MiSSiON	PHiLOSOPHiES	WHAT iS CLUB?
AGE DEFiNiTiONS	TEAM COMPOSiTiON	PRACTiCES
FEES	WiNTER WEATHER

AiR CiTY CHiCKS MiSSiON
The AiR CiTY CHiCKS Junior Volleyball Club is committed to providing quality instruction and tournament play opportunities for girls in age groups 12-and-under through 18-and-under, within the Ohio Valley Region and USA Volleyball. The directors, coaches, and affiliates of AiR CiTY CHiCKS are united in creating an environment where players can learn life-enhancing qualities such as discipline, self-respect, sportsmanship, teamwork, how to set & reach goals, work ethic, self-esteem, confidence & cooperation; while also developing fundamental & strategic skills of volleyball.

AiR CiTY CHiCKS will offer tryouts for girls in ALL age groups for the upcoming 2009-10 season. As participating talent dictates, teams will register and play at either a National, American or Regional level within the OVR and USA Volleyball. National level teams will play at the highest level both in and outside of the Ohio Valley Region and will likely play in the JVA National Tournament at the end of the season. American level teams will play a schedule comprised of both two-day and one-day events in and out of the OVR; these teams will also have the option of playing in the JVA National Tournament although this option is NOT included in the American registration fees. Regional level teams will primarily play in one-day events within the OVR and will also have the option to play in one two-day event that may or may not be within the OVR; these teams will not continue play after the OVR Regional Championships in May.

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OUR PHiLOSOPHiES
We want to create a more streamlined approach to club volleyball - one that doesn't require as heavy of a time commitment during the first few months of the season and one that keeps tournament travel to a 2-3 hour time frame.

We want to emphasize quality of coaching before quantity of teams - we won't simply add teams to accommodate players if we can't provide quality coaches to coach those teams.

We want to give players a chance to play - coaches will ensure that everyone will get an opportunity to play at tournaments, although equal playing time will not be promised. Regional teams will focus on teaching fundamentals and giving players playing time to learn the game. American and National teams will focus on improving fundamentals, teaching strategic concepts of the game, and building a team that can compete with other National teams in their age group.

We will be straightforward and honest - you may not always like what you hear, but it will be honest information that is presented in a direct and fair manner.

We will COACH and be passionate about it - our coaches aren't going to sit on the sideline and simply say, "good job;" we are going to get up and instruct and coach and impart our knowledge and passion for the game.

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WHAT iS CLUB VOLLEYBALL?
Formerly known as "junior olympic volleyball," club volleyball is a volleyball training program for elementary, junior high and high school athletes outside of their school system. Typically clubs provide practice sessions throughout the week and tournament play opportunities on weekends during the season. Most clubs play in anywhere from four to eight tournaments a season, so this is not usually an "every weekend" obligation. Unlike school programs, matches are not played on weeknights in dual-match format. Also different from school programs is that these clubs are fee-based programs and, admittedly, fairly expensive. The costs involved with club volleyball are there to cover court rental, OVR registration, coaches' salaries, uniform and equipment costs, tournament entry fees and administrative expenses. In Ohio, club volleyball is governed by the Ohio Valley Region (OVR) and USA Volleyball. Players and clubs must also adhere to rules set by the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) regarding out of season/non-school athletic participation.

Within the OVR, teams are classified as National, American (14s thru 17s) and Regional. National teams consist of higher caliber athletes who play in highly competitive events both in and out of the region, and they are likely to end the season by playing in a National tournament. American teams are competitive teams, looking to play at a high level, but without the rigors of being on a National team. Regional teams consist of a athletes (in terms of caliber) who want to learn the fundamentals of the sport, gain playing experience and play tournaments that are more local or regional in nature.

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USA VOLLEYBALL GiRLS' JUNiORS' AGE DEFiNiTiONS
For use during the 2009-2010 Season
Once a player participates in a club or varsity program for any university, college, community college, or junior college, he/she is ineligible to play in any regional or national JOVC qualifying and championship events.

18s: born on or after Sept 1, 1991 (or current high school senior)
17s: born on or after Sept 1, 1992 (and/or current 11th grader for American/Regional Teams)
16s: born on or after Sept 1, 1993 (and/or current 10th grader for American/Regional Teams)
15s: born on or after Sept 1, 1994 (and/or current 9th grader for American/Regional Teams)
14s: born on or after Sept 1, 1995 (and/or current 8th grader for American/Regional Teams)
13s: born on or after Sept 1, 1996 (and/or current 7th grader for American/Regional Teams)
12s: born on or after Sept 1, 1997 (and/or current 6th grader)

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TEAM COMPOSiTiON
We will be conducting tryouts this year for 12-and-under through 18-and-under teams. We are expecting to field teams at ALL age groups, but this will be dictated by the talent & response we have at tryouts. AiR CiTY CHiCKS has sufficient resources to support 13 teams this season (two of these teams would be 12-and-under teams). If there is only ONE 12-and-under team, we will only field a total of 12 teams.

It is our hope to field TWO teams at each age group from 12s to 17s and ONE team at 18s - again, this will be confirmed by the talent and interest we get at tryouts. Please note that, if we are able to field teams as indicated, we will opt for the following divisions of play:

• 12s - Since there is no division of play at 12s, we will simply have a top team (12-PiNK) and a second team (12-BLACK).
• 13s - At 13s, both teams will register as Regional division teams, but one will be the top team (13-PiNK) and one will be the second team (13-BLACK).
• 14s thru 17s - In these age groups, we will have three divisional options: National, American, or Regional. Our top teams (PiNK) will either register National or American, and our second teams in each age group (BLACK) will either register American or Regional.
• 18s - At 18s, our team (18-PiNK) will either register National or Regional.

Teams will be comprised of at least 10 full-time players. Our 12-and-under teams will likely include 12 full-time players while the rest of our teams will carry 10-12 players as determined by positional needs and coaches' philosophies. On our non-national teams, there will also be the possibility that coaches will allow "practice players" to be included - the usage of practice players will be left up to the team coaches and will ONLY be used if those players maintain similar skill level of the rest of the team and are able to make a commitment to attending practices. Practice players would NOT play in tournaments and will be assessed a lower fee for their involvement with the club.

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PRACTiCES
Practices are scheduled to be held at South Metro Sports unless your coach makes other arrangements with you and the majority of your team is in agreement with these arrangements.

general practice schedule
below is when we have time scheduled at south metro. actual team practice schedules will not be determined until after tryouts. please note that older age groups WILL occasionally be asked to practice during the 8-10 pm time slot and teams may also be asked to practice occasionally from 4-6 pm - due to limited court time at south metro, we ask for your help in making things work!

december - teams will practice on saturday or sunday, three weekends during december

january - teams will practice on saturday or sunday, four weekends during january; teams may also have a combined practice during the week in january OR individual position sessions may be made available (these would be for individuals based on position and not for entire teams)

february - teams begin two practices a week; monday, wednesday, or thursday between 4-10 pm

march - teams continue two practices a week; monday, wednesday, or thursday between 4-10 pm

april - teams continue two practices a week; monday, wednesday, or thursday between 4-10 pm

may - teams continue two practices a week; monday, wednesday, or thursday between 4-10 pm

NOTE: 12-and-under teams will have shared practices; other teams may have some shared practice time in december, january and early february (unless additional court time becomes available).

Additional practice times may be added in order to give teams solo court time. This will be a team decision made by coaches, players and parents; and will result in additional cost to be covered by members of the team.

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AiR CiTY CHiCKS FEES
Our fees are designed to cover the necessary expenses associated with running a club program and fielding club teams. Typically these expenses include: practice court rental, tournament entry fees, coaches' salaries, administrative functions, registration fees for players and coaches, and uniforms. Please note that the fees listed below do NOT include your travel or hotel costs - these costs would be in addition to the fees shown below.

*UNIFORM FEE NOTE: If you are a RETURNING AiR CiTY CHiCKS player and you are "recycling" any part of your uniform, your club fee will be reduced by the amount of those item(s) you are able to recycle.
READ MORE about "uniform recycling" below.

*UNIFORM FEE NOTE: If you are a RETURNING AiR CiTY CHiCKS player and you are "recycling" any part of your uniform, your club fee will be reduced by the amount of those item(s) you are able to recycle.
READ MORE about "uniform recycling" below.

**PRACTICE GYM RENTAL: This number is through OVR Regionals, should the team decide to play at any LATER tournaments, an additional fee will be assessed to cover practices after Regionals.

*UNIFORM FEE NOTE: If you are a RETURNING AiR CiTY CHiCKS player and you are "recycling" any part of your uniform, your club fee will be reduced by the amount of those item(s) you are able to recycle.
READ MORE about "uniform recycling" below.

*UNIFORM FEE NOTE: The practice player "uniform" costs above include pullover hooded sweatshirt, sweatpants and short-sleeved spirit t-shirt. If you are a RETURNING AiR CiTY CHiCKS player and you already have these items and would like to "recycle" them, your fees will be less the items you recycle.

NOTE: Practice players are not responsible for contributing to the coaches' expenses that are to be collected and disbursed by team parents.

FEE BREAKDOWN

OVR Fees
Players and coaches must be registered members of the Ohio Valley Region.

Salaries
Pay that is given to team head and assistant coaches. 12s teams will probably share an assistant.

Tournaments
National Teams: Entry fees for 6, two-day tournaments, OVR Regionals, and JVA Nationals.
American Teams: Entry fees for 6, two-day tournaments, and OVR Regionals. If teams decide to attend JVA Nationals, there will be an additional $80 per player to cover the entry fee.
Regional 14s-18s: Entry fees for 4 one-day tournaments, 1 two-day tournament, & OVR regionals.
13s: Entry fees for 5 one-day tournaments and OVR regionals.
12s: Entry fees for 3, local 1-day tournaments and OVR regionals. Additional in-season scrimmages.
*See below for sample tournament schedule!

Gym Rental
All practices budgeted in the above fees will take place at South Metro Sports. Currently, we have the space to conduct 36-46 practice sessions per team, dependent on age group and division. Our 12s teams will always practice together and other teams may have some "shared" practices especially prior to mid-february. Circumstances may arise where practice is moved to a different facility, this will be infrequent and will only occur with proper notification to affected team.

Administration
Administration costs include tasks such as handling of tournament registration, practice gym rental requests, scheduling of club practices & tournaments, player and coach OVR registration, web site development and maintenance, club promotion & communication, uniform and spirit wear ordering, and other general administrative tasks.

Uniforms
National & American Level Teams: Two polyester uniform jerseys, one pair of black spandex, hooded/pullover sweatshirt, sweatpants, club t-shirt.
Regional Level 14s thru 18s: One polyester uniform jersey, one cotton uniform t-shirt, one pair of black spandex, hooded/pullover sweatshirt, sweatpants, club t-shirt.
12s & 13s: Two cotton uniform t-shirts, one pair of black spandex, hooded/pullover sweatshirt, sweatpants, club t-shirt.

Uniform Recycling - FOR RETURNING PLAYERS ONLY!
If you are a RETURNING AiR CiTY CHiCKS player, you have the option to RECYCLE any part of your uniform from last year (except your spandex), assuming that the items are in GOOD, WEARABLE CONDITION and as long as you meet the uniform requirements of your new team. EXAMPLE: if you were on a REGIONAL team last year and you make a NATIONAL/AMERICAN team this year, you will still have to purchase a black polyester jersey to replace last year's uniform t-shirt. Players may only recycle their own uniform items for their own use, you may not sell/give your uniform items to other players. Your CLUB FEES will be reduced by the cost of the uniform item(s) you are recycling. Please indicate this on the TRYOUT REGISTRATION FORM!

Additional Costs
Tournament travel/hotel costs are not included in our club fees. These costs are incurred individually by each player. Teams will also be expected to cover the cost of travel, food and hotel rooms for their coaches as needed for tournaments. National Team players can expect coaches' expenses to be $250-$325 per player, depending on who your coaches are and the number of players on your roster. American Team players can expect coaches' expenses to be $200-$250 per player, depending on who your coaches are and the number of players on your roster; if you decide to play in JVA Nationals, this cost will be increased to cover those expenses. Regional Team players can expect coaches' expenses to be $25-$75 per player, depending on age group and the number of players on your roster.

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WiNTER WEATHER POLiCiES
The owners at South Metro Sports have indicated that they will not close unless we hit a LEVEL 2 or 3 snow emergency (in the South Dayton Area); therefore, the CANCELLATION of OUR PRACTICES will be up to AiR CiTY CHiCKS and here is what we are planning to do:

1. In case of bad weather, club director will monitor the television/internet to check the "trends" of other area activities. If it appears that most of the area activities are being cancelled due to weather, we will follow suit and cancel our practices.
2. A decision will be made no less than 90 minutes prior to our first practice time for the day (please keep in mind that things could change as we move through the day/evening, so IF we have a significant split in practice times, decisions will be made for EACH block of practices.)
3. Please note: we will not make any type of announcement to indicate that practices will be held as scheduled - we will only announce the CANCELLATION of practice. Basically, no news means we're "on" - if you are uncertain, please CONTACT YOUR COACH.
4. When practices are cancelled, the following notification process will be implemented:
   
   • DIRECTOR WILL CALL/TEXT HEAD COACHES >> the most reliable notification method!
   • DIRECTOR WILL POST A NOTICE ON AiR CiTY CHiCKS WEBSITE HOME PAGE >> barring any technical problems & assuming director is at home, this is also very reliable!
5. Please note that please note that AiR CiTY CHiCKS will not cancel practices based simply on the prediction of bad weather - we will wait and see what happens and go from there.
6. Once weeknight practices in February, we will make decisions about our practices late in the afternoon - even if school is cancelled that day - as a lot can change between 6 am and 5 pm.
7. Please DO NOT CALL DIRECTOR AMIDST BAD WEATHER FOR A STATUS - you will simply be tying up the phone and time that is being spent trying to handle the situation. Your head or assistant coach will notify you by phone (call/text) of practice cancellations (or you can visit our website). If you are uncertain and need to contact someone, please contact your head coach.
8. If we are still having practices, but YOU are unable to make practice due to the weather, it is your responsibility to notify your coach.

Please remember, it IS winter and we ARE going to get some inclement weather and, undoubtedly, some snow... when you are out and about, please slow down and drive safely!

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