If you are new to the sport of club volleyball, there is a lot to learn. We are an intermediate adoption sport that gains popularity very quickly starting as early as grade 4. You must have lots of questions. Let us help you with your inquiries.
Volleyball BC is the official Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) for British Columbia. Volleyball BC is recognized by Volleyball Canada (the National Sport Organization for volleyball) as the official PSO. Seaside's affiliation with Volleyball BC and Volleyball Canada affords numerous advantages for our membership including provincial and national championships for indoor and beach volleyball, coaching certification and education, member insurance and many other benefits.
Seaside Volleyball Club has been a member "in good standing" with Volleyball BC for the past 21 years. For more information on the criteria for annual renewal of our club's membership with Volleyball BC, go to VBC.
The answer is yes! Parents, don't be deceived by memories of elementary school volleyball, 6 players on a side, standing motionless like scarecrows waiting for the ball to come to you. Volleyball is a multi-faceted, athletically demanding sport. Practices are often fast paced, with plenty of cardiovascular exercises and movements. Running, jumping, and "hitting the floor" are all part of the sport. To perform at your best during a game, you must be ready physically and mentally.
In volleyball, you go to the ball, you don't wait for the ball to come to you. Watch a college, university or our national teams play. You may be surprised to see some of the best conditioned athletes of any sport playing volleyball.
Club volleyball has a range of start and end dates. Generally, most clubs start in mid November, with camps, clinics and try-outs. The season can end as late as the end of May, for those teams wishing to partake in national championships. Tournament play starts in January with regional, provincial and national championships scheduled in April and May.
Seaside teams practice two to three times a week, usually weekday evenings and in many cases weekends. There are several locations our teams practice at including our practice facility "the Wave" along with South Surrey elementary and high school locations. Specific practice times for each team are confirmed when coaching positions have been established for each year.
There are no youth volleyball club leagues in BC. In contrast, a typical club volleyball season includes teams participates in 4 or more sanction (and non-sanctioned) tournaments on weekends plus a regional and provincial championship tournaments (2-day weekend events). In addition, depending on team age category and event location, many of our teams participate in a national championship tournament in a major city in Canada.
We believe in academics first, school sports and other school activities second, club volleyball third. If you have homework, that takes precedence over club volleyball. If you have a conflict with a school sport or activity, that takes precedence as well. If you have a conflict with a community sports activity, we would ask that you advise us well in advance, so we are aware you will not be available. We like to work with the other sports groups, allowing you to play both sports if they can handle it. However, every practice is important. If you miss too many practices or tournaments, you may have a tough time when called up to play, as you will fall behind the rest. Further, others who have made the commitment may get more playing time. The older you get, the harder it is for coaches to give players court time that haven't been to enough practices and games.
The club fees vary by age group. Costs range from $1000 to $1600, mostly due to the amount of tournaments attended and the number of athletes per team. These costs include uniforms, warm-ups, gym rental, tournament fees, and equipment; coaching education, per diems and honorariums; annual banquet, club management and administration fees. Volleyball BC membership is paid separately through the association website. Costs for road trips and national championships are above and beyond. Many of our teams attend the national championships, also at an additional cost.
See the fee schedule for the 2024 season below:
12U - $1050
13U - $1150
14U - $1250
15U - $1450
16U - $1550
17&18U - $1600
NOTE: Fees do NOT include cost for road trips or national championships. Nationals road trip (if applicable) costs around $1200/athlete. Additional road trips for 15U-18U can range from $200 to $1000.
Typically athletes play within their own age group. For example, if a boy or girl is born in 2010, they would play in the 14U age group in the 2024 season. This ensures that the athletes play with kids in their own age and school grade. However, Volleyball BC has recently updated the rules to allow those born after September 1st to be able to play down a year. For example, a boy or girl born in 2010, September 1st to December 31st has the option to play in the 13U age group. While this option is available, most play within their own age group. For information on playing up, go to our tryouts page for our policy on this subject.
Certainly playing club volleyball has its advantages. Players are competing at a higher level than high school and can improve simply by playing more often. However, playing club is not a guarantee you will make your high school team, nor is it a guarantee that if you don't play club, you won't. We have seen many athletes that compete in other sports instead of club, still make their high school team and do quite well. If you want to improve in the sport and increase your chances, yes, play club.
Once a player has committed to participate with Seaside and has paid club fees, it is assumed by the club that the player will continue playing throughout the season. The club has committed to gym rentals, equipment, uniforms, warm-ups and travel arrangements that are not recoverable in the event the athlete quits the club and will be a financial burden to the remaining members of the team. It is our policy that if a player withdraws from the team after being selected, the player will not be provided a refund.
We highly recommend purchasing a quality pair of volleyball shoes. Brands to consider are Asics, Mizuno, Adidas and Nike. Make sure they are designed for indoor court use and/or "volleyball" shoes. Prices range from $90 to $150 a pair. Knee pads are also highly recommended. There are numerous brands and types. Stick to the mainstream sports manufacturers. Costs range from $20 to $40 a pair.
Updated: October 3, 2023