Club volleyball consists of regionally organized and governed training programs and tournaments for girls interested in advanced level training and competition in the sport of volleyball.  Players participate outside of their school volleyball programs and compete against other club teams.  Club volleyball also works to promote the sport of volleyball and to teach the skills needed for a lifetime of play.  LIVBC is a member of the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA - www.GEVA.org), which is a region of USA Volleyball, and competes in both travel and regional tournaments. 

All players interested in the full club season (November through early May) must register for and attend pre-season tryouts, which are held in August or September each year.  In addition, we typically hold a second "late start" tryout for the middle school girls in January.  Exact dates and details are posted on the LIVBC website when scheduled.  There is a fee for tryouts, which is listed with the tryout information.

Team members are selected based on various talents and team needs.  Athletic ability, position, effort and attitude are among the attributes evaluated when determining the structure of a team.  When athletes are evaluated during a tryout, coaches utilize as many objective factors as possible.  The number of teams formed each season will vary depending on the number of girls who try out and the level of talent.  There may be cuts in one age group, but not in others.  Your position will be determined by ability and the needs of the team.  Players may be chosen to play a different position than they played on their school team.

Approximately 12 players are chosen for each team.

All players must comply with their USA Volleyball age group, which is defined in the table below (along with the typical matching school grade).  Since the USAV birth date is earlier than the school date in New York, girls born in July through November may not fit the table.  If that is the case, players should attend the tryout that matches their grade level and they will be placed according to team needs.  Those interested in trying out based on age rather than grade should notify us during the registration process.

Generally, LIVBC does not allow players to “play up” a level. However, exceptions are sometimes made based on team needs, at the sole discretion of the club.

Tuition is discussed at the parent meeting which is held either prior to tryouts or on the first day of tryouts. 

What tuition covers:

• Gym space
• Liability insurance
• Team equipment
• Coaches’ salaries, fees and travel expenses
• Administration 
• Tournament entry fees
• Uniforms and personal volleyball

What tuition does not cover:

• Travel expenses to and from tournaments
• Hotel rooms for travel tournaments
• Meals at tournaments
• USA Volleyball / GEVA membership

The number of tournaments varies from year to year and from team to team.  Travel teams in the 15s to 18s age groups usually attend 3-5 overnight travel tournaments (see Tournament Schedule tab HERE) and additional regional GEVA tournaments, which are 1-day events that typically do not require an overnight stay.  Travel teams in the younger age groups usually attend fewer overnight events.  We also offer Regional teams that attend mostly 1-day GEVA tournaments and may also attend 1 multi-day overnight tournament.  Regional teams are registered with GEVA and participate in the year-end Regional playoffs.

No.  A "Regional" tournament is a 1-day event hosted by GEVA or another club within the GEVA region.  The GEVA region covers Long Island, New Jersey, the New York Metropolitan area (up to Orange and Dutchess Counties) and a portion of western Connecticut.  When choosing tournaments to enter we try to keep the teams close to home, depending on available openings and travel tournament schedules.  However, when entering GEVA-sponsored events, GEVA places the teams and locations within the Region are dictated by them.

No, not necessarily.  Playing time at a tournament is strictly at the coach’s discretion and will not always be equal for all players, though all players will play at each tournament.  All players will get equal training time during practices.

While parent support is greatly appreciated (by both the club and the girls), parents are not required to attend all tournaments.  However, parents are responsible for finding another parent who will provide transportation, lodging and supervision for their daughter in their absence.  

A team parent is a responsible adult assigned to each team who serves as a communication liaison between players, parents, coaches and directors.  If you are interested in volunteering to be a team parent, please email Jennie@LIVBC.com after your daughter has been placed on a team.

Players stay in hotel rooms with their parents during travel tournaments.  Most of these tournaments are "stay to play" events and require that we stay in hotels provided by the tournament host.  LIVBC will block a number of rooms for parents at a local hotel, and then it is the parents’ responsibility to make their own reservations and payment arrangements - usually through a booking site that we provide.  Details about each hotel and directions for booking rooms will be communicated to the parents as they become available.

Practices will be held twice per week for 2 hours each - usually once during the week and once on the weekend - and schedules will be different for each team.  Weekday practices are typically held in the Smithtown area and locations can vary depending on available gym space.  Weekend practices will likely be held at All Sportz in Melville or The Sports Arena in St James.  The schedules and locations for the practices will be provided with the offer to join a team after tryouts.  Players are expected to attend both weekly practices.

The LIVBC season usually runs from mid-November through early May.

If you have any questions that are not answered above, please email Jennie at Jennie@LIVBC.com.