Illini Elite Volleyball Club

Transcription

1 Illini Elite Volleyball Club 3 Quest Drive, Unit #209 Bloomington, IL Ph: (309) Fax: (309) February 23, 2017 Dear Parents and Athletes: Welcome to the Illini Elite Training Center and informational meeting for the Illini Elite Volleyball Program. We hold this informational meeting at the start of each club season for all potential players and their parents so everyone can make an educated decision about where to play club volleyball. Our programs have grown to include over 65 Illini Elite teams in various age divisions with over 650 players and coaches. Over the last 17 years, Illini Elite has grown to be one of the largest volleyball clubs in Illinois by membership and is widely regarded as the premier volleyball club in Central Illinois for developing youth volleyball players. Illini Elite is well recognized and well respected nationally in the junior volleyball community as well as among college coaches and programs across the country. The choice to play club volleyball can be, at times, a demanding commitment not only for the players, but also for the parents and families. The Illini Elite programs have a great deal to offer each athlete and throughout this packet, we hope to show that Illini Elite is worthy of that commitment. If you understand the core beliefs of this organization, then it will be much easier to understand how and why we do things the way we do them. At Illini Elite, our programs strive to develop each and every athlete in every area of volleyball to the best of their ability. Our philosophies in regard to the methods and teaching the techniques of all of the basic skills, as well as our practice planning and implementation are different from other clubs in the area. We hope to help you understand why we think our program has great things to offer each and every athlete. We also hope that as a result of this meeting, everyone will be able to understand that Illini Elite is a club volleyball program and not just a collection of club volleyball teams and coaches. Our goal is, and will always be, to provide the best club experience for our athletes and develop their skills as volleyball players and their integrity as young adults. While athletics are something we participate in while we are young, the lessons learned from athletics can and should last a lifetime. While many of our players simply want to be the best they can be for their junior high and/or high school teams, some of our high school athletes are preparing for competition at the collegiate level. There is no arguing the fact that Illini Elite players have experienced unparalleled success in both the junior high and high school settings in central Illinois. At the same time, our club players and teams have experienced that same success nationally as well as at the college level. We hope to continue our efforts of bringing a new level of volleyball excellence to Central Illinois with your participation. We hope that all of you find Illini Elite to be an excellent program, worthy of your support for the club volleyball season. Sincerely, Andy Erins Club Director Joe Sanders Expansion Director Mike Bolhuis Associate Director

2 ILLINI ELITE PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY - Why choose Illini Elite VBC? Illini Elite is different from other clubs that you may have been involved in for several reasons. Not only is Illini Elite the only club in Central Illinois with its own training facility, but more importantly, Illini Elite is set up as a complete program that allows players to develop and grow as athletes, volleyball players and young adults as they continue with the club. The Illini Elite Volleyball program is completely dedicated to providing its athletes with the technical, tactical and physical training needed to reach their highest possible potential. We strive to help each and every player achieve their maximum performance regardless of age or ability. For the young player we want to develop a solid base of fundamental skill, as well as a passion for the sport. As players get older and progress through the program, we want to provide the path to a level of excellence that allows each and every athlete to test their own limitations. We understand that we are providing a service to you, the players and parents, not the other way around. This understanding is what drives us to provide the best possible club experience for everyone involved. For those that have not been involved with Illini Elite before, we have explained several key aspects of our philosophy below which makes Illini Elite the right club volleyball choice. Focus on Skill Development - The BEST reason for choosing Illini Elite is that we understand and embrace the idea that the purpose of club volleyball is to assist players in training and developing their individual skills and techniques. This is why we focus the vast majority of our training time on developing the player rather than developing the team. Yes, we want our teams to be successful, but not at the expense of developing the individual players. We feel that good players can and will become a good team if trained properly and given the opportunity to succeed. When athletes are young, it is easy for players and parents to make the mistake of getting caught up in trying to find the best team to play on or trying to play with their friends. In the search to play on the best team, however, players often overlook the most important element of long-term growth in the sport of volleyball, which is the training and development of individual skills. College coaches do not recruit elite teams; they recruit elite players with elite skills. By providing the best available training and developing the skills of each athlete, we can provide the best possible club volleyball experience for our athletes. As written above, the Illini Elite Volleyball program is completely dedicated to providing its athletes with the technical, tactical and physical training needed to reach their highest possible potential. Master Coach Concept - This type of training allows each athlete to receive the same comprehensive training as everyone else in her age group regardless of individual or team skill level. In most clubs, each athlete is at the mercy of his or her individual coaches technical, tactical and physical understanding of the sport of volleyball. If this is the case, practices can be poorly organized, inefficiently executed and often fail to give each player the chance to reach his or her full potential. At Illini Elite, we have adopted the master coach concept to ensure that this does not happen. The master coach is in charge of developing and implementing the practice plan for all of the athletes and making sure that all of the involved coaches understand the practice plan, thereby assuring each athlete the same high quality training during practice. Yes, there is position specific training as well (i.e. setters, middle hitters, defensive specialist, etc.), but with this concept, it can be accomplished simultaneously if all of the coaches are working together under the same plan. Systematic Approach to Training - We have developed a volleyball program, not just a club with a collection of teams and coaches. One of the problems that exists in youth volleyball, especially in this area, is the lack of consistency in regard to teaching the basic skills. It is not uncommon for young players to have several different coaches teaching them the skills many different ways over the course of their youth and junior playing days. In our program, all of the coaches, in every age level and every team, must learn to teach all of the basic skills with the same techniques and methods that we have been using for years with a great deal of success. In doing so, players can continue to develop and improve each year and build on what they learn each season instead of starting over again each year with a new coach. We understand that player development is an ongoing process over a period of time and we try to teach each skill systematically and efficiently with the player's long-term growth, development and health as primary objectives. Our program is modeled, in part, after the Sports Performance Volleyball Club's training program, which as many of you know, is recognized as the premier volleyball club in the country for developing youth and junior volleyball players. 2 P a g e

3 Life Lessons to Learn Over the years we have learned that when a group of people make a commitment to do something great, success usually follows. Words and concepts such as Hard Work, Commitment, Sacrifice, Responsibility, Accountability, Dedication and Perseverance have great value not only in athletics, but all areas of our lives. These are the concepts that allow people to succeed. It seems more and more parents and athletes approach athletics with a sense of entitlement. They believe that the concepts above do not apply to them and that they are entitled to a position or entitled to success. Athletics, just like the real world, do not operate that way. Success, either individual or team, is only accomplished by understanding, believing and applying those ever important concepts listed above. Through their participation in sports, young athletes learn lessons about themselves and others, which will carry over throughout every aspect of their lives. As young student-athletes, they must learn the most efficient ways to use time and energy to manage schoolwork, family, practice, social life, etc. They must learn about setting priorities, setting goals and striving to achieve those goals while at the same time understanding that success comes in the pursuit of excellence. At times it seems that we all have forgotten that future success almost always comes from past failures. Part of becoming a successful adult is learning to deal with failure as a child. That is how we grow. That is how we learn. There is nothing noble about falling down, but getting back up each and every time is one of the most important qualities we can teach. Winning is fun, but losing is often much more valuable and the lessons we learn from that eventually shapes us into winners. As coaches, we know that the lessons learned from making a commitment, being part of a team and making some sacrifices in a program like ours can be carried over into other aspects of our athletes' lives. We want our players to understand what it really means to be part of a program, part of a team and what the words TEAM and TEAMMATE really stand for - a group of people who share a common goal together and understand and agree to make the sacrifices necessary to make that goal become a reality. These athletes learn that individual needs are sometimes put aside for the good of the team or the team is destined for failure. We realize this goes against today s SportsCenter mentality where individuals have become bigger than their teams, but we also know that individual glory takes a backseat to team success every time. Being a part of a team within a larger program and making sacrifices and commitments to help that team achieve success is possibly the greatest single lesson to be learned from athletics. Full-time director and full-time staff Andy Erins is the full-time director of Illini Elite and is involved in all aspects of the club and its operations. Joe Sanders has been working full-time for Illini Elite since the early years and is in charge of the Expansion program while assisting with all aspects of the club and our facility. Mike Bolhuis was hired in the fall of 2016 to assist with all aspects of the club including coordinating our social media, coaching camps/clinics, and other day to day operations. Typically, club coaches and club directors have other full-time jobs requiring their attention every day. This can often prevent them from putting in the time that these athletes deserve. As full-time directors, it is our job to make sure that each practice, regardless of the age level or skill level, is prepared and ready to be implemented and that all other matters regarding the club are taken care of regularly. We also ask that all parent/player issues and communications go through both Andy and/or Joe before going to the individual coaches. This (and our 24-hour rule) will be discussed in depth at the Parent/Player meetings after tryouts. For our athletes looking to play in college, we are also a resource for any and all questions regarding the college search and the recruiting process. Illini Elite Training Center In October of 2004, Illini Elite opened its own dedicated full-service volleyball facility with 5 volleyball courts, a strength training area for our in-house strength/conditioning programs for our Elite players, a concession area (for our tournaments) and a staffed office to provide our club players and parents, as well as the community, all of their volleyball needs. We offer private lessons, various skill and specialty clinics, summer camps, leagues and much more. Our facility provides the training environment needed for Illini Elite to continue its past success and growth. This type of environment is very helpful in developing a training atmosphere and sense of pride, where players learn to understand that they are not just playing for a team, but rather an entire program. It also allows our coaches and players to learn from each other on a daily basis and share ideas since we are all practicing at the same time and all working together. Illini Elite Volleyball, Inc. became an independent company four seasons ago. Illini Elite had been a part of GLV/Sports Performance since our inception in 1998 and the time had come for us to start a new chapter and become independent. We would not be where we are today without the help and support of the people at GLV/Sports Performance and we hope to build on our fourth complete year on our own. 3 P a g e

4 2017 Tryout Registration Instructions ***NEW FOR 2017*** - Everyone is required to make a new AllPlayers.com account (unless you registered for any of our Winter Youth Programs) because it is a brand new registration platform. Your login/password from previous years will no longer work. For those who have not played at Illini Elite in the past - we are a JVA (Junior Volleyball Association) and AAU club. All tryout registrations and JVA Release/Liability and Medical forms must be completed online. PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY: DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO REGISTER FOR TRYOUTS. PLAYERS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TRYOUT IF THEY HAVE NOT COMPLETED BOTH PARTS OF THE REGISTRATION. WE WILL BE PULLING OUR LISTS FOR TRYOUTS THE DAY BEFORE THE SIGN-UP DATES SO WE CAN HAVE OUR LISTS PREPARED FOR EASY CHECK-IN. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AS IT CREATES ISSUES FOR US TO RUN OUR SIGN-UP DATES AND TRYOUTS EFFICIENTLY. Online Registration Steps: 1) Create a new AllPlayers.com account, login and password in the new system by going to: and then click Register in the top right corner. Once you have created your account, you can then go back to the Featured Products page. NOTE: CREATING THE ALLPLAYERS.COM LOGIN DOES NOT REGISTER YOU FOR ANYTHING. IT ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO ACCESS THE REGISTRATION TO REGISTER FOR TRYOUTS. 2) Register for tryouts. To register for tryouts click the appropriate age group from the Featured products and follow the directions on that screen. PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ ALL THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE ADDING THE PRODUCT TO YOUR CART. 3) After registering for tryouts, you must then complete the JVA player forms online. This process now occurs through SportsEngine.com instead of AllPlayers.com. The direct link to complete the Illini Elite JVA player forms is: Step 1- Select sign up on the page the link brings you to. Step 2- Enter your information with a valid . Step 3- Activate your account through the you receive at the address you entered and select continue. Step 4- When it asks who are you registering?, select a new player. Step 5- Enter all of your player s information. When you get to the section that asks for Organization, enter Illini Elite for Organization AND Team. For the club, select Illini Elite VBC from the drop down list. Step 6- Enter parent information. Step 7- Enter information for waiver, emergency contact, and medical information. Step 8- Select Review and if the information is all correct, select submit. Each season, there are parents/players who do one or the other, but not both. Please be sure to check that you have completed both the Tryout Registration AND the JVA Player Forms before you attend the sign up dates.

5 Frequently Asked Questions What are the Sign-Up dates and what do I need to bring? We have Sign-Up dates for each age group to alleviate the congestion at tryouts and allow us to make sure everyone is registered properly. It also allows us to have name tags and sheets ready to go for tryouts. At the Sign-Up dates before tryouts we will verify that everyone has properly registered online, and each parent/player will need to turn in several things. Those include: 1) 2017 Spring Youth Accounting Contact Information Form along with payment 2) Youth Tryout Information Sheet 3) Signed Illini Elite VBC Parent and Player Guidelines/Rules and Contract Signature Sheet. This will not be available online, but will be available at the meeting/sign-up dates and tryouts to read/sign and turn in. If you did not attend the meeting, we will have links on our website ( on the Spring Programs page under the Jr. High/Youth tab for all forms except for the Parent and Player Guidelines/Rules and Contract and Signature Sheet. You can pick that up when you are at the Sign-Up or Tryouts. You CAN attend a Sign-Up date for another age group if necessary (i.e. if you cannot attend the one for your age group or if you have multiple players in different age groups to sign up). What do you do at tryouts? Will players be cut? We use tryouts to evaluate all of the players and to get a better understanding of where each player s skill level is and where everyone might fit physically and competitively. We use tryouts to identify the players to compete on our Elite teams as well. Tryouts consist of some physical testing, skill testing and skill demonstrations. We have not had to cut players in the past since we have the facilities and coaches to accommodate a large number of teams. All players will be placed on a team as long as we continue to have the ability to accommodate everyone. What if I can t make it to tryouts? All of the make-up tryouts are all listed on the schedule for those that have conflicts. Since they cover a variety of dates, there should be a date that you can make. If not, please contact us at the office to set something up. We do not allow players to tryout until they have completed their IESA season. Please attend the first available tryout for your age group as soon as your IESA season is done since practices will start for some age groups before all tryouts are done. Is it possible to do club volleyball and other sports/activities? Yes, of course. We would say that most youth players are involved in several activities, as well as club volleyball. From time to time, they may need to miss a practice and this is something that we are aware of. As long as we know of conflicts ahead of time, the coaches are able to work around these conflicts and possibly present some times to make-up some practices. What happens if we need to miss a practice? You should plan to let us know via or phone message if a player needs to miss a practice. Understand that practice is the key learning period, especially in the young age levels. Excessive absences could obviously affect playing time. If you do miss a practice or cannot attend your teams scheduled time, it might be possible to make up that practice with a different team or at a different time. All of the practice times/dates will be listed on the monthly calendar so you can look to see if something might work in the schedule for your player to make up the missed practice. Players should always try to be at their assigned practice times so they can be with their teams, especially the practice before any competition. What if we will be going away for Spring Break? This is asked at every youth informational meeting. We have players from such a wide area, that spring breaks might be different for many of the players. Please understand that if a player is going to be missing many practices prior to team placements that their team placement could be affected if we do not have the opportunity to evaluate them completely. Please inform us as soon as possible after tryouts for missing practices and spring break conflicts and be sure to include them on the tryout form when you fill that out. Also note that your chances to be considered for one of the Elite teams will be affected if you are not able to attend any of the practices prior to the Elite team selection practice. How many players are on each team? We strive to have 10 players on each team. More than ten makes it difficult for coaches to give all players playing time and less than ten can result in teams being short players in case of injury and/or conflicts.

6 Do all players get equal playing time? There is no such thing as equal playing time in volleyball. Volleyball is different from other sports in that it is not a timed game; there are no innings, no quarters or halves to base playing time. Due to the nature and speed of the game, you cannot judge time by rotations or points in volleyball either. We understand that all players practice so they can play in games. We strive to give all players fair playing time based on practice, ability, attendance, skills, positions, situations, etc. How/when are teams divided? We always wait until we get several practices in before we discuss teams. We need to evaluate the players and the overall skill level and wait for those who miss the early tryouts due to conflicts or the IESA season. We will always try and do our best to divide teams to make all teams competitive, but this is not our primary concern in the younger age divisions. There are many factors that go into our team selection. In the 12U age division, teams are divided mainly by grade, skill level and athletic ability. In the 13U/14U age divisions, we will be selecting our Elite teams that will be determined based on skill, athletic ability and potential. We will then have our 13U/14U teams divided based on the same factors such as skill, experience, player positions, etc. We strive to make those teams as competitive as possible, but at the same time put all of the players in positions where they fit competitively and can play and put their skills to work. In years past we have had 8 th grade teams, 7 th grade teams and teams that may be a combination of both. When do you select the Elite teams? We will select players that we think have the ability to be on one of the Elite teams early in the team selection process. We may ask a group to come in to an additional practice or two so we can evaluate them further. At tryouts, on the tryout form, players will have the option to NOT be considered for an Elite team. Otherwise, all players will be evaluated for possible placement on an Elite team. Typically we have three 14U Elite teams and two 13U Elite teams. If we feel we have the talent and interest for a third Elite 13U team, we will do that as well and will inform everyone once teams are actually made and finalized. What role do the parents play at Illini Elite? The landscape of youth sports has changed quite dramatically in the last decade in regard to parent behavior and parent actions. We will address some of the parent issues at the informational meeting and some of it is addressed in the Parent/Player Rules, Guidelines and Contract, but we felt it necessary to include something here. We want all of our parents to enjoy the experience of club volleyball with their daughters. All we ask is that parents remember who the adults are and to ALWAYS show good sportsmanship with what you say and how you act to support your daughter and her team in a positive manner. Parents should NEVER speak negatively towards or about a teammate, a coach or an opposing player. You too are representing Illini Elite as much as the players are. Parents should be sure to read and understand the 24-hour rule in the Grievance Policies section of the guidelines in regard to addressing issues and/or concerns. Other FAQ s/items to be discussed at the meeting : Tryout fee As mentioned in the Registration Instruction page, part of the club dues ($50.00) will be paid up front at the time of online registration as a tryout fee. We include it again here because we want to be sure everyone understands what this is. This fee is not an additional fee, but will be part of the dues paid at the time of online registration. The $50.00 fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. The reason for this is that in the past, we have too many players/parents who register online, but do not attended tryouts and we cannot plan properly until we know our final numbers. It takes a great deal of time and effort to track down all of the incomplete registrations and we hope this will alleviate the issue of players/parents registering when they may have no intention of attending tryouts. Discount for multiple players from the same family At Illini Elite, if you have more than one daughter in the program at the same time, we offer a 10% family discount on the dues for the 2 nd player, 3 rd player, etc. Please be sure to indicate this on the Accounting forms and/or inform Andy so he can make a note. Illini Elite SpiritWear now online Twice per year we do an Illini Elite SpiritWear order. This spring, the SpiritWear order will not be a handout and will instead be done entirely online. A link will be provided on our website in several places to place an order and should be posted around the time of the Sign-Up dates. Explanation of the forms to be turned in: 2017 Spring Youth Accounting Contact Form with a check or credit card information filled out on the form for the 1 st payment. Youth Tryout information Sheet Illini Elite VBC Parent/Player Guidelines/Rules and Contract (you keep the contract and information for your records and only return the Signature Sheet). This will not be available online, but will be available at the meeting/sign-up dates and tryouts to read/sign and turn in.

7 2017 Youth Programs MINI-VOLLEYBALL K-4th grade We have run sessions in the fall, winter and summer with great participation and success. We just finished our winter Mini-Volleyball program and the next session is already being scheduled for July. You can register for the summer mini-volleyball clinic by going through the Summer Camp link on our website (should be updated soon with all of the camp dates and times). The next session after that will be next fall (typically starting in early September). Youth Program 10U and 11U/12U 4 th, 5 th, and 6 th graders AAU Age definition - 12 & under: Athletes must be born on or after September 1 st, 2004 The 10U/11U/12U programs are primarily focused on developing the individual player and developing each of the primary fundamental skills. We want the young athletes to have the knowledge of how to perform each skill correctly so as they grow as athletes and volleyball players, they can build on this foundation. Our emphasis is on training the basic skills of passing, setting, serving (overhand), attacking and all aspects of court movement. Typically at this age group we have every player play and practice in every position on the court. We typically do not specialize by position at this age level. By doing this, each player can become very well rounded. At this level we also want to begin teaching the basics of team play, however, we will not put a large emphasis on winning. Our primary concern is that the young players get trained properly and become better volleyball players with the knowledge to progress as they grow. We will also emphasize playing the game the right way with the emphasis on three contacts and NOT just getting the ball over the net. Winning and losing is not a concern for us in this age group and it should not be a concern for parents at this level either. We are primarily focused on developing the individual skills of each player, getting the players interested in and enjoying volleyball so they continue with the sport as they grow and develop as players. Youth Program 13U, 14U, 13U/14U Elite teams 7 th and 8 th graders AAU Age definition - 13 & under: Athletes must be born on or after September 1 st, 2003 AAU Age definition - 14 & under: Athletes must be born on or after September 1 st, 2002 The 13U and 14U programs are also based heavily in the principle of training individual skills first. At this level, we want to ensure that all of the athletes are performing each skill properly. This means that some time during training is spent breaking bad habits while learning new skills at the same time. Again, the skills to be emphasized are passing, setting, serving, attacking and court movement training with and without the ball. A strong skill base is necessary for success at the next levels of volleyball, not only in the club environment, but also for the High School seasons in the fall. We will always emphasize a strong skill base for the 13U/14U athletes, while at the same time developing concepts of team play and competition. As the players get older and progress through the program, winning will naturally become more important, but players/parents need to understand that at this level, we will not emphasize winning at the expense of player development. We want athletes in the 13U/14U age groups to start to experience match play and competition on a different level without compromising their skill training. We also try to begin to identify athletes who may excel in particular areas, positions or in the sport of volleyball in general. We want to ensure that each athlete will have the solid foundation needed to continue to grow as volleyball players as they continue with the Illini Elite Club program.

8 13U/14 Elite teams Our Elite Youth Program started many years ago when it became clear that we needed to do more to prepare our club players for playing at a higher level in order to compete with the best teams from outside our area. It is always a challenge for us due to the timing of the IESA season, but we have had a great deal of success with our Elite teams at the Regional and National levels. In the three years we have sent our Elite Youth teams to Orlando for the AAU National Championships, we have already won a medal (14 Black took 3 rd in the 14 Club division in 2015). What many parents do not realize is that the vast majority of junior high players in Illinois and the rest of the country play their junior high school seasons in the fall at the same time as the High School season. In the Chicago area and almost everywhere else in the country, the 13U/14U players have the opportunity to play a much longer club season because their school seasons are finished in November. This means that our Elite youth teams must compete against other club teams that have been practicing/competing together since December/January. All of our 14U teams, along with our 13U Elite teams, attend the Sports Performance Youth Classic (June 3-4) at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora and the Rosemont Sports Dome. The Youth Classic is an opportunity for our teams (along with their parents) to experience volleyball outside of central Illinois at a larger, more competitive National type event. We will be sending our Elite 13U/14U teams to the AAU National Championships in June. Our High School Elite teams have traveled to AAU s since our inception, but last season was only the third year we have sent our Junior High teams. We ve had some success as evidenced by the 3 rd place finish by 14 Black in the 14 Club division in 2015, but more importantly, we are starting to see the experience gained by the youth players at AAU s dramatically help the players continuing on to our Elite High School teams later on. We will travel to AAU s as a club/teams as stated in the Parent/Player Rules/Guidelines sheet. Once the Elite teams are selected, we will have a meeting to inform parents of all of the necessary information including costs (estimated to be around $ for the trip and roughly $ for the flight this year). The focus for the 13U/14U Elite teams will continue to be on skill development; however, we will emphasize more advanced competition techniques with this group. The Elite players will be selected at tryouts based on skill level, physical ability, athleticism, attitude and club potential for the future. All players will be considered for an Elite team unless you specify on the Tryout Information Sheet that you wish to be excluded Tentative Practice Schedule Practices will be held at the Illini Elite Training Center and the Bloomington National Guard Armory. Monthly calendars with practice days/times, as well as the competition dates, are posted on our website ( on the Spring Programs page under Jr. High/Youth tab. The tentative March schedule is included as a separate handout and is posted online. Please note that the March calendar is only tentative at this time. Most likely, there will be adjustments made to this schedule once all of the sign-ups/tryouts are done and we know how many teams/players we have and teams are selected. Any updates will be posted on the Spring Programs page. March Schedule See separate March Calendar. You will notice that we use a variety of days/times early in the season as we try to see the players as much as possible before having to finalize teams. April/May Schedule will vary, but the TYPICAL practice days/times are listed below: 10U-12U: 4:30-6:30 PM on Monday/Thursday 13U-14U: 4:30-6:30 PM or 7:00-9:00 on Monday/Thursday. Some 13U/14U teams will practice during the same time slots on Wednesday nights. 13U/14U Elite: Same time slots as above, although some Elite teams may practice on some Friday evenings and there may be some differences based on our final numbers in the other age groups. The 14U Elite teams may also practice from time to time on Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday nights with the high school Elite teams if/when possible.

9 2017 Youth Competition Schedule Illini Elite VBC hosts a series of events at our facility which is a great opportunity for our athletes and other clubs from central Illinois to compete against one another without having to travel very far. All matches are held in Bloomington for the Central Events listed below. The times will be determined after all competing clubs and teams complete registrations for the league. Schedules and times are determined by how many teams are registered in each age division and are usually posted online the Monday before the tournament date. At this time, there is no way to know what day/time the teams will be playing on any particular weekend until we know how many teams have signed up for the league, where the teams fall competitively, etc. The AM waves typically start at 8:00 AM and the PM waves typically start at 2:45 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Our website - is where you will find all of the competition schedules for each date. From the website, go to the Tournaments tab and then select Illini Elite Tournaments and scroll down to see the individual dates/schedules for the appropriate age group. Date April 1-2 April 8-9 April Apr May 6-7 May May May June 3-4 Event Name 10U-12U teams 13U teams 14U Teams 13U/14U Elite Teams 10U-12U Central Kick-Off Event Yes N/A N/A N/A 13U/14U Central Kick-Off Event N/A Yes Yes Yes 10U-12U Central Spring Event Yes N/A N/A N/A 13U Central Spring Event N/A Yes N/A 13U 14U Central Spring Event N/A N/A Yes 14U 10U-12U Central Year-End Event Yes N/A N/A N/A 13U Central Year-End Event N/A Yes N/A 13U 14U Central Year-End Event N/A N/A Yes 14U Sports Performance Youth GLC in Aurora, IL or Rosemont Sports Dome N/A N/A Yes Yes June AAU National Championship in Orlando, FL N/A N/A N/A Yes NOTES: The Sports Performance Youth Classic will be played at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora and the Rosemont Sports Dome in Rosemont. All 13U teams and most 14U teams should be playing at the Rosemont Sports Dome and only our 14 Cardinal team (and maybe 14 Black) will be at the GLC. Information, directions and schedules (when available) will be found on their website at

10 2017 Youth Program Fees The dues listed include the uniform fee (uniforms, shorts and practice shirt), gym rental fees (including utilities, maintenance, etc.), JVA registration fees, membership dues, all tournament entries, coaches salaries and registration costs, office expenses and other expenses such as insurance, accounting and miscellaneous. Program Total Dues Dues (minus $50.00 tryout fee) 10U-12U Program: $ $ (includes everything listed above) 13U Program: $ $ (includes everything listed above) 14U Program: $ $ (includes everything listed above + additional practice, the SPVB Youth Classic on June 3-4) 13U/14U Elite Program: $ $ (includes everything listed above + additional practice, the SPVB Youth Classic on June 3-4, the entry fee for the 2017 AAU National Championships and one additional jersey) Below is the payment schedule from the Accounting Form: You must turn in the 2017 Accounting Contact Information form along with your payment at the sign-up dates. You can pay by check (payable to Illini Elite VBC), cash or credit card. (If you are NOT going to pay with a credit card, you can ignore the credit card authorization portion of the form). Players whose accounts are not in good standing by April 27 th will not be allowed to participate until payment is received and/or payment arrangements worked out. Payment plans are always an option if requested in writing. You can send an to Andy at illinielitevbc@aol.com or call the office to request and/or suggest a payment plan that will work for you. The easiest way to set up a payment plan is to fill out the credit card authorization form and specify dates and amounts that you would like to be charged. Please contact us to set that up if needed. At the time of online Registration At Sign-Up At Sign-Up By Friday, April 27 th Payment #1 Payment #1 Payment #2 Total Due 10U-12U Program $50.00 $ n/a n/a $ U Program $50.00 n/a $ n/a $ U Program $50.00 n/a $ n/a $ U Elite Program $50.00 n/a $ $ $ U Elite Program $50.00 n/a $ $ $ If you fill out all of the paperwork and submit your initial payment and then choose not to play for Illini Elite before the season/practices start, we can and will refund your payment (minus the tryout charge). We typically will not deposit checks or charge any credit cards until tryouts are complete for a particular age group.

11 Illini Elite Volleyball Club 3 Quest Drive, Unit #209 Bloomington, IL IlliniEliteVBC@aol.com Phone: (office) Fax: (fax) Spring Youth Information and Tryout Dates WE ARE ONCE AGAIN USING ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR TRYOUTS AND ONLINE COMPLETION OF THE 2017 JVA RELEASE AND MEDICAL FORMS. ALL PARENTS MUST COMPLETE THE TWO PART ONLINE REGISTRATION PRIOR TO ATTENDING THE SIGN-UP DATES. DETAILS, INSTRUCTIONS, AND LINKS WILL BE IN THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING PACKET AND ON OUR WEBSITE ( Illini Elite Spring Youth Informational Meeting Thursday, February 23rd@ 7:00 PM This meeting is NOT required to participate/tryout and is intended for parents to get the information about the Illini Elite Spring Youth Club Program. It is a great way for those who are new to Illini Elite Volleyball Club to find out what the Spring Youth Program is all about. You may come just to pick up the packet and forms to bring to the Sign-Up Dates. Note: The informational meeting packet (which will include costs, practice times, schedules, etc.) and all forms necessary for the Sign- Up Dates will be posted on our website ( on or after the meeting date on 2/23/17. Meeting and Tryouts to be held at: The Illini Elite Training Center 3 Quest Drive Unit #209 Bloomington, IL (just off of US-51 and I-74) PRIOR TO THE SIGN-UP DATES, PARENTS MUST COMPLETE BOTH PARTS OF THE ONLINE REGISTRATION THROUGH ALLPLAYERS.COM. DETAILS, INSTRUCTIONS AND LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED ON OUR WEBSITE. At the Sign-up Dates before tryouts, we will verify that both parts of the online registration have been completed and parents/players must turn in the following completed forms: 1) The General Accounting form along with the first payment. 2) Youth Tryout Information Form. 3) The Parent/Player contract signed by the player and parent. These will be available at the meeting (or you can come by to pick them up at a later date). This will not be made available online. AAU Junior Age Divisions for & Under: Players born on or after Sept. 1, & Under: Players born on or after Sept. 1, & Under: Players born on or after Sept. 1, 2004 (Please note that the age divisions are based on the players birthdate, not grade) 2017 Illini Elite Spring Youth Sign-up and Tryout Dates/Times Note: Players must be done with their IESA season before attending tryouts, but parents can attend the Sign-Up Day to get them registered before tryouts. Sign Up Dates (You can come anytime during the sign-up time) Wednesday, March 1st: All 4th, 5th, 6th grade (10U/11U/12U) from 5:00-7:00 PM Sign-up. Makeup Sign-up date for 11U/12U is Thursday, March 2nd from 5:00-7:00 PM Thursday, March 2nd: All 7th and 8th grade (13U/14U) from 5:00-7:00 PM Sign-up. Make-up Signup date for 13U/14U is Wednesday, March 1st from 5:00-7:00 PM TRYOUT DATES Players should attend the 1st available tryout for their age group as long as they are done with their IESA school season. 10U-12U (all 4th/5th/6th grade) Tryouts: Monday, March 6th: 4:30-6:30 PM Wednesday, March 8th: 4:30-6:30 PM 13U (all 7th grade) Tryouts: Wednesday, March 8th: 4:30-6:30 PM Monday, March 13th: 6:30 PM (practice 7:00-9:00) Wednesday, March 15th: 7:00-9:00 PM (For those 13U still playing on March 14th) For ONLY those 7th graders still on IESA 8th grade teams after March 14th, the final make-up dates are: Sunday, March 19th 12:00-1:00 PM (1:00-3:30 practice) or Wednesday, March 22nd at 6:30 PM (practice 7:00-9:00 PM) 14U (all 8th grade) Tryouts: Wednesday, March 15th: 7:00-9:00 PM Sunday, March 19th: 12:00-1:00 PM (practice 1:00-3:30 PM) For ONLY those players still on IESA teams after March 19th, the final make-up tryout is: Wednesday, March 22nd at 6:30 PM (practice 7:00-9:00 PM)