Club Volleyball – Tournament 101
The Night Before the Tournament
It is paramount to be on time and have all equipment ready to go. It is a good idea to have everything packed the night before. Plan what your player will eat in the morning on the way to tournament. Every player should have an extra pair of socks and spandex. Bring both jerseys – always. Even though there is a team first aid kit at tournaments, it is a great idea to have a small “emergency” kit kept in the player’s backpack. Include an insta-ice pack, tape, band-aids, Tylenol, deodorant, extra hair elastics, ace bandage, feminine products, and a stashed protein bar.
It is smart to pack in enough nutritious food and plenty of water to last your player all day. If your player likes Gatorade – bring it, just keep in mind that some venues will not allow it on the court. Some parents suggest packing in 30% more food than you think will be consumed. Pack a cooler with a couple of sandwiches, crackers, cheese, fruit, power bars, Gatorade, and water. Depending on how well the team performs, the tournament can last all day, with the final rounds lasting well into the evening.
All About Tournaments
Make sure you know where the tournament is being held and allow plenty of time to get there. It is extremely important to be at the venue and ready (shoes on, ready to play) at the time designated by the coach. Often the pool schedule is available in advance, and sometimes your team will not be scheduled to play until the second game, but the coach will insist the team be there well in advance of the first game, why? Quite simply, if either of the teams scheduled to play in the first game do not arrive on time, they forfeit, and the second game begins, immediately. If one of the teams scheduled for the second game are not ready to play, they too forfeit. It happens more frequently than you might think. The thing about tournaments is they start on time, but rarely stay on schedule.
Refueling with nutritious food through out the day will enhance player performance. It takes tremendous stamina and energy to compete during a day of tournament play. Often the girls will play or ref three or more games in a row, which doesn’t allow much “eat when you are hungry” from happening. It is best to constantly refuel throughout the day.
You’ve heard it before but it bears repeating. The tournament is not the right place to have a discussion with the coach about playing time. It is the right time to offer the coach your support. Whenever possible, offer the coach your help carrying balls, carts and doing anything you can to allow the coach to focus on her/his job.
All club parent veterans have witnessed inappropriate behavior on the part of a few parents on opposing teams. Yelling at the officials, trying to distract servers, booing – just don’t be part of that.
At tournaments, teams take turns referring. It is incredibly frustrating when the scorekeeper makes mistakes that put our team at a disadvantage – we know how hard our girls practice and play. A former coach offers the suggestion that rather than having parents yell toward the scorekeeper’s table, a more effective approach is go get the attention of one of the coaches. In addition, the Up Ref is usually the scorekeeper’s coach and doesn’t like parents yelling at his/her players. Even though it doesn’t seem fair, the refereeing may not go in the right direction if you upset him/her. Above all volleyball is a game. Even though scores are kept and sometimes the team wins, other times it doesn’t - it is supposed to be a fun, enjoyable experience.
Players are not allowed to wear bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, or metal hair ornaments. The referee can assess a penalty at his/her discretion. Why take a chance?
Tournament Venues: Tournaments can be held at schools, recreation centers, and commercial sports facilities. Some venues are close to food and accommodations, others are not. Some places have bleachers; others only floor seating, and still others both. Nearly all tournament venues charge admission. Schools allow outside food and beverages because they offer limited concession options. The commercial sports facilities like the Courts at Beaverton and the Hoop at Salem do not allow outside food and beverages (except water) consumed in the building. Options at these venues are to tailgate, purchase food from them, or leave the facility with the coach’s permission. It is the exception to find a venue that will allow coffee, soda, or food in the fan area. In fact, if a fan is caught with “contraband” the fan’s team can be docked points from game score (who wants to be responsible for causing that?).
Seating: Keep a folding chair and bleacher seat in the car. Most venues require there be a towel, blanket or some sort of barrier between chair legs and the floor. A handy hint: infant socks rubber banded around the bottoms of a chair work great. It can be cold inside some of the buildings, bring a blanket, or dress in layers
Team Camp: All venues offer an area for teams to set up “camp.” Often it is a space on the floor in a hallway where the individual teams can congregate. Players bring a blanket and sometimes a pillow so they can rest, eat, and socialize between games. Encourage your player to leave the cell phone in the car – she misses so much. If a player is texting someone, somewhere else, when there is a perfectly amazing person sitting next to her, she is cheating herself of a wonderful social opportunity. Parents tend to drift in and out of this area.
Power League vs. Friendship Tournaments – What Is The Difference?
Power League tournament results figure into the regional team rankings as managed by the Columbia Empire Volleyball Association (CEVA). Typically, teams are ranked at the beginning of the season taking into account the past record of the team, the past volleyball experience of the girls on the team and a little bit of voodoo. All teams are ranked against other teams in their age bracket and placed into tournament play with teams of similar ranking. After each CEVA tournament, the rankings are recalculated taking into individual teams wins, losses and points scored. The reason that tournament venues for Power League are not assigned at the beginning of the season is because the rankings are fluid and some teams move up, others down through the course of the season.
Individual clubs sponsors friendship Tournaments. And while there are tournament winners, the wins are not calculated into the CEVA rankings. Make no mistake, it is competitive, and everyone comes to win.
Multi-Day Tournaments
The “big” tournaments are exciting for players and their families. Hundreds of teams playing in multiple venues, all at the same time. CCJV has thoughtfully arranged for hotels that offer a reduced rate for our teams. If you can, take advantage of the team hotel option. Teams are able to spend off court time socializing and getting to know one another. Venue locations can change from day to day, so it is helpful to caravan from the hotel. Often team meals are within walking distance of the hotel.
