Club South Travel Team Tryout
Information
( No Tryouts for Kidz Power
or Non Travel)
The following information present summary information for parents and players concerning the process we use for team placement. A required reading prior to tryouts.
click here : New info for national team prospects
This time is probably one of the more stressful times for our Players and Parents. We want to remind all that this is a very accurate process to assure we have your daughter in the correct skill level during the season. No team of 8-10 players will ever have exactly the same skill level (1st tm, 2nd tm, 3rd tm, etc); it will vary similar to school teams. Each age division normally will have numerous teams based on skill level and other factors. Greenville areas may have multiple ages within teams. The tryout process is to determine which skill group level she is placed. Seldom do we cut players, but do reserve the right.
It never fails that a parent or two (well- more than 2 -ha ) think we are crazy and don’t understand how we can’t see what they see. Often we will have parents say, my child is the starter (and maybe the stud) on her school team, how can she make a 3rd team. Keep in mind we have starters (and studs) coming from 60+ schools, from a 100 mile radius. With the continued success of Club South teams, more and more players from the area want to get involved. The simple fact is, these may be better athletes.
Club South has been doing this for over 15 yrs, we have evaluated over 5000 athletes. Our system works, so we ask all to trust it! We have tested and improved it each year. Some may not like what the results are, but it is a fair and accurate evaluation of a players skill level within our area compared to other players in similar age.
Players are required to tryout
within their USAV age division, unless prior exception by
national coaching committee. Note that if we allowed by request for
players to play “up”, most would request this. We are in belief players
should play within their age group, unless there is
extenuating
circumstances. See the other side, if we move a player up, that pushing
down a deserving player within her age division, I doubt you would want
to be the player that has to move down for a younger player.
In each age division, athletes vary in skill level, some athletes have
extensive playing experience while others do not. Athletes first go
through a battery of volleyball related tests. Then we assess their
skill execution, as well as intrinsic traits. We base our selections for
teams on many factors: what the athletes do during the tryout period,
what we perceive their potential to be, what a particular team needs for
the coming season, how well the athlete compares to other available
athletes, to name a few. We look at specific athletic ability for
volleyball, overall athletic potential, work ethic, drive, willingness
to be coached, competitive attitude, and skill level. We select athletes
for teams because they show the ability or potential, in our opinion, to
help those teams compete successfully at the highest level.
Players who were on a team last year
should not expect to be on the same level team, or higher. With new
players coming in each year, it is reasonable to expect higher level
players could take spots. This doesn't mean lower teams are less
talented, just more talent on all teams.
Best Team NOT Best Players (5 setters, 8 oh, etc)— teams must be selected according to position—a team cannot be formed around six athletic setters, three liberos, one middle hitter and one outside hitter—this means that a LESS‐skilled/experienced middle hitter may be chosen to a higher‐level team than a MORE‐skilled/experienced setter simply because the setter positions for the higher‐level team have already been filled; players and parents should understand that the coaches and staff at CS are faced with the difficult task of maximizing the potential for EACH athlete as well as for EACH team, and we believe that this goal can be achieved best by placing players on teams and in positions that will highlight their strengths and will allow them the opportunity to improve in other areas as well; the coaching staff desires that each player and each team perform at the highest level possible, and we will select teams with that goal in mind; in the team selection process, no other interests or agendas will take precedence over the club’s!
Most important: So many families get caught up in the “top” team syndrome. Defined as, if I don’t make a top team, I will go elsewhere. We want to remind everyone, our 2nd, 3rd, even 4th teams outperform other clubs 1st top team.
RESULT FACTS: In the past 5 yrs, how our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd teams have faired against other in region clubs 1st team:
97% of the time our 1st teams have defeated
other Club’s 1st teams.
88% of the time our 2nd teams have defeated
other Clubs 1st Teams.
76% of the time our 3rd teams have defeated
other Clubs 1st teams.
OUR SYSTEM: Dare to Compare
We challenge anyone to find a more extensive, fair, accurate and unbiased evaluation from any other club. Below are the areas we review and consider on each athlete.
We gather extensive information from the player’s school
coach (provided they played on a school team).
If they played for CS last year, we gather midyear and end
of the year information from the coach on the player. Including their
overall ranking within the team, their attitude through the season,
leadership, skill ability, future potential and the parent
relationship.
If they have played for us in multiple years, the ranking
within that team and team placement is taken into consideration.
All players begin in random groups, selected in
alphabetical order for fairness and equal opportunity.
The tryout process alone is very extensive. Each player
will receive 50 or more scores from over 20 coaches over two tryout
sessions. Each year we use a number of coaches who are not familiar
with CS previous players in order to offer added unbiased ratings.
Our evaluators are people who do this for a living. With
the progression of the evaluation process, our system is extremely
accurate. Scores by position and overall skill level are entered into a
computer on each athlete, which provides an average point value.
Once tryouts are completed, a committee of our national
coaches sits down and discusses each athlete. All factors are taking
into consideration and teams are created by committee, not by the
decision of ONE coach.
This system could be compared to a team participating in a multiple day tournament. They start in a field of 50 teams, the success of the team determines if they move up or down in the next round.
THE DETAILS
Each age division will have two tryouts. Players may attend only two sessions, it is highly recommended you make the two regular scheduled tryouts inside your age divsion.
Each tryout will be divided into Rounds. There will be 2 to 3 rounds for a 3 hr tryout and 3 to 4 rounds for a 4 hr tryout.
Each age group will initially be divided into 3 to 5 random selected groups for the first tryout and 1st Round.
It is important we know your primary position. If you don't know, we will probably place you as an outside hitter or defensive player. Rounds are progressive based off average scores from previous rounds. Players will be divided and re-grouped based on scores. The re-grouping comes directly from raw scores from our numerous coaches.
Once we begin grouping players based on evaluations, we get concerns that she is in the wrong group (of course, based on a parents evaluation). Trust the system, if her skill level is higher than the other group, the coaches will be able to see that. NOTE: TEAMS ARE NOT SET UNTIL AFTER TRYOUTS- Don't panic when you are watching groups- there is so much more facts go into the decision process.
Parents should not try to compare last year to this year, or last year’s team to this year’s placement. There is no comparison because we have so many new athletes trying out, the variables are entirely different. It is possible to move down a team level, but the team be stronger simply because of better athletes above that are new.
AFTER TRYOUTS:
Dates are set when teams will be announced. These will be sent out via email to all email addresses we have on your file. You want to make sure you are receiving our emails.
Once sent, each family has 24 hrs to respond and accept or decline our offer. If you decline, refunds will be issued by end of month for all monies paid, less $35 tryout fee (read restrictions online concerning refunds on monies). Families who fail to respond within 24 hrs, or quit after deadline will not be issued refunds.
CS will accept questions to clarify the scoring system, but will not accept questions concerning team placement. A few coaches may be wrong, but with the number of evaluations that each athlete receives, plus the additional information we get on each, we feel that our process has a very high rate of accuracy. We understand that every parent feels that their child should be in a higher group. We work hard every year to improve our system, nothing is perfect, but we feel that it does a very good job of placing all of our athletes where they can best excel and improve their skills.
If your scores merit, you will be informed your daughter is being considered for a national team. If you have indicated on the registration form you will NOT play on a national team, we will provide another opportunity to change your mind.
Many of our National team players are have the capability in the future to play in college. We certainly are grooming each for this goal. However, we have had a number of parents express unwillingness for their daughter to play for a specific coach because that coach doesn't match their ideal personalities. (I.e. the coach yells too much, doesn't yell enough, is too hard or too easy in drills, is too to calm in matches or not calm enough, or is not the motivator they feel the coach should be. A few have made mistakes; said the wrong thing, done the wrong thing).
Keep in mind, we hire the best coaches available; many of them current or former college coaches. We expect our national team athletes to learn how to work with various personalities, which in turn is teaching them about life, as we all deal with and adjust to different personalities every day.
Club South is not in the personality changing business. Of course, we have rules each have to abide by, and we have fired a number of coaches in the past for breaking our rules. Periodically, we have one on one meetings with dozens or more coaches to enhance their skills, but please understand - no one is perfect.
We want to remind this college level athlete and family that you don't want to be known as the person-family that can only play for the "perfect" coach. If this is the case, you probably will not find a perfect coach in college, and probably will limit, if not eliminate your college playing choices.
Some assume, once national, always national. Over the years, we have had numerous new and returning athletes come in with much better skills. We have seen 4th team players move to 1st team and 1st team players move as low as 3rd team, simply due to new players or returning players who have simply got better over the year.