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Snake River Juniors Volleyball
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Mission Statement

Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club is committed to providing opportunities for young athletes at all levels of development to engage in quality, competitive athletic experiences. Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club is dedicated to the idea that any athlete, regardless of size or skill level, who wants to participate in the USAV Junior Volleyball Program, should be given that opportunity.

A competitive athletic experience can instill a good work ethic, enhance social development, contribute to mental and physical health, and teach values of personal responsibility, self-discipline, self-motivation, and teamwork. Participation in junior volleyball also improves the athlete's opportunity to realize the goals of:

Each of the above goals involves individual player growth. This includes improvement in skill level and in the mental outlook necessary to be a successful member of a volleyball team. The Snake River Juniors philosophy regarding player growth is simple; one must play to improve. It is this principle, which guides every decision made about any Snake Rivers Juniors player.

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Philosophy

Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club supports the idea that participation in any sport is good for the physical, mental and social development of young people. Thus, we will not encourage our players to give up another sport in order to play volleyball. We feel very strongly that it should be up to players and their parents to choose the sports and activities in which an individual should be involved and we will not interfere with those choices. However, we do require a high level of commitment to the club and your team. Conflicts will, no doubt, occur for multi-sport/activity athletes, but we will stay flexible and help out as much as possible to make your daughter's overall experience successful!

It is very important that players remember that volleyball and other sports are extracurricular activities. School studies and good grades must come before anything else. Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club encourages its team members to maintain passing grades and appreciates the support of the parents. We encourage you to use time management skills in order to schedule your school, volleyball, and other activities. While we think school is important, we don't believe it should be used as an excuse to miss practice if you are using proper time management skills.

Each season Snake River Juniors teams participate in regional competitions. These tournaments give players an opportunity to enjoy some exciting and challenging volleyball throughout the season. We want to emphasize that one of the more important selection criteria for our club's teams is the player's dedication and enthusiasm for volleyball. Occasional travel sometimes means vigorous, tiring schedules, homework done on the road, and missed social activities. This all leads to development of discipline and good social skills, as emphasis is maintained on scholastic achievement and good interpersonal relationships along with the athletic performance of each individual and team. We realize the commitment we ask of our players and parents is not a small one, but the challenge, opportunity and fun make it well worth the extra effort.

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Standards of Conduct

There is a lot more expected of our players other than their volleyball skills. Players are expected to participate in all practices as scheduled. Failure to do so may result in less playing time in the next tournament; it is the player's responsibility to notify their coach if they cannot attend. Players are expected to sign up for the full season and to make all tournaments. All players will be given a reasonable amount of playing time in tournaments especially during pool play, however, during a tournament play where the objective is to advance as far into the playoffs as possible players will be played at the discretion of the coach based on skill level and team needs.

Players are expected to consistently work on their own to raise the levels of their physical condition and skill. All players will sign a code of conduct form as part of their membership with USA Volleyball. The following standards must be observed for one to continue as an active member of Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club; violation of standards marked with (*) mean suspension or dismissal from Snake River Juniors:

  1. Alcohol and drugs including marijuana are prohibited at all times.
  2. Smoking is prohibited.
  3. As a representative of Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club, the player's actions and behavior should always be such to reflect positively on the player, their team, and the Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club.
  4. Players must be on time for all team commitments. Early is best.
  5. Players must call their team coach when they are going to be late or absent from a practice or tournament.
  6. All players are required to pursue all physical conditioning activities and drills unless excused by a doctor or the coach.
  7. Players must report all physical injuries or illness to their head coach immediately.
  8. Players prohibited from supervised practice are expected to actively pursue physical conditioning and skill improvement on their own.
  9. Equipment and uniforms issued to each player must be cared for properly.
  10. All other equipment must be properly cared for. Players are expected to help set up and take down equipment at each practice. Players are to also assist in accounting for volleyballs.
  11. Players are required to take proper care of practice equipment, keeping in mind that the equipment is property of the host school.
  12. All players must abide by the rules established for practice and tournament facilities, both locally and in other cities.
  13. Players are expected to help as requested during Snake River Juniors Volleyball Club hosted tournaments and are not excused after any tournament until released by the tournament director and coach.
  14. Each player will keep their coach and chaperone informed about their presence at tournaments.
  15. Each player is expected to treat all other players, teammates, coaches, referees, and fans with courtesy and respect.
  16. If players are involved in a dispute, they must immediately work out problems between them. If they are unable to resolve their problem immediately, they must meet with the coaches until their problems are resolved. Problems between players must never be left unresolved.
  17. During any overnight travel, curfew will be enforced on all nights prior to a match unless amended by your coach.

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General Information

Insurance Coverage

As part of their individual membership fees, all players are covered by a supplemental insurance policy that is carried by USA Volleyball. An event can be either practice or a tournament. The policy also insures players against any loss that may be incurred while traveling to or from an event. Please note that this is a supplemental policy and all Snake River Juniors participants are required by USA Volleyball to carry individual health insurance to participate.

Club Fees Provide:

Uniforms

These are included in the club fee. Sweatshirts and other gear may be ordered at each individual's expense.

Fundraising

The club is always open to parent-driven fundraising ideas. All requests will need approval of the Board of Directors.

Scholarship/Hardship

SRJ may have a limited number of scholarships. The scholarships are a "working scholarship" and take the form of a job. The job will be helping out with a variety of duties that SRJ Volleyball provides before, during or after volleyball events. These scholarships are awarded on an individual need basis. To be considered for a scholarship please write to Snake River Volleyball for consideration.

Cost

The annual fee for Snake River Volleyball Club will be 250.00. This is due in two parts. Half will be due by Dec 1 and this is not refundable. The balance will due upon the start of try outs. Prior to team selection the balance will be due, no part of the remaining balance is refundable. Exceptions may be made due to injury or illness. As a rule the board of directors will decide on each of these requests individually. Each request will need to be in writing and submitted to the board.

Team Selection

Teams are selected according to ability by position. Each player will be placed on an appropriate team for their age group.

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Evergreen Region, USA Volleyball 2007-08 Girls Age Division

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Tournament Play

Many of the tournaments Snake River Juniors enter take one day, either a Saturday or a Sunday. The Evergreen Region sets which day tournaments are hosted, what age group, and who hosts them. The typical one-day tournament schedule starts as early 8:00 AM with pool play consisting of three or four round robin matches. Some tournaments follow pool play with single elimination bracket play for top pool finishers. Bracket play for one-day tournament starts sometime in the afternoon, ending with tournament finals sometime that evening. Teams making it to the finals will add another two or three matches to their day.

A few tournaments (i.e.regionals and Yakima Festival) involve two days of pool play, as described (three or four matches per day), followed by single or double elimination bracket play. In a two-day tournament, bracket play sometimes starts immediately after the second day's pool play, and wraps up that evening. In the longer tournaments, bracket play (usually multiple brackets with team position within the brackets dependent upon performance in pool play) starts early the day after completion of all pool play. Teams making it to bracket finals in these larger competitions add another three to four matches to their tournament total.

Counting three to four matches per tournament day, and adding another two to four matches per bracket (if played), the number of matches played during a typical Snake River season adds up rapidly, with some of our teams playing more than 25 matches in one season.

Because the length of volleyball matches can be unpredictable and tournament formats and management varies, as discussed above, it is difficult to pinpoint the time a tournament may end. Also, exact tournament schedules or final confirmations are often not available until just before the tournaments begin (often the night before play starts). This is partly due to late entries, withdrawals or team changes, all of which impact the actual tournament playing schedule and match-ups.

It is extremely important that team coaches are notified as far in advance as possible of any tournament a player cannot attend. Parents and players should closely review the tournament schedule provided and notify the coach of any conflicts. We understand that situations such as illness do cause short notice conflicts.

Player's expenses beyond fees are kept to a minimum; transportation; food and lodging are player's responsibility. All parents will need to share in transporting players or contributing to the cost of those who do transport your child. In cases of possible inclement weather, the Club Director will make the final decision for travel on the departure day and will notify the coaches. Every effort will be made to attend any scheduled tournament, but the safety in travel will always be considered. Local laws in regards to teen driving and travel, of course, supersede club policy. Our general rule for driving is this; licensed drivers can drive to all practices and tournaments in Asotin and Nez Perce County area. Outside of that area, they are required to be driven by a parent or guardian.

Playing Time

Playing time is very important to us. It is important to apply the skills and fundamentals taught in practice in a match situation. Only then can a coach and player truly realize which skills the player is proficient at and which skills require more training. A teams? emphasis is on developing every player fairly (provided the effort is equal) so playing time in pool play should be comparable. Those that play best during pool play may earn more playing time in tournament play. Nevertheless, every player should have an opportunity to play during playoffs.

Your club membership fees go toward practice time and instruction by qualified, experienced coaches, NOT playing time in tournaments. We will guarantee a fair amount of playing time for every player, not an equal amount. In determining the amount of playing time, the comparison is being made among players that play the same position. For example, there may be only two middle hitters on a team and three outside hitters. One outside hitter must sit out, since only two outside hitters are in the game at a time. Yet the two middle hitters play all the time. So, among the outside hitters, each will receive a fair amount of playing time. More playing time is earned by being at practice and working hard to improve, as well as, executing the skills when given the opportunity to play.

Coaches are advised to give everyone opportunities to contribute their individual skills and abilities to the team during pool play matches. Those skills and abilities may include being a hitter in the front row, serving and playing defense in the back row, or playing "all the way around." When teams advance past pool play, this is the time to reward those players that have excelled when given opportunities earlier in the day.

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Practice Rules

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How to Be a Supportive Parent

Youth programs cannot be successful without the support of parents. The following guidelines are for concerned parents as they strive to be supportive of their young athletes without being pushy.

  1. Supportive parents focus on mastering sport skills and strategies rather than competitive rankings. Sport mastery focuses on performance, which can be controlled by the athlete, while competitive ranking focuses primarily on winning and losing, an outcome, which is frequently outside the athlete's control. An overemphasis on competitive rank and an under emphasis on sport mastery is a primary cause of a dramatic dropout rate in competitive sports by 12 to 18 year olds.
  2. Supportive parents decrease the pressure to win. Supportive parents realize that sport creates its own pressure to succeed. Additional pressure from the parent is likely to be counterproductive, particularly, in the long run. Supportive parents avoid making the outcome of the game bigger than life. As a game or a competition becomes blown out of proportion, a youngster's self esteem can become tied to winning or losing. A child should not feel less valuable or less loved when a match is lost.
  3. Supportive parents believe that sport?s primary value is the opportunity for self-development. The probability of achieving lasting fame and glory via sport is low. Many outstanding athletes never achieve professional status. However, their sports experiences have allowed them to develop life-long values and self-respect.
  4. Supportive parents understand the risks. Competition places the athlete on center stage. Anytime you attempt to succeed publicly, you risk failing where others can judge you. In the long run, competing is willingness to chance failure. Giving your best is what athletics is all about.
  5. Supportive parents communicate their true concerns directly with the coach/teacher. A positive working relationship is based upon clearly communicated mutual goals among parents, coaches and athletes. While a parent cannot control the behavior of a coach/teacher, they can communicate with the coach/teacher on a regular basis about the overall development of their child.
  6. Supportive parents understand and respect the difference between parental roles and coaching roles. Both parents and coaches need to understand their different roles in supporting the young athlete. While parents are ultimately responsible for their child?s development, once they have chosen a program/coach they must leave the coaching to the coach/teacher. Even though Supportive parents often play sports with their child they avoid coaching ?over the shoulder? of the coach/teacher and/or publicly questioning the coaching decisions.
  7. Supportive parents control negative emotions and think positively. Few athletes wish to perform poorly. Negative reactions to poor performances only add to an athlete's pressures. Supportive parents realize that even the athlete who "chokes" is trying to succeed. In fact, part of the problem with many athletes is that they are trying too hard to succeed. Criticizing such athletes does little to enhance their performances.
  8. Supportive parents avoid the use of fear. The use of punishment and withdrawal of love can pressure kids to perform better. Unfortunately, such strategies tend to trade short-term performance gains for long-term emotional risks to the youngster's health and well being. Supportive parents recognize that a love for sport is rarely fostered by fear of the consequences of failure.
  9. Supportive parents avoid criticizing. Nagging parents often confuse support with constantly reminding the children that they need to practice, condition more and concentrate. Overly involved parents frequently lose their objectivity. They are unable to provide critical emotional support, which children often need before and during highly competitive contests.
  10. Supportive parents recognize and understand expressions of insecurity. Youngsters who express high anxiety, more often than not, have parents who are insensitive to their symptoms. When children are nervous, uncertain, or feeling pressure, insensitive parents may trivialize the child?s fears or see such concerns as signs of weakness. Supportive parents realize that such expressions are normal and are a call for emotional support.
  11. Supportive parents avoid the use of guilt. ?We've done so much for you,? or "The family's given so much for you, the least you could do is take advantage of what we've provided for you" are typical remarks of UN Supportive parents. They use guilt to manipulate the child to perform the way the parent's desire.

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Parent/Coach/Player Relationship

Volleyball can teach many good traits, such as the spirit of cooperation, and the regard for physical fitness; but it is difficult for these and other desirable traits to take root in young players when the adults around them fail to set a proper example. We ask that parents refrain from criticizing opposing players, other parents, coaches, officials, or teammates.

In spectator enthusiasm we are often prone to issue several instructions to the players that may be contrary to those of the coach, leaving the players confused and upset. Please let these athletes follow their coach's instruction and leave the coaching to the coach!

The coaches are giving their time, energy, and best efforts to teach your child the sport of volleyball and we will not tolerate condemnation of the coaches. Understand that you will not agree or like every coaching tactic, comment, or suggestion that is made by the coaches, but this does not warrant criticism or rudeness.

This is certainly not intended to reduce spectator enthusiasm. Please continue to cheer and encourage the actions you like and ignore those you don't. Please do not interfere with your child's coach, especially during play, or do anything else that will detract from the enjoyment your child deserves to get from volleyball.

Parents must ally themselves with the coach in teaching their children how to cope with the frustrations of being a member of a team. Sports provide an excellent opportunity to teach young women about the realities of highly competitive situations. They must be taught how to be a cooperative team member, how to make use of both positive feedback and constructive criticism, how to cope with adversity, how to achieve "mental toughness," and how to be a gracious winner.

The most effective way to establish a rapport with a coach is to display a high level of commitment to the activity. Players need to learn to display their commitment by coming early and staying late, doing extra preparation, being enthusiastic about the activity, and actively and publicly supporting their teammates. A parent who is successful in teaching these skills will never have to worry whether the coach is giving their child a fair break.

If a player has a concern with a coach, parents have the responsibility for teaching their child steps to remedy the concern. The following steps MUST be taken if any player has a concern with a coach.

  1. Player should discuss the concern with their respective coach and try to arrive at a solution. None of the coaches should be considered unapproachable. They are all very willing to listen to a player's concern and try to arrive at a mutual solution. Until the coach is made aware of the concern nothing at all can be done to alleviate it. Do not wait until the end of the season to voice your concern.
  2. If, after time, the concern is not resolved the player and parents may make an appointment to speak with the coach.
  3. If, after time, a solution is still not reached contact the club director to set up a meeting.

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