities not tied to a league (https://www.thestjames.com/sports/volleyball). Other local organizations may have clinics sprinkled throughout the coming months that won't require an ongoing commitment.
Although I have no direct affiliation with the club, be advised that FPYC is trying to revive its rec volleyball program. Here's a message that was recently sent out en masse:
FPYC Families,
We are excited to relaunch volleyball and at its start, we welcome your input to design the spring season.
As with all FPYC sports, we thank past, present, and future volunteers and the strong sense of community for the greater good of the youth volleyball players.
In order to create a fun, safe, and enjoyable space where volleyball athletes can learn and grow, please complete the following survey through either link.
The survey takes less than 2 minutes as it includes 5 simple questions, and it will remain open for two weeks. Based on the information provided, we will share further details with those interested in the next steps.
If you have any questions or additional comments, feel free to contact us at Volleyball@fpycsports.com
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NY5WF9R
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N2X5SFL
FPYC Volleyball!!
My FCPS kid recently finished another season of a varsity HS sport. I've tried to casually follow how other teams/sports in the district/region. However, I've found that results posted in MaxPreps are lacking at times, and services dependent on rSchoolsToday (like vhsl.org, novahsathletics.com, individual Fairfax school sports websites) aren't that much better. Getting tournament results may be more difficult than regular season scores.
Are there any other public sources that exceed what MaxPreps/rSchoolsToday offer simply in terms of match results? Do official results get submitted to some centralized "authority?"
Are there any other public sources that exceed what MaxPreps/rSchoolsToday offer simply in terms of match results? Do official results get submitted to some centralized "authority?"
As best I can tell, only one Paramount teams was scheduled to go to the qualifier in Reno prior to tryouts. Based on the posted schedule, three teams are going now ... with those two additional teams not going to Orlando as originally proposed. I fully understand that club schedules are subject to change, but having to plan for a trip to Reno instead of Orlando from the East Coast can be an unexpected jolt to families (financially and otherwise) after committing to the club. Sure, some will state that this is the kind of thing you sign up for when you go to a club like PVC.
When it comes to the availability of bids, one thing I learned last year is that the number of teams in a division at a qualifier impacts how many bids can be earned there. So, if only 8 or 12 teams go to the Reno qualifier in the Open division, for example, then only one Open bid can be earned. 36+ Open teams = 3 bids. (I know, my numbers may not be exact, but I hopefully am getting the point across.) If that qualifier isn't well attended (or if teams drop this event later in the season), then potential incentive of picking up a bid may not be there when the event arrives.
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When it comes to the availability of bids, one thing I learned last year is that the number of teams in a division at a qualifier impacts how many bids can be earned there. So, if only 8 or 12 teams go to the Reno qualifier in the Open division, for example, then only one Open bid can be earned. 36+ Open teams = 3 bids. (I know, my numbers may not be exact, but I hopefully am getting the point across.) If that qualifier isn't well attended (or if teams drop this event later in the season), then potential incentive of picking up a bid may not be there when the event arrives.
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I am not familiar with the history of VA Juniors. Looking at the last two USAV Nationals, ...
2023 qualified teams: https://usavolley.sharepoint.com/: x:/g/EVdn2Y4iitFCoZmXPMACjm8BaircqC1YPTfxD68tqYd48A?rtime=VVbGRjn_3Eg (remove the space in the middle near the colon)
2024 qualified teams: https://usavolley.sharepoint.com/: x:/g/ETnezVnHJUhBiLREsjygzQwBFrwJPdQqHYhyia6VvSFrHA?e=5utWCR (remove the space in the middle near the colon)
The 2023 14s team got an American bid (reallocated to region). I think that would be this year's 16s, but understanding that the team's makeup may change each year. The 16s (now 18s) got a reallocated Freedom bid and the 18s look like they earned their own Freedom bid that year.
For the 2024 season, the 17s got a reallocated Freedom bid. 16s earned their own Freedom bid. The 15s got a USA bid at NEQ.
Without check age groups younger than 14s, it looks like the club got at least three USAV bids over the past two seasons. Has the club traditionally done the same in the past ... in terms typical number of three USAV bids?
Sure, "only" getting three bids won't compare nicely to Metro and Paramount ... and I recognize that Freedom bids aren't as eye-catching as Open/National/whatever. However, that should equate to a top-5/6 finish in Bid Regionals for certain age groups given the effects of reallocation. I haven't seen any evidence of CHRVA sending 10s of teams in each age group to USAV every year, so three bids for one club doesn't seem terrible. What am I missing?
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2023 qualified teams: https://usavolley.sharepoint.com/: x:/g/EVdn2Y4iitFCoZmXPMACjm8BaircqC1YPTfxD68tqYd48A?rtime=VVbGRjn_3Eg (remove the space in the middle near the colon)
2024 qualified teams: https://usavolley.sharepoint.com/: x:/g/ETnezVnHJUhBiLREsjygzQwBFrwJPdQqHYhyia6VvSFrHA?e=5utWCR (remove the space in the middle near the colon)
The 2023 14s team got an American bid (reallocated to region). I think that would be this year's 16s, but understanding that the team's makeup may change each year. The 16s (now 18s) got a reallocated Freedom bid and the 18s look like they earned their own Freedom bid that year.
For the 2024 season, the 17s got a reallocated Freedom bid. 16s earned their own Freedom bid. The 15s got a USA bid at NEQ.
Without check age groups younger than 14s, it looks like the club got at least three USAV bids over the past two seasons. Has the club traditionally done the same in the past ... in terms typical number of three USAV bids?
Sure, "only" getting three bids won't compare nicely to Metro and Paramount ... and I recognize that Freedom bids aren't as eye-catching as Open/National/whatever. However, that should equate to a top-5/6 finish in Bid Regionals for certain age groups given the effects of reallocation. I haven't seen any evidence of CHRVA sending 10s of teams in each age group to USAV every year, so three bids for one club doesn't seem terrible. What am I missing?
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Not sure where to put this, but Metro, Paramount, VA Juniors, and maybe other clubs aren't even listed in AES for the second Sunshine Classic (15O/U, 16-18) weekend. Do these clubs tend to sign up late? Other CHRVA clubs like MD Juniors, Libero, ECP, VAE, and VAVA have already have teams that have been accepted.
It may be notable that there are only six slots left in 17 Open at Sunshine (42 of 48 teams already taken). Other divisions have a little more room to accept more teams.
https://advancedeventsystems.com/events/37855
It may be notable that there are only six slots left in 17 Open at Sunshine (42 of 48 teams already taken). Other divisions have a little more room to accept more teams.
https://advancedeventsystems.com/events/37855
A friend of mine has a player at VA Juniors (not 18s), but sees evidence of an 18s team with at least 8 players having accepted offers. Their 18s team is listed as "accepted" for events in Raleigh, Columbus (Q), and Boston (Q). No teams (for any club) have yet been entered for Cap Hill and NEQ 18s.
I don't know if different rules apply to 18s teams given the compressed schedule, but it seems they just need one more local tournament to meet the Bid Regionals requirement.
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I don't know if different rules apply to 18s teams given the compressed schedule, but it seems they just need one more local tournament to meet the Bid Regionals requirement.
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Another poster shared this page last week ... Free Agents page (hosted by VAE):
https://www.vaelite.com/free-agents
It would be great if some folks can share some success stories using this resource.
https://www.vaelite.com/free-agents
It would be great if some folks can share some success stories using this resource.
Whoa! A shout-out from PP 11/04/2024 09:35! Thanks for the mention. I just hope that some folks got some utility out of that spreadsheet. LOL! 
Good luck to all who have gotten and accepted offers and the same to those still waiting to hear some good news. My kid got her last 'yes/no' offer result around 3PM or so Sunday. Hopefully, her final decision will be a good one for her, just as I hope all the DDs out there find the landing spot that's right for them.
Good luck to all who have gotten and accepted offers and the same to those still waiting to hear some good news. My kid got her last 'yes/no' offer result around 3PM or so Sunday. Hopefully, her final decision will be a good one for her, just as I hope all the DDs out there find the landing spot that's right for them.
I’ll admit that this isn’t a fully thought-out idea, but I didn’t want to take the other threads in yet another direction. Feel free to poke all kinds of holes in this one. I just needed the distraction going into this weekend.
What if …
… CHRVA books a facility like The St. James for Indigenous Peoples Day and Election Day weekends for tryouts. However, this event wouldn’t replace the current tryout "schedule." It’s just more of a consolidated opportunity for prospective players to check out as many clubs as possible. My initial thinking is that schools are already closed three or four days over those weekends, so this event shouldn't conflict with most school-related activities.
The facility is configured for a large volleyball tournament (The St. James has 9 courts in the Court House, and can possibly have another 20 or so in the Field House). Two or three courts will be used for warm-ups and free play, which would be monitored by club coaches. More on that below.
Only hold tryouts for one or two age groups per day. Something like:
Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Saturday: 14s
IPD Sunday: 12s & 13s
IPD Monday: 10s & 11s
Election Day (ED) Friday: 18s
ED Saturday: 17s
ED Sunday 16s
ED Monday 15s
Clubs pay the average one-day local CHRVA tournament fee (~maybe $300, I’m guessing). Participating clubs will get one court to conduct their own dedicated tryout all day, which would also be outfitted with appropriate video recording … just like most tournaments. Clubs would also volunteer one or two coaches to monitor an hour on the warm-up/free-play courts. Coaches can encourage players to go check out their dedicated court based on what they see in free-play. To encourage participation by the clubs, make this event a requirement for entering a team into Bid Regionals. In other words, for the "16s day" (ED Sunday, from above), any club that participates will be one step closer to qualifying its 16s team(s) for Bid Regionals. Clubs can also have a table on the main/upper level to promote their offerings, fees, practice and tournament schedules, and accept tryout forms. CHRVA can also accept memberships at a table as well. NOTE: Parents won’t be allowed on the bottom floor where the courts are, but can view everything from the main level or the stands in the Field House.
Athletes will pay an average tryout fee, say in the $50 to $100 range. With that fee, they get all-day access to the facility and can try out for any club that’s present. At check-in, they’ll get a bib number with a QR code, have their photo taken with the bib (I recall this is something that The St. James already does with its own VB tryouts, so the capability is already there), and have their measurements taken (height, standing reach, block jump, approach jump, etc.). As the athletes move around the facility that day, they can scan their own QR code at a court, which would later provide their check-in information to the club. At the end of the day, the clubs will get all the necessary attendee data for the players that visited their court.
Assuming the clubs get the data they need as well as video footage from their court in a reasonable amount of time, offers can go out two days after the event (but not before!) So, if the 16s day is a Sunday, participating clubs can start making offers to athletes after 12 noon on the following Tuesday. All offers would be valid for three days. Offers would only go to athletes who “checked in” at a club’s court, so someone from the club should have seen the athlete that day at their court. After three days, clubs can reach out to any attending athlete to fill remaining roster slots.
Again, I’m just letting this fantasy play out in my head. I’m sure there are logistical and other challenges that would need to be addressed. I know that every area club wouldn't be able to participate on the same day. Parking? Have high school booster organizations arrange a fundraiser to busses from schools to the facility or parents arrange carpools. Food? Have some food trucks line the main outdoor entrance. And so on. A site like The St. James already has a ton of amenities (medical staff for injuries, as an example), so some needs are already addressed.
Anyway, I hope I’ve provided a momentary distraction for what could be a long weekend. : )
November 4th update
I'm not going to bump this thread with a new response, but I've read the responses posted through Nov. 2nd.
As I believe I said in the original post, this wasn't a fully-formed thought and I didn't intend to pitch this as a complete replacement for the current tryout "system." I was just wondering if a consolidated event would allow more potential players to get in front of more clubs without zipping all over the DMV on a single weekend. Just trying to think a little differently than what we've currently got but with a little more detail to help visualize the possibilities. No, this solution wouldn't be for every player or club in every situation.
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What if …
… CHRVA books a facility like The St. James for Indigenous Peoples Day and Election Day weekends for tryouts. However, this event wouldn’t replace the current tryout "schedule." It’s just more of a consolidated opportunity for prospective players to check out as many clubs as possible. My initial thinking is that schools are already closed three or four days over those weekends, so this event shouldn't conflict with most school-related activities.
The facility is configured for a large volleyball tournament (The St. James has 9 courts in the Court House, and can possibly have another 20 or so in the Field House). Two or three courts will be used for warm-ups and free play, which would be monitored by club coaches. More on that below.
Only hold tryouts for one or two age groups per day. Something like:
Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Saturday: 14s
IPD Sunday: 12s & 13s
IPD Monday: 10s & 11s
Election Day (ED) Friday: 18s
ED Saturday: 17s
ED Sunday 16s
ED Monday 15s
Clubs pay the average one-day local CHRVA tournament fee (~maybe $300, I’m guessing). Participating clubs will get one court to conduct their own dedicated tryout all day, which would also be outfitted with appropriate video recording … just like most tournaments. Clubs would also volunteer one or two coaches to monitor an hour on the warm-up/free-play courts. Coaches can encourage players to go check out their dedicated court based on what they see in free-play. To encourage participation by the clubs, make this event a requirement for entering a team into Bid Regionals. In other words, for the "16s day" (ED Sunday, from above), any club that participates will be one step closer to qualifying its 16s team(s) for Bid Regionals. Clubs can also have a table on the main/upper level to promote their offerings, fees, practice and tournament schedules, and accept tryout forms. CHRVA can also accept memberships at a table as well. NOTE: Parents won’t be allowed on the bottom floor where the courts are, but can view everything from the main level or the stands in the Field House.
Athletes will pay an average tryout fee, say in the $50 to $100 range. With that fee, they get all-day access to the facility and can try out for any club that’s present. At check-in, they’ll get a bib number with a QR code, have their photo taken with the bib (I recall this is something that The St. James already does with its own VB tryouts, so the capability is already there), and have their measurements taken (height, standing reach, block jump, approach jump, etc.). As the athletes move around the facility that day, they can scan their own QR code at a court, which would later provide their check-in information to the club. At the end of the day, the clubs will get all the necessary attendee data for the players that visited their court.
Assuming the clubs get the data they need as well as video footage from their court in a reasonable amount of time, offers can go out two days after the event (but not before!) So, if the 16s day is a Sunday, participating clubs can start making offers to athletes after 12 noon on the following Tuesday. All offers would be valid for three days. Offers would only go to athletes who “checked in” at a club’s court, so someone from the club should have seen the athlete that day at their court. After three days, clubs can reach out to any attending athlete to fill remaining roster slots.
Again, I’m just letting this fantasy play out in my head. I’m sure there are logistical and other challenges that would need to be addressed. I know that every area club wouldn't be able to participate on the same day. Parking? Have high school booster organizations arrange a fundraiser to busses from schools to the facility or parents arrange carpools. Food? Have some food trucks line the main outdoor entrance. And so on. A site like The St. James already has a ton of amenities (medical staff for injuries, as an example), so some needs are already addressed.
Anyway, I hope I’ve provided a momentary distraction for what could be a long weekend. : )
November 4th update
I'm not going to bump this thread with a new response, but I've read the responses posted through Nov. 2nd.
As I believe I said in the original post, this wasn't a fully-formed thought and I didn't intend to pitch this as a complete replacement for the current tryout "system." I was just wondering if a consolidated event would allow more potential players to get in front of more clubs without zipping all over the DMV on a single weekend. Just trying to think a little differently than what we've currently got but with a little more detail to help visualize the possibilities. No, this solution wouldn't be for every player or club in every situation.
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So, what's missing from the spreadsheet? Is there some piece of information that would have been nice-to-have for last weekend's tryouts?
Admittedly, I'm not going to cover all 75+ CHRVA clubs ... at least not by myself. I may get to add one or two before next weekend.
Admittedly, I'm not going to cover all 75+ CHRVA clubs ... at least not by myself.
I may get to add one or two before next weekend.
I think Paramount sent out a message stating that they had 300 or so girls out for tryouts last night and they likely won't get to respond to everyone until Sunday.
Per CHRVA rules, I don't think you have to respond immediately to any offers as you should have until Tuesday to commit.
Per CHRVA rules, I don't think you have to respond immediately to any offers as you should have until Tuesday to commit.
Good luck to all trying out this weekend (and next)! Use the HOT lanes if you need to zip between different venues.
I don't know if the "Rule of 55" automagically applies to all workplace retirement plans. Each employer has the option to make this a feature of their plan, but I don't think it is a hard requirement.
https://www.investopedia.com/rule-of-55-5324286
https://www.investopedia.com/rule-of-55-5324286