El Paso Sunspots Junior Volleyball Club Inc.
A non-profit organization

 
 
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  :: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)


  
El Paso Sunspots Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the Sunspots Volleyball Club?

  • What is club volleyball?

  • Who do I contact for questions?

  • When will tryouts be held?

  • What are the tryouts like?

  • What are the age group definitions?

  • How are the different teams composed?

  • How does a player get assigned to a particular team?

  • How many players are on a team?

  • How often do you play tournaments?

  • Where are the tournaments held?

  • How soon ahead of time will I get tournament information?

  • How often do you practice?

  • Where are the practices held?

  • How much does it cost?

  • What are the fees used for?

  • What do the fees NOT cover?

  • How long does the season last?

  • What is Power League?

  • What is The Volleyball Festival in Davis, California?

  • Are there fundraising opportunities?

 

Q:  What is the Sunspots Volleyball Club?
A:  The Sunspots VBC is a non-profit organization which provides opportunities for athletes to play competitive volleyball.  Founded and based in El Paso, Texas, the SUNSPOTS VBC is represented by coaches and athletes from all over Southwest region.  Coaches dedicate their time and effort, and some are active in coaching local high school and middle school volleyball teams as well.  The athletes, who range in age from 10 to 18 years, play on one of the selected teams which are divided up by age and ability level.

The SUNSPOTS VBC is a member of the SURVA Region of the United States Volleyball Association.  It has no affiliation with any public or private school.

 

Q:  What is club volleyball?
A:  Club volleyball is volleyball at its best!  Athletes travel far and wide to join a club volleyball team, with the intention of receiving quality coaching, playing with other equally-skilled athletes, get recruited by colleges, facing top-level competition and having a lot of fun!  It takes commitment and discipline to be involved, but the rewards are worth it.

 

Q:  Who do I contact for questions?
A:  For general questions regarding the Sunspots Volleyball Club, you can contact any of our Board Members in our Staff Page.

 

Q:  When will tryouts be held?
A:  Tryouts are over for the 2005 season.

 

Q:  What are the tryouts like?
A:  Tryouts are made up of three separate evaluations : physical ability testing, volleyball-related skills testing, and volleyball game competition.

The physical abilities testing includes such things as star drill, cone drills, 20-yard dash, standing long jump and vertical jump.  The volleyball-related skills testing includes passing, setting, hitting. blocking, digging and serving.  These tests take place at "stations" where individual athletes are evaluated by the coaching staff and awarded points based on the level of their skills.  The volleyball game competition can consist of a full match in which teams are selected by the coaching staff, doubles match in which two-player teams play against each other for a set time, or just open play where the athletes join a team and accomplish teamwork in a minimal amount of time.

 

Throughout the tryout process, the SUNSPOTS VBC coaching staff performs on-court evaluations of such things as attitude, effort, ability to communicate, competitiveness, leadership, ability to motivate others, and desire. 

  

Q:  What are the age group definitions?
A:  According to USA Volleyball for the 2004 - 2005 season:

  • U18 = Born on or after September 1st, 1986

  • U16 = Born on or after September 1st, 1988

  • U14 = Born on or after September 1st, 1990

  • U12 = Born on or after September 1st, 1992

As a guide, the U18 division typically contains high school seniors and juniors, the U16 division consists of high school sophomores and freshmen, the U14 division is made up of 8th and 7th grade [middle school] students, and the U12 division contains 6th and 5th grade (and even 4th grade) students.  The exception will be those students who are young for their grade level, and due to their birth date, can play at a younger division level.

 

Q:  How are the different teams composed?
A:  For each age division, teams are given the option to have their own team name under the Sunspots club.  The U18 and U16 teams are distinctively different from the other teams in the SUNSPOTS VBC, in that these two teams require additional commitments from their players in terms of finances and time, as both teams travel extensively and their playing seasons are extended through the month of June if they qualify for the Jr. Nationals Championships.

 

Q:  How does a player get assigned to a particular team?
A:  The SUNSPOTS coaching staff assign players to teams based on a combination of tryout results and team composition needs.  The tryout results are determined from the physical ability testing, volleyball-related skills testing and volleyball game competition, and also by on-court evaluations by the SUNSPOTS coaching staff.  The team composition needs are determined by coaching staff and by the amount of athletes available.  The goal of the SUNSPOTS VBC is to assign players to teams where they will have the best chance of individual success and be most capable of making a significant contribution to the team's success, as well as to meet the needs of the team and their personal goals.

 

Q:  How many players are on a team?
A:  The number of players on a team ranges from 8 to 12.  The exact number is dependent upon several factors, including team composition needs, ability level of players and number of athletes participating in tryouts.

 

 Q:  How often do you play tournaments?
A:  Teams usually participate in 2 or 3 tournaments per month over the course of a season.  The tournaments are played on either Saturday or Sunday, or even both.  Ultimately, how often you will play in tournaments will depend upon which team you are on.

At a bare minimum, a season will look like this :
   JANUARY = I-10 Friendship Sunspots VBC-hosted Tourney in El Paso.  I-10 Friendship DiamondBacks-hosted tourney in Las Cruces.  Either Phoenix or Tucson depending on team readiness and age.
   FEBRUARY = I-10 Friendship Sunspots VBC-hosted Tourney in El Paso.  I-10 Friendship DiamondBacks-hosted tourney in Las Cruces.  Regional Qualifier, location TBA.
   MARCH = I-10 Friendship Sunspots VBC-hosted Tourney in El Paso.  I-10 Friendship DiamondBacks-hosted tourney in Las Cruces.
   APRIL = I-10 Friendship Sunspots VBC-hosted Tourney in El Paso.  I-10 Friendship DiamondBacks-hosted tourney in Las Cruces.  Lone Star Classic in Austin for select teams.  Regional Qualifier, location TBA.

   MAY = I-10 Friendship Sunspots VBC-hosted Tourney in El Paso.  I-10 Friendship DiamondBacks-hosted tourney in Las Cruces.  Regional Championships, location TBA.

 

Q:  Where are the tournaments held?
A:  Tournaments are held at a variety of locations, though the majority of tournaments will be held in either El Paso or NMSU in Las Cruces.

 

Q:  How soon ahead of time will I get tournament information?
A:  The timing for receiving tournament information such as gym location and start times is usually a month in advance.  Most other local tournaments will follow the same model as for the SUNSPOTS VOLLEYBALL CLUB tournaments.  Information will be posted on the website as soon as possible.

 

Q:  How often do you practice?
A:  Teams practice 2 or 3 times per week, typically on a weekday such as Tuesday or Wednesday nights.  Sometimes practices take place during the weekend depending on the facilities available.

 

Q:  Where are the practices held?
A:  Practice locations center around the El Paso area.  Specifically, practices are held at any of the following:  Americas HS, Socorro HS, Lincoln MS, Cordova MS, Slider MS, Hornedo MS, Eastwood MS, etc.

 

Q:  How much does it cost?
A:  There are several different fee structures to consider, depending upon the team and their decision for an extended season.  For most teams, their fees will cover only the December - May season, which is the lowest cost.  Additional cost will result from a team's decision to continue playing in June – July or attend more tournaments than those required by SURVA.  The 18 Blue and 16 Blue teams have entirely different fee structures due to their up-front commitment to extensive travel to tournaments and the exposure these athletes require.  Specific fee amounts will be available at the Parent Informational Meeting held each year in November during the tryouts.

 

Q:  What are the fees used for?
A:  Fees cover a variety of costs associated with participation in club volleyball, an example would be: tournament entry; equipment such as uniforms, travel bags, volleyballs and medical supplies; SURVA registration fees; USAV fees; local tournaments cost; coaches fees; facilities fees, etc. 

 

Q:  What do the fees NOT cover?
A:  Parents will need to consider costs that are not included in their fee payment, for example: travel costs (gas) for local tournaments; food and drink; lodging for overnight stays, if desired ; personal playing equipment such as shoes, kneepads and ankle support braces, extra tournaments a team decides to attend, etc.

 

Q:  How long does the season last?
A:  The typical season begins with try-outs in mid-November, followed by the initial practices in early December.  It concludes with the Regional Tournament in May and the club party in May/June.  For those teams that choose to extend their season, there are tournaments and practices in June, with The Volleyball Festival in late June to end the season.

 

Q:  What is The Volleyball Festival in Davis, California?
A:  The Volleyball Festival is not only the largest volleyball tournament in the world, but it's also the largest annual sporting event.  Over 1200 teams from across the entire USA, and some foreign countries, participate in the 4 age divisions.  Playing locations are in the Greater Sacramento California area at such sites as UC Davis, CSU Sacramento, Sacramento Convention Center, Cal Expo and local school gymnasiums.  A minimum of 13 matches are guaranteed for each team, and the tournament format ensures that teams will compete against other teams of similar ability.  The Festival is usually held in late June, with competition lasting for an entire week.  Teams travel by car or plane to the Sacramento or San Francisco area in the week preceding the Festival, allowing for time for activities such as a day at the Great America theme park.  During the tournament, athletes are housed in dormitories at college campuses in the Sacramento or Davis areas, and are provided with a meal ticket for the cafeterias there. 
You can find out even more about the Volleyball Festival by visiting their website. 

 

Q:  Are there fundraising opportunities?
A:  The SUNSPOTS VBC encourages fund raising as a part of being involved with our club.  The SUNSPOTS VBC also encourages individual fundraising activities, such as solicitation of businesses for sponsorship.  Assistance by the SUNSPOTS VBC in this area will be provided upon request.

 

Any other questions can be emailed to us and we will try to provide an answer.  Thank you.

 


 

 
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