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FAQs

FAQs

Why should my son play club volleyball?

Team sports are vital to our children’s development, teaching:

  • How to compete in a positive and respectful environment
  • What it means to represent a team and an organization
  • How to maintain a growth mindset
  • The values of teamwork, composure, and self-motivation
  • That losing is learning, and winning is work

By training and playing in a more competitive environment, this learning process is accelerated.

What kind of commitment is club volleyball?

Club volleyball is a significant time commitment:

  • Each team practices 3 times a week, typically twice during the week and once on the weekend
  • Each team trains for 8 weeks in the beginning of Fall with our trainer, Jose
  • Each team competes in seven local WCVBA tournaments in the Fall and two travel tournamentsand a few potential travel tournaments in the Fall, as well as two travel tournaments in the Summer. Each team is committed for the entire season, including Fall and Summer

When factoring in boys middle or high school seasons, your son will be playing nearly year-round. It’s also a significant financial commitment (see below).

What level of attendance is expected?

Our teams develop faster and perform better when all of its members are committed and consistently attending practice and tournaments. We ask all of our players to make volleyball a priority, but we also understand that conflicts happen. We encourage our players to be multi-sport athletes, and we understand that school comes first. If you need to miss a practice, please communicate with your head coach at least one day in advance, when possible. Our coaches design practice plans for every practice, and poor communication leads to more work for our coaches to amend those plans. We don’t penalize for missing practices, but there is always a tangible difference between players who train and practice consistently and those who don’t, and that does affect playing time in major tournaments.

Where do teams practice?

All of our teams train and practice at the NorCal Volleyball Facility:
NorCal Volleyball Facility
789 N. Canyons Parkway
Livermore, CA 94551

Our facility features four full-sized courts, a dedicated training and weights area, and a suite of coaches’ offices. It’s also exceptionally well insulated against the Summer heat and features tall ceilings. Having a high quality home facility means more teams practice with and against each other more often, building a greater sense of community. It also allows us to host programs like club-wide banquets and awards nights, as well as community outreach programs like local food drives.

We have recently partnered with our local community college, Las Positas, and intend on using their facility as another home base for select practices, clinics, and other NorCal Boys related events.

How do I know which age group to register for?

Be aware that age requirements have changed in the past season for our 14s/15s age group. Per the new age chart, if your athlete is a freshman in high school, regardless of age, he MUST compete at the 15s age level. If you have questions on this, please contact us

USAV’s Age Eligibility Chart

What teams does NorCal offer?

For the 2024-2025 Boys season, we are tentatively offering the following teams

  • 18-1s
  • 17-1s
  • 17-2s
  • 16-1s
  • 15-1s
  • 14-1s
  • 12-1s
  • 13-1s

All of our teams will compete in WCVBA league during the Fall and at Nationals in the Summer. Optional/additional Tournament choices will vary by team level.

What is the financial commitment?

Costs for the 2024-2025 season will be similar to the 2023-2024 season at around $5250 for the entirety of the year (Fall & Summer). These costs include:

  • Tournament registration fees
    • Fall season: 7 WCVBA League tournaments, 1-2 travel tournaments
    • Summer season: 2 travel tournaments
  • Coaches’ pay, travel, and lodging
  • Sports performance training
  • Gym rental and upkeep
  • Equipment purchasing and upkeep
  • Administrative costs
  • Uniform package

The tentative uniform package is included in your dues, and has the following items:

  • Two jersey tops
  • Two jersey shorts
  • Two practice shirts
  • One hoodie
  • One backpack

In addition to club dues, you will be responsible for transportation, lodging, spectator passes, and parking fees for all tournaments. Each team will also vote on additional tournaments, which will require additional costs. These dues are a fixed cost for the season, regardless of schedule conflicts. There are no refunds, and there are no exceptions. Payment can be made all at once or in installments.

Is financial assistance available?

We are happy to offer financial assistance for those who qualify on a financial needs basis. We’re also happy to offer custom payment plans for those who need more flexibility. Please email us for an application and for more information.

Does NorCal offer skill-based scholarships?

No, we don’t believe in it. When clubs offer skill-based discounts to their top recruits, the cost is passed on to their teammates, who end up paying more for less playing time.

Are returners automatically given team offers next season?

No. All of our tryouts are skill-based and competitive, regardless of history.

Why does NorCal charge a tryout fee?

We charge a tryout fee in order to cover our facility, staff, equipment, and logistics costs. Charging a tryout fee also helps ensure that everyone who attends tryouts is serious about making a team at NorCal, and helps keep the tryout process transparent for everyone. We aim to provide an all-inclusive environment which is why we provide our Tryout Value Pass – a flat rate fee that covers our tryout fee as well as give athletes access to all age-appropriate eval clinics/open gyms.

Can't attend tryouts?

 Please email us at norcalcoachkk@gmail.com ASAP for further instructions.

Looking for an open spot on a team?

Email us. We’ll do our best to respond ASAP, whether we have an open spot or not. If we do, we’ll schedule a supplemental tryout with you.

How do we keep up to date on what programs NorCal offers and when?

Please sign up for our newsletter to be notified when we announce new and upcoming events.

Who should I contact if I have additional questions?

Please visit our contact page for a list of our program contacts