With the club volleyball season cut short in mid-March this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Volleyball Manitoba has taken some time over the past few months to review and update it’s regulations relating to club volleyball seasons, activity, scouting and recruiting.
The following summarizes some of the changes for this coming season that we hope will improve certain situations within the club system:
- One main change is that we are now identifying 3 seasons throughout the year: Club Volleyball (Dec – May), Beach / Provincial Team Season (Jun – Early Sep) and School Season (Sep – Dec).
- Recruiting for the next club season will not be allowed to begin until July this year, and will begin in August in subsequent years. Past rules allowed for recruiting to begin as early as June 1. This is in place to allow athletes a break from club pressures and focus more specifically on the end of their school year, provincial team programs or beach volleyball involvement.
- An Early Signing Period will be in effect this year from Sep 7-14 which will allow clubs to offer spots to players and formally receive commitments. All Early Signed athletes must be registered online and will be posted on the VM website following the Early Signing Period. The Early Signing Period is being implemented to help with the following:
- To create transparency for athletes, families and clubs
- To alleviate stress on athletes, families and clubs during the school season
- To provide clubs sufficient time to assess their team needs & organize tryouts in December accordingly
- To provide athletes & families an opportunity to explore & gather information and provide time to make informed decisions
Other important principles that need to be re-enforced and understood by all involved include:
- Club Camps during the School Season are not Sanctioned by Volleyball Manitoba.
- School Volleyball should be an athlete’s priority during the School Season. Clubs should avoid conflict with School Programs and encourage athletes to prioritize their School Season and only use Club Camps as supplemental training where appropriate.
- School Coaches should feel empowered to set practice and/or match attendance guidelines for their athletes to follow, and they should be open with their athletes about their position on Club Camp opportunities during the School Season.
- Recruitment is not permitted while an athlete is participating in a School Team function (i.e. tournament or league game). This includes while an athlete is on school grounds immediately before or after an event and any time during an event.
- Any Direct Recruitment communication must always involve an athlete’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
- Parents should do their best to educate themselves on these Regulations and help ensure that Coaches comply with them. A positive Athlete/Family experience is our highest priority, and diligent parents play a big role in helping maintain a safe and fun sport environment.
- Always respect School Coaches. If club coaches are at an event to scout an athlete (or multiple athletes), touch base with their respective School Coach(es). This is a small gesture, but it goes a long way towards building good will.
Our goal is a positive overall experience for the athletes, families and coaches involved in volleyball. These regulations will be reviewed annually to continue to make improvements as may be necessary.
Full 2020 Scouting and Recruiting Regulations can be found HERE
Thanks very much, take care, and have a good summer!
