Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How is Eden Prairie Volleyball organized?
Answer: The program is coordinated by the EPVA (Eden Prairie Volleyball Association). Our club philosophy is as follows:
Our volleyball program is built on a double goal philosophy. Our mission and the mission of our coaches is to concurrently teach players the fundamental volleyball skills that allow them to win and help players learn life lessons and develop positive character traits from volleyball.
Specifically, we want our players to:
1. Be coached using the principles of positive coaching
2. Have fun playing the game
3. Feel like an important part of the team regardless of performance
4. Learn “life lessons” that have value beyond the playing field
5. Learn the skills, tactics, and strategies of the game and improve as a player
Fall Programs
Question: Which league should my daughter play in during the fall season?
Answer: The Fall Competitive Program is a 2 month program that offers a volleyball experience for girls of all levels. We do not have a tryout however each player is evaluated to determine the best fit for a team to play on where they'll get the best learning experiences possible. The Fall Recreation league is also a 2 month program but is for those with limited experience playing volleyball and who may not have a plan to pursue a competitive league (JO) in the future.
See below for the main differences:
Competitive League
* Days per week - 3
* Tournaments - Saturday or Sunday in Burnsville, MN
* Most players who play in the Competitive League play JO in the winter/spring or get a sense for the commitment required/needed to play competitive volleyball.
* Skill assessment for team placement
* A player may move from Competitive League to Recreation League
Recreation League
* Days per week - 2
* Tournaments - all play is at the Activities Center in Eden Prairie
* Players are introduced to the game and/or do not plan on playing volleyball in a highly competitive manner.
Question: Is it a mandatory attendance situation? In other words, how many games can my daughter miss in the season?
Answer: Consider when there are known conflicts "what is the impact to the experience for your daughter - and what is the potential impact to the broader team." If players on a team show up to practices but not to matches, it has an impact on the overall play of the team. Similarly, if players do not make it to practices but come to matches, there will be an impact to the performance of the team. We do not ask for a specific % of games/practices you anticipate participating in. We expect in any season there will be some conflicts and that parents/players will notify the coaches in advance to allow planning accordingly.
Question: I noticed that to sign up my daughter in the Rec league and request that she be placed on a team with another specific friend there is a volunteer requirement. I just wanted to know what the volunteer positions include before signing up.
Answer: Typical volunteer roles in this league include serving as a parent coach, or as a team parent to help with picture day or the end of the season event. Parent coaches are given basic instructions by our Program Director at the start of the season that are further enhanced and supported by our League Coordinator, so while the thought of being a "coach" may be daunting - they are offered much support throughout the season. You can also help with coordination of teams during picture day and we can share more of the details if you wish to explore that idea.
JO Season
Question: Why is the program called Junior Olympic or JO Volleyball…? What exactly does Junior Olympic mean?
Answer: Eden Prairie JO Volleyball is EP’s travel program. We are a member of the North Country Region of USA Volleyball. Our program is sanctioned by USVA (United States Volleyball Association) and is designated “Junior Olympic” by that organization. It is simply the name of the program.
Question: How do I learn more about USA Volleyball and the North Country Region?
Answer: Log on to their websites www.usavolleyball.org for USA Volleyball or www.ncrusav.org for North Country Region
Question: What team will my daughter play on and what is the time commitment?
Answer: Tryouts are held in October/November. To get specifics, please log on to www.epvolleyball.com and click on the policies tab to learn more.
There are multiple teams:
- 10U (10 and under) – Formerly referred to as JO Prep or JO Lite. This team(s) is for players in 4th grade. It is shortened season (December through first week of March) with less play dates (4) and one practice per week.
- 12U (12 and under) – This team(s) is for players in 5th - 6th grade and runs from December through April with 2 practices per week and with tournament play about every other weekend.
- 14U (14 and under) – This team(s) is for players in 7th - 8th grade and runs from December through May/June with 2 practices per week and with tournament play about every other weekend.
- 16U (16 and under) – This team(s) is for players in 9th-10th grade and runs from December through May/June with 2 practices per week and with tournament play about every other weekend.
- 18U (18 and under) – This team is for players in 11th-12th grade and runs from December through May/June with 2 practices per week and with tournament play about every other weekend.
Question: If my daughter does not make a team what happens to my registration fee?
Answer: The registration fee for players not making a roster will be refunded as a check from the association.
Question: Where do we practice?
Answer: Practices are held at the Eden Prairie Activity Center. There may be an occasional practice at another facility. Communication about times and locations of practice will be distributed after teams are finalized.
Question: Why do we have to practice on Wednesday when it conflicts with church activities? Why do we have to practice so late when my daughter has school in the morning?
Answer: Our program is one of many competing for space in the city of Eden Prairie. Unfortunately, space is a limited resource. We have tried unsuccessfully to find additional space, but we have been able to secure court space as best we can to fit the needs of our program. To accommodate as many teams as possible, we run two practice sessions per night. In order to have effective fundamental volleyball skill development and physical training, a minimum of 90 to 120 minutes of training is required, which forces half of our program’s practices to be held with later end times. We try placing our younger teams (10s, 12s) in the early session. Players have conflicts each season and are expected to work through the situation with their coaches.
Question: Where do we play?
Answer: Our teams play at multiple venues throughout the course of the season. Typical venues for league play include Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville and MN Select/Ralia Sports Center in Maple Grove. Other tournament locations can be local or out of town. To learn more about the league venues you can visit www.midwestvolleyball.com or www.mnselect.com.
Question: Are tournaments and Power League the same thing?
Answer: No, they are not the same. League play is set up as a 4 team pool with each team playing the other during either the morning (8am-2pm) or afternoon (2pm-8pm) session on either Saturday or Sunday. Times and dates will vary over the course of the season. Tournaments are either single or multiple day events involving more teams and more matches. The locations of the tournaments can be local or out of town.
Question: Why don’t we know when we’ll play our league?
Answer: The league is set up to be as competitive as possible with a team’s performance determining their competition in subsequent weeks. The teams cannot be placed in the appropriate playing pools until after each week’s results are realized. The weekends of play can be identified, but the day (Saturday or Sunday) and the time (Morning or Afternoon) will not be known typically until the week prior to the play date.
Question: Do our fees cover travel expenses?
Answer: No. Fees cover coaches travel expenses and the cost of tournament entry. Travel costs are covered by the player and family.
Question: When we travel out of town for tournaments, who sets up the travel and hotel arrangements?
Answer: It is the responsibility of the team to make appropriate travel arrangements including identification and booking of hotel reservations. A team parent will coordinate this activity.
Question: When do we pay our fees?
Answer: We split our fees into three payments. The registration fee is collected at time of registration. A second payment is then due during the first week of practice. The third payment is collected in February. Checks should be made payable to EPVA. Note: By signing up and beginning the season on a JO team, you are agreeing to pay for the full fee. The full fee is required to cover the costs associated with the program’s season. The three payment structure in no way is to indicate a time period of playing being covered per payment (example first half of season versus second half of season).
Question: How can I get my concerns about the team or coach answered?
Answer: We expect that our players and parents will respectfully communicate directly with the coaches as a first step to deeper understanding and resolution. Please see our policies document by clicking on the policies tab on our website www.epvolleyball.com.
Question: Why is volleyball so expensive?
Answer: EP Volleyball works hard to be cost efficient and believes that we provide a quality experience and value for the fees when compared to other club programs. The fees cover a volleyball experience that begins with tryout clinics in October/November and ends with a final tournament in late April/early May covering over 6 months of training.
Question: What do my fees cover?
Answer: There are many costs associated with running the volleyball program. The fees are allocated across the various expenses.
42% Coaches
20% League & Tournaments – 10% each
15% Uniforms
10% Facilities
7% Administration
4% Conditioning
1% Equipment
1% Insurance
Question: Why do teams pay different fee amounts?
Answer: Most of the expenses are divided evenly across all players. The difference across teams is then a function of coaching expense and tournaments over the 6 month season.
Question: Why do some teams have high school assistants?
Answer: Depending on the age group, the availability of coaches in a given season, and the experience level of the adult or high school assistant, high school assistants are often the best choice for a given team. In some years, a high school assistant may work with our oldest team or be limited to working with developing teams. We cherish the experience our high school athletes share with the younger players in our program.
