How long is the season? This will vary between Local teams and Travel teams. The first local competitions for the high school age groups are in January. Usually each high-school team will enter one to three local competitions each month through the end of March. During mid March our Elementary and Junior High season starts. Junior High tournaments start in April and are done by mid May. The Junior High travel team will go a little longer into early June.
Why can't I keep my uniform? In the past members kept their uniforms after the season was over. In an effort to keep our participation fees as low as possible the club has chosen to reuse uniforms. BAVC has purchased high quality jerseys in the past, with several years of life expectancy. Reusing them saves everyone money and keeps the clutter out of your closet!
What is the difference between Travel and Local teams? We offer at least one Local team for each age level, sometimes more if we have the interest. House teams play a 5 tournament schedule, with some light travel to the Bloomington and Champaign areas. Most of the play is in the Peoria area.
At the Junior High level we build at least one Travel team. This serves as the "elite" team for BAVC. The travel teams play the house schedule plus extra travel tournaments in various locations. We build a challenging tournament schedule for this team, ending at a National-level event in June.
How many players are on a team? The number of players on each team will depend on how many try out or sign up for each age division. Our goal is to have teams of 9 or 10. The minimum to have a functioning team is 8.
How much does it cost? Participation fees are driven by direct expenses. The participation fees cover the expenses associated with the play and participation, such as liability insurance, coaching stipends, gym rentals, equipment, JVA/AAU Memberships, and tournament entrance fees. We run the club as a grass roots effort and attempt to keep the fee structure as low as possible.
What are the age groups? BAVC offers teams in the 10U to 18U age ranges. The exact set of teams for each season is determined by the turnout for evaluations. The age cutoff is September 1, meaning a player for example cannot be on a 14U team if they turn 15 prior to this date. Players can "play up" a level, but they cannot "play down".
What if a Club activity conflicts with a school activity? We feel that school activities come first. However, a player who attends a practice will get much more out of the practice than one that does not come to the practice at all, and will be rewarded as such. The higher the level of play an athlete wishes to achieve is directly related to the dedication, effort and commitment the athlete makes to the program. The Travel team will look for a higher level of commitment and dedication.
What teams do the girls play against? Our Traveling teams endeavor to play against the best competition available in the Midwest. Some of our teams play teams within our club and other volleyball clubs throughout the Midwest. All teams will play in a tournament-like situation and play several matches in a day on Saturdays and/or Sundays.
When and where do you practice? BAVC teams practice in the Limestone schools area. Team practices are scheduled so teams should practice at one location. Most practices are from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The times are set by access to the gyms. Once the teams are formed we will release a practice schedule. Weekday practices range from 5:00 to 10:00 pm. All teams practice twice during the week, and play on the weekend.