REP TRYOUTS

Thank you to all athletes who participated in our tryouts.

We wish everyone the best of luck this season!

Joining a rep team and making the leap to a competitive stream is a big commitment, both in time & expense for athletes and their families. The expectation when you join a rep team is that you will attend all practices and OVA-sanctioned events including the 3-day Ontario Championships. Given the sport has grown exponentially in the province, there may be competitions scheduled by the OVA on a school day therefore it is encouraged that families review the OVA Competition Calendar amongst their personal calendar and commitments to plan the season.

We encourage athletes to ask as many questions and do their research to find a club that is their best fit. This means looking at the location of the club, practice times, fees and speaking with the coaches to see if your philosophy aligns with theirs.

We recommend that all families review and understand the OVA Tryout Policy and Athlete Bill of Rights.

STEP 1

Pre-register for tryouts to save you time at check-in and make sure your registration includes a valid email address as this will be our primary form of communication with you. Add info.thundercatsvball@gmail.com to your contact list to avoid our emails from being marked as spam or junk.

Athletes who have registered before 6:00 PM on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 will receive a tryout number via email 24-48 hours before their tryout. All others, will receive a tryout # at the door.

Due to capacity and high attendance for some age divisions, we may be forced to turn players away if they have not pre-registered.

STEP 2

*Do not do this before September 1, 2024*

All athletes are required to obtain OVA membership (FREE, Tryout Player $0). Note: When filling out the form, we are Region 5. Take a photo or screenshot of the verification screen and have it ready to show at the registration desk to speed up your check-in process. Athletes will not be allowed on the court if proof is not provided. This is an OVA mandate and is required at all club tryouts in Ontario. We will send an email to all tryout registrants with instructions.

STEP 3

Arrive at least 15 min early to check-in. DO NOT BYPASS THE LINE.

Your tryout number should be written big on your arm, calf or thigh (make sure your knee pads don't cover the number) so that coaches can identify you. Staff will be verifying your tryout # at check-in. We will have markers handy.

STEP 4

If the court is available, athletes are allowed to warm-up. Otherwise, wait for coaches to call out your age group.

STEP 5

Show us what you got. Good luck!

POST-TRYOUT & CALLBACKS

Athletes will be asked to stay for a short de-brief where coaches will outline next steps.

Coaches need time, collectively, to discuss and go over their notes. You will receive an email from the club regarding the decision and/or next steps. Callbacks are invitation only.

Coaches may request to speak privately to an athlete and their parents and be given an offer on the spot.

We have multiple teams for age divisions so this takes time for all coaches involved to make decisions on the best fit for each athlete. If you do not receive a call back or offer same day, do not be discouraged. Please wait for communication from our club. YOU WILL HEAR FROM US.

Get a good nights rest & stay hydrated. There will be hundreds of players attending tryouts, but don’t be intimidated.

The first part of your tryout will have different drills that you will progress through. With lots of players, and spectators, there will be a lot of noise. If you are unclear on the drill or what is expected of you, please ask a coach. We like to see players take initiative and ask questions.

As the tryout progresses, game play will be introduced and athletes may be divided into smaller groups on different courts.

Athletes in older age divisions may be put through a series of tests and measurements of physical attributes and abilities; height, standing reach, spike touch, block touch, speed and agility tests.

Coaches may approach a player with an offer after their first tryout. If you are not approached that does not mean you will not get one.

We have multiple teams for age divisions so this takes time for all coaches involved to make decisions on the best fit for each athlete. Coaches will continue to email offers after completion of all assessment tryouts for that age group and will hold that position for the time period set outlined in the OVA Tryout Policy before offering the position to another players.

An acceptances must be accompanied by deposit towards team fees. If you know you will not be accepting, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer the opportunity to another athlete.

Teams can build rosters until February 1.

WHEN ARE TRYOUTS?

The governing body of volleyball in Ontario, Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA), sets the time period when clubs can hold tryouts. Typically, these are held the first two weeks of September and teams are able to add players to their roster until February 1.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPEN GYM & TRYOUTS?

Open gyms allow athletes to get more touches in the off season and it is an opportunity to meet the coaches, ask questions, gauge skill level among other levels, etc.
Tryouts are busy and overwhelming and players who attend open gyms have a slight advantage because coaches have seen them play in a smaller group setting (FYI we could get 50-100 players trying out for an age division in a two-hour period).

Clubs can use their open gyms to recruit and offer commitments to teams. This process is new this season, and outlined in the 2024 OVA Club Window Tryout Policy.

WHAT IF I CAN'T GO TO THE TRYOUT WEEKEND BUT STILL WANT TO BE LOOKED AT BY YOUR COACHES?

Shoot us an email as to why you can't attend our tryouts and if possible, we can try to get you out another date. Tryout fee will still apply.

I RECEIVED A CALL BACK, DO I HAVE TO PAY AGAIN?

You can attend callbacks at no extra charge.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON A TEAM?

Teams typically have 10-12 players on their team and can take up to 14 players.

WHAT IF I DON'T MAKE A TEAM?

If you don't make our club teams, don't be discouraged. Clubs can add players to their roster until February 1. We may offer other programs or suggest other clubs to contact.

HOW LONG IS THE SEASON?

Tryouts are held in September and teams will begin practices late September until April (Ontario Championships) or May (Volleyball Canada Nationals). The club does not hold practices on statutory holidays, December holidays or March Break. Teams can elect to rent court time should they wish to continue during our breaks.

WHERE ARE THE PRACTICES?

Practices will be held at GTA Sportsplex or Toronto Montessori School in Richmond Hill.

WHERE ARE THE TOURNAMENTS? IS THERE TRAVEL INVOLVED?

The OVA sets the tournaments and all the information can be found on their website. Typically, tournament locations are announced at least 2 weeks prior to the tournament.

To create a competition stream that provides competitively balanced matches along with serving the entire province of Ontario, travel is required for events.

All teams across the province should expect to make at least one 400+km (one-way) trip for a regular season event whether you are a Trillium or Premier team at each age group you are participating in. This means if you are a 15UB team playing in the 15UB and 16UB age groups, you can expect to make a big trip at 15UB and 16UB as each age group is treated separately. Greater Toronto Area (GTA) teams typically do not see more than one of these larger regular season trips per season in each age group. The OVA can take turns between GTA teams (when possible) filling in these satellite tournament locations due to KM tracking.

WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT?

Players are required to go to all practices and OVA-sanctioned tournaments, including the 3-day Ontario Championships. Parents are required to volunteer to do scorekeeping and/or lines.

IS THERE FAIR PLAY?

Thundercats Volleyball follows OVA and Volleyball Canada "Fair Play' regulations for teams 14U and younger. Fair play with our senior teams are at the discretion of the teams coaching staff.

WHAT ARE THE FEES?

Fees for the 2024/2025 are still in development as we negotiate facility contracts and coaches stipends. Fees are dependent on how many tournaments a team enters and if they travel to the US. Expect base fees to be in the $3,250 - $3,550 range, exclusive of travel costs and uniforms. Base fees will include OVA membership, 4 OVA tournaments in your age division, 2 OVA play-up tournaments, entry to 3-day Ontario Championships, 2x practices a week, one (1) warm-up tee and one (1) warm-up jacket or zip or hoodie (style TBD).

DO YOU OFFER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?

Donations from sponsors are set aside to help some athletes with their club fees. The amount of funding available can change year to year.

We encourage players to apply for our internal Taso Ballis Real Estate bursary and grants through:

DO TEAMS FUNDRAISE?

Teams can elect to fundraise to offset costs. How they choose to do so is up to the team.