Together, let’s build the Volleyball Club for Central Pa that your daughter deserves!

RELENTLESS 2018 FAQs

MISSION STATEMENT: Through our shared passion for volleyball we will love and serve our players with excellence and humility to develop confidence and competence helping them to develop their God given potential.

What are AAU and KRVA/USAV? Is there a difference?  
AAU
 stands for Amateur Athletic Union 
KRVA is the Keystone Region Volleyball Association which is the Pennsylvania sub-region of USA Volleyball (USAV)

Each organization provides sanctioning of tournaments and insurance coverage for teams attending.  The tournaments that we attend will be primarily a mixture of AAU sanctioned and KRVA/USAV sanctioned events.  Each sanctioning body requires all players and coaches to obtain a membership to the organization in order to participate.

JVA is another sanctioning body that may sanction some events that we could enter.  Within each sanctioning body are various levels of play including Club and Open (AAU) and new this year to KRVA – Regional, American and National (replaces Club, Mixed and Open in KRVA).

What age level teams will Relentless be fielding teams this year?
This year we anticipate that we could potentially field the follow teams. “State” level teams could compete at a variety of competitive levels within KRVA and AAU.  (New KRVA competition level designations are Regional, American and National – last year it was Club, Mixed and Open)

There are many questions to be answered at tryouts. What I do know is that there is enough talent in Central Pa that given the opportunity to bring everyone together I strongly believe that we can make very good opportunities at many levels for all players. 

12U – AAU Level (12 White)
13U – 13 Gold, 13 Red
14U – 14 Gold, 14 Red
15U – 1 Mid-Atlantic Level and 1 State Level Team (15 Gold, 15 Red)  (OR some players could move to 16 Gold Mid-Atlantic)
16U – 1 State Level Team* (16 Red) AND Possibly a 16 Gold Mid-Atlantic 
17U-18U – 1 Mid-Atlantic Level* 17 Gold/18 Gold (could be a blend on 16U, 17U and/or 18U players)
                  1 – State Level 17 Red/18Red (could be a blend of 16U, 17U and/or 18U players)
Freestyle – 13U-18U potentially 25-35 players. Tournament rosters may vary. Tournament age groups entered may vary. EX: 13/14 Black, 15/16 Black, 17/18 Black

The total number of teams that we field and the ages that we field those teams will be a function of how many players tryout at each, the number of coaches we have and the amount of court time we have available. 

We will do our best to make the best teams that we can at each age level. There is no guarantee that we can or will field a team each specific age level. Although we like whenever able to keep as many players playing at age level as possible, some teams will likely combine age levels.  

My daughter isn’t concerned with playing in college, can she still play on a Mid-Atlantic Level (“College Prospect”) team? 
YES! Our Mid-Atlantic Level teams are open to anyone regardless of their long term aspirations.  The tournaments that we will enter will provide a higher level of competition for our most competitive teams. They will also provide the added benefit for those interested in playing in college of venues that are attended by many college coaches.  Due to the nature and location of these events, they cost significantly more than Single Day events.  You have to be able and willing to compete at a high level and willing to make the investment required to play with the team. Unless a player indicates that she specifically does NOT want to play on a Mid-Atlantic team, the strongest players in the appropriate age ranges will be offered positions on these teams. 

How will you determine which teams will play at the Mid-Atlantic Level?
The Mid-Atlantic Level will be offered for teams where 1) we can compete at a high level and 2) players and parents are willing and interested in making the investment to compete in multi-day, “recruiting” events. (Players do not necessarily have to be interested in playing in college to compete on these teams.)
For 2018 we believe that we can potentially form a Mid-Atlantic team at the following levels:
15U: If we have a team at 15U that is at least as strong as (or stronger than) our 14 Gold was last season, we plan to bump that team up to compete at the Mid-Atlantic level. 
16U-18U: We know we have players in our club and in the area in these age levels who want to and are able to compete at a high level and have aspirations to play in college. We may likely have to combine players from multiple age groups to field a Mid-Atlantic team in this range. We will do so as long as we feel that all players, regardless of age can compete at the age level of the team. The team age level will depend upon tryout attendance and final selections.  We will make the best decisions and best teams that we can based on the talent available.  If we do not feel that we can compete adequately at the Mid-Atlantic level in an age group then we may adjust to more of a Super-Regional or Regional type schedule.  

With the Mid-Atlantic Level teams will you still have the lower cost State (formerly Regional) Level teams in 15U-18U ages?
YES!  State Level teams are at the core foundation of our club. Not everyone wants or needs to play in large, expensive multi-day events.  Our State teams will continue to offer a substantial yet cost effective opportunity to play club volleyball in Central Pa.  We are expecting to field an AAU level team 12U and State Level teams at 13U (1 or 2), 14U (2 teams) as well as 15U, 16U and 17U/18U or any other blending of ages.  (For example we could blend the 15s and 16s to make a 16s State Level or 16s and 17s…).  For those who are 17s and 18s there are college coaches who do also attend Single Day events for those age groups.  Not in the same numbers as the large events but they do attend. 

Who will coach which teams?
We have been working since before the end of last season to bring new coaches into the club. Some of our coaches from last season have either moved away or taken on additional family/work/school obligations.  Final team assignments will be somewhat a function of how many total teams and at which age level and competitive levels they are formed. 

If my daughter played “up” an age level or two last year, will she do so again this year?
The best answer that I can give is MAYBE?  Just because a player competed on a team above her age level last year does not guarantee that she will for the next.  We will evaluate and place each player based on what level we feel is most appropriate for each team as well as for each individual player based on their ability level.  Keeping a player at age level after she played “up” the year before should in no way been seen as a “demotion”.  Situations change, positional needs change. Players are still growing and improving their skills. Sometimes a player may mature faster or have a superior skill set compared to her peers one year but the next her peers may close the gap just through the natural growth and improvement process.  Other times there could be additional players at the older group that allow us to keep more players at age level to form stronger teams at each level.  Every situation will be handled on an individual basis.

When and where will teams practice?
Most teams will practice on Sunday afternoons and then once mid-week (Tues, Wed or Thurs). Some teams may practice twice during the week (and not Sunday).  Freestyle teams will practice on Sunday only.  

Sunday practices are typically at Mt Nittany Middle School, Park Forest Middle School or C3 Sports. Times range from 1pm-8:30pm in 2.5 hour increments.
Mid-week practices are typically at Ferguson Elementary, Park Forest Elementary or C3 Sports. Mid-Week practices are typically 6:30-9 at Elementary Gyms and 6-8:30 at C3 Sports.   
As much as possible we will pair teams of similar ability together for practices. For Elementary School gyms we would like to have no more than 2 teams in the gym at time. We typically have 4 teams share 3 courts at C3.  For weekends we would like for each team to have their own court but also be in the gym at the same time with other teams of similar age/skill. 
Practice times and locations will be finalized once we have all teams selected. 

My school coach coaches with the club. Does playing for Relentless therefore help my chances of making or playing more next year for my school team?
Playing for Relentless does not earn you special treatment for your school team. ALL of our coaches are here for the betterment of ALL players in the club.  All players will be selected based on potential and ability in relation to the other athletes who try out for OUR CLUB.  High School, JV and Middle School teams are COMPLETELY SEPARATE from club.  It does happen that some teams may be comprised of many players from one school or school district.  However all roster, position and playing time decisions are based on individual talent, not on school affiliation.  If you think that by playing for Relentless you somehow receive special favor for your school team, you are wrong and are here for the wrong reasons. Playing for Relentless should help any and ALL PLAYERS be better equipped and trained heading into their school season. However, that comes as a result of practice, hard work, repetitions and competition, not through currying favoritism. Our coaches put the same time, effort and care into each player on their team regardless of school affiliation. 

 

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