Thank you for your interest in AVP junior programming for the 08-0 season! In 0, we are excited to be entering our fifth year of successful youth programming! Over this time, our junior program has grown exponentially. This year, you ll notice some changes because, during the offseason, the AVP acquired Volley America and formed the new platform of AVP America. Prior to the agreement, Volley America was the largest outdoor recreational volleyball organization in the US. When combined with the existing programs of AVPFirst, the outcome for AVP is spectacular as we will have more than 0,000 junior members competing in a true national series of events. AVPFirst, the signature nonprofit organization was founded to create access and a national pipeline for youth beach volleyball development by consistently delivering the highest quality beach events. Moving forward, AVPFirst will continue to operate all of the major junior events on the calendar, while AVP America will work with partner based organizations to deliver local events on a week to week basis. AVPFirst events are unique in their ability to provide access to the pros and their coaches as well as tour resources and support as a mechanism for inspiration, preparation and development for the superstars of tomorrow.
AVP junior programming is membership-based and offers a variety of benefits to players. All memberships are valid for 6 days from date of purchase. By signing up for an AVP membership, players are eligible to compete in any AVP run or sanctioned competition nationwide. These competitions offer a diverse range of experiences from playing recreationally to testing their skills against elite amateur and pro players. For a full list of membership benefits please go to section 4 of the FAQ s in this document AVP memberships can be completed here: https://volleyamerica.com/loginplayerinitial.aspx
The 0 AVPFirst National Championship is an event for males and females (qualification required for girls 4U, 6U, & 8U) and will be played alongside the iconic AVP Hermosa Beach Open. All nine gold medal matches at the 0 AVPFirst National Championships will be played on stadium court and will include a full introduction and production from the AVP team. In 08, our event was a popular college recruiting ground and included representatives from the following colleges and universities: UCLA, Stanford, Hawaii, FIU, Stetson, USC, Tulane, Houston Baptist, Spring Hill, CSU Bakersfield, Grand Canyon University, Cal State University Northridge & Cal Poly SLO. This event, as well as our National Club Championship, are the only Tier events on the calendar. They represent the pinnacle of AVPFirst programming and feature professional style format, facilities and an experienced staff.
All boys divisions, as well as girls 0U and U, are open events and will remain so until all the allocated positions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. For girls 4U, 6U and 8U there are two ways to qualify for the AVPFirst National Championships:. AVPFirst will run a series of automatic bid qualifying events. These include an Open Championship, an East Coast Championship, twelve Zonal Championship Events and our AVPFirst Gold Series Events. Top teams will earn an automatic bid.. Zonal Qualification. For Zonal Qualification, we have split the country into thirteen zones. Within each zone there will be multiple events that are designated as AVP America Certified. Players will need to register to be an AVP member prior to competing in any AVP America certified event. By registering for the AVP membership, players are eligible to play in any AVP certified event nationwide. Please note that if a player is not registered by the completion of a tournament, AVP points will not be allocated and points will not be backdated. Players, who are members, competing in AVPFirst or AVP America certified events gather AVP points and battle for the opportunity to represent their zone at the National Championships. To give themselves the best chance at earning a bid to Hermosa Beach, players need to plan on playing multiple AVPFirst and/or AVP America events. Their best finishes will be combined with their partner s best finishes to establish rankings within their zone.
Atlantic (4 Bids): VA, NC, SC, GA Florida (6 Bids): east of the Apalachicola River in Florida Gulf (4 Bids): AR, LA, MS, AL, TN, west of the Apalachicola River in Florida Hawaii ( Bids): HI New England (4 Bids): ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY NorCal (4 Bids): Cities north of San Luis Obispo, Wasco, & Delano Northeast (4 Bids): PA, NJ, DE, MD Heartland (4 Bids): UT, CO, WY, KS, MO, ND, SD, NE, OK Northwest (4 Bids): WA, OR, ID, MT, Alaska Midwest (4 Bids): MN, WI, IA, IL, MI, IN, KY, OH, WV SoCal ( Bids): Including cities of San Luis Obispo, Wasco, & Delano and south Mountain West ( Bids): AZ, NM, NV Texas (0 Bids): TX *The number of bids listed on this page will be the minimum number of bids awarded via Zonal Qualification for girls 4U, 6U and 8U divisions respectively.
The following will be observed when awarding zonal bids: A team will be formed by two individuals. Their points, in accordance with the below requirements, will be added together and then ranked in the age group and where they are applying for a zonal bid. Points do not need to be earned together. Only AVPFirst and AVP America points earned from an age division can be used to qualify in that same age division. At the end of zonal qualification, two individuals will be required to apply as a team for a zonal bid. They can do so in any zone or age group in which both players have competed. Their best results per team member will count and they will be sorted by the following criteria: Firstly, number of events played in-zone: Athletes must ve played at least one event in the zone or zones they are applying for a zonal bid. This number will cap out at three events even if the athlete counts four or five points finishes from the zone where they are applying for a zonal bid. This number will then be added to their partner s number of events and used to sort teams from 6 events to events. Secondly, number of points earned in events which count toward earning a zonal bid. A maximum of out of zone finishes can count for zonal rankings. The teams who nominate will then be ranked within that zone and bids will be awarded to the highest ranked teams based on how many positions are available. Zonal Qualification for Hawaii will be within the following dates: June th, 08 June 0th, 0 Zonal Qualification for Norcal and SoCal will be within the following dates: July 0th, 08 July st, 0 Zonal Qualification for Northwest will be within the following dates: July th, 08 June 4th, 0 Zonal Qualification for all other zones will be within the following dates: June th, 08 June th, 0 *After the completing of 0 Zonal Qualification, any athlete wishing to earn zonal qualification points towards the 00 National Championship must play in the division they wish to compete in for 00. **The 08 AVPFirst National Championships and any Tier events run prior to July st 08 will not count toward Zonal Qualification for 0 ***See the the appendix in this document for some practical scenarios regarding this process.
AVPFirst National Club Championship The AVPFirst National Club Championships have been designed to replicate the conditions of college competition for junior volleyball players and will be played on the AVP Hermosa Pro site prior to their event. Age divisions for this event will not overlap with competition divisions of the AVPFirst National Championships, so athletes can compete in both events. Clubs will be required to register as a squad. Each squad will be required to have two pairs of athletes competing. The squads will play head to head duels vs other clubs in the following format on two courts, simultaneously: Time-slot : Ct. -st team A vs nd team B Ct. -nd team A vs st team B ( set to ) Time-slot : Ct. -st team A vs st team B Ct. -nd team A vs nd team B ( set to ) Time-slot : If the duel is tied sets to sets after the first two time slots, a duel-deciding "golden set will be played. All squad members will compete 4v4 in this deciding set to. This tournament will be for female athletes aged 4U, 6U, & 8U. This tournament will have a maximum capacity of squads of teams (4 total athletes per squad) per division. positions will be left for open registration and positions will be allocated to clubs by AVP America. Clubs can enter more than one squad per division. This tournament will be played in July 0.
Tier One - AVPFirst National Championship U8 U6 U4 U U0 Team Points 0 0 6 08 6 84 4-64 - 4 - - 46-4 - 8 - - - 0-6 -4-4 - - - - 8-8 -6-4 - - - - - - 8-0 -8-6 -4-4 st place winners in the 8U Men and Women pairs event will earn a wild card into an AVP Pro event in the following season. The following conditions apply: The 8U divisions must have a minimum of 0 teams for the wild card to be awarded This wild card for 00 will be awarded for either Austin, Seattle or San Francisco. Teams must play as the team that won the 8U National Championships. Teams will be informed of the location they are offered by February, 00. If all of these conditions are not met, the team will forfeit their Pro Tour wild card entry. This wild card will be awarded to the US team with the highest finishing position in the 8U division of the AVPFirst National Championships from the previous season. AVP reserves the right to remove this wildcard at any time.
AVPFirst Zonal Championships Events AVPFirst Zonal Championship events are designed to bring the look and feel of the AVPFirst National Championship directly to our zones. These events are open to any and all junior athletes with a valid AVP membership on a first come first serve basis and will offer three bids per age group (Girls 4U, 6U & 8U) to the 0 AVPFirst National Championships. Tournaments are scheduled as follows: Mountain West: Phoenix, AZ - February 6th 8th 0 Gulf: Navarre, FL - March rd - 4th 0 Florida: TBD SoCal OC: Huntington Beach, CA - May 0 (Alongside AVP Pro) Texas: Dallas, TX - May th - th 0 Northeast: Ocean City, MD - May th - May th 0 Heartland: Denver, CO June st - nd 0 New England: TBD Midwest: TBD Atlantic - TBD NorCal: TBD Three Bids per age division (U, U & U) will be awarded for the 00 AVPFirst National Championship at the following Zonal Championships: Northwest: Seaside, OR - August 8th-th 0 SoCal LA: Manhattan Beach, CA - August 0 (Alongside Manhattan Beach Open) Hawaii - Fort DeRussy, HI September 0 (Alongside AVP Pro)
AVPFirst Gold Events The AVPFirst Gold Events are designed to create a feeling of a junior AVP tour. The events are held alongside AVP events in Austin, New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. There are a limited number of positions available (maximum of 0 teams per division per event) and the entries will close four weeks prior to the event. Approximately 60% of the field will qualify through their seeding points. The remaining positions will be allocated through a combination of local tournament series, AVP America wildcards or AVP Academy wildcards. More information about each event can be found at https://avp.bracketpal.com/signup. Tournaments are scheduled as follows: Female Events: Austin, TX - May 0 New York City, NY - June 0 Seattle, WA - June 0 San Francisco - July 0 Male Event: Chicago, IL - September 0 *Note that divisions will last a maximum of days, please go to the competition road map for specific division details
AVPFirst Open Championships The AVPFirst National Open Championships have been designed to give any athlete an opportunity to participate in a large scale AVPFirst event in Southern California in July. To maximize the amount of teams that can enter the event, the age groups will be single year (i.e. 0U, U, U, U, etc.). This tournament will also act as the last chance for teams to gain entry into the AVPFirst National Championships. Any remaining bids will be at a ratio of : between the two age groups (older age group receiving two bids for every one bid that the younger age group receives) feeding into a National Championship age division. The location and dates of this event will be announced shortly. AVPFirst East Coast Championships The AVPFirst East Coast Championship event is for male and female athletes. Bids to this event are awarded to female athletes through designated AVP America Tournaments. Male divisions are open. Beginning on June 6, with top collegiate coaching clinics (no bid required for clinics) and the ECC -day tournament ending on June th, all held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This is a premier junior event on the East Coast that will draw athletes from all over the country! Bid earning events to be listed on the AVP America website.
Tier Two - Direct Bid Earning Events U8 U6 U4 U Team Points 6 08 6 84 4 64 4-46 - 8 - - 0-4 - 4 - - - 8-6 -4 - - - - - 8-8 -6-4 - 4 Automatic bids at these events will be distributed as follows: AVPFirst Zonal Championships - Minimum bids per division AVPFirst Gold Events - bids per division AVPFirst East Coast Championships - bids per division AVPFirst Open Championships - Any unclaimed bids will be awarded at this event Teams that earned bids through these events must play in the same team at the AVPFirst National Championship.
AVP America events provide the opportunity for all junior athletes to launch their career in beach volleyball. The athletes can play in their choice of hundreds of events across the US in a city or town that is local to them. These events earn AVP points for seeding purposes, for Zonal Qualification into the AVPFirst National Championships, and bids to the AVPFirst East Coast Championships. Above all else, these events are designed for the participant to have fun.
Tier Three - Zonal Match Play Event U8 U6 U4 U Team Points 84 4 64 4 46 8 0 4 8 - - 8 - - 4-4 - - - - The following scale will be applied to Tier Three (AVP America) events. AVP America events will also be scaled on a points system. The number of teams below is based on entries per age division: For + Teams, 00% of points will be earned. For - Teams, 0% of points will be earned. For -4 Teams, 8% of points will be earned. For -6 Teams, 80% of points will be earned. For 4-8 Teams, % of points will be earned. For 0- Teams, no AVP points earned.
. What is AVPFirst? AVPFirst is a stand alone 0(c) nonprofit organization which operates as the official junior development program of the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. It organizes and hosts all direct bid earning events into the AVPFirst National Championships. It serves as the qualification circuit for elite junior players where they can earn AVP points, a national ranking, and entry into the AVPFirst National Championships.. How do I play? Sign up to be an AVP member at https://volleyamerica.com/loginplayerinitial.aspx. Your membership makes you eligible to play in any AVP certified tournament nationwide. After you complete your membership registration, find local events on the AVPFirst and AVP America websites, and see the schedule of tournaments across each zone. By competing in a zonal event, you earn AVP points and become eligible to apply for a bid into the AVPFirst National Championships. For each AVPFirst or AVP America certified event you earn a result in, regardless of zone, you earn AVP points based on your finish. These points are used for seeding and help you when you enter to play in an AVP event.
. Where can I play? Members are eligible to play in any tournament in any zone. Full calendar can be found on our AVP America Events and Registration Page. 4. What are the benefits of being an AVP member? Ability to play or coach in any AVP certified event/clinic nationwide (Pro Tour, AVPNext, AVPFirst, AVP America or AVP Academy). Inclusion into the AVP Nationwide Ranking System. Discounts on VIP tickets for any AVP Pro Tour event. Discounts to be used at AVP s online shop or in-event shop. Discounts on select Wilson volleyball equipment. Free consultation with MyRecruitingSolutions.com. Discount off all Sandsock products.. What are the requirements for playing in an AVPFirst or AVP America event? The age requirements are as follows: 8-and-Under Division: Players who were born on or after September, 000 6-and-Under Division: Players who were born on or after September, 00 4-and-Under Division: Players who were born on or after September, 004 -and-under Division: Players who were born on or after September, 006 0-and-Under Division: Players who were born on or after September, 008 For 8U Division: Seniors in high school born before September, 000 and freshman in college born on or after September, 000 are eligible to compete in AVPFirst events during this qualification period. To participate, athletes must be eight years old on the day of any activity in which they are participating. This is including, but not limited to tournaments, community leagues, camps and clinics.
6. What makes AVP junior programming different from other similar organizations? AVPFirst and AVP America are the exclusive circuit for earning professional points and a national ranking from the top domestic tour. Together, they serves as the pipeline for junior players to gain access to the sport of beach volleyball, learn playing techniques, compete in high level tournaments within their zone and work their way up to becoming a professional beach volleyball player.. If I m a high-school or college student-athlete, can I play? Yes! If you fit the age criteria for the division you are entering, you are eligible to play. Also, make sure you comply with all protocols regarding amateur status. Be sure to check with your coach or compliance officer before signing up for any event. 8. How long is my AVP membership good for? Your AVP membership is good for one year from date of purchase.. If I participate in AVP junior events, am I still eligible to play in AVP Tour events or other beach volleyball competitions? Yes! You are still eligible to compete in other beach volleyball competitions. 0. What is the difference between seeding and zonal ranking? Zonal ranking consists of your best results in an age group over the duration of the qualification period. All AVP, AVPNext, AVPFirst and AVP America events are seeded in accordance to the following policy: An athlete's BEST four finishes amongst all AVP platforms (AVP America, AVPFirst, AVPNext, AVP Tour) within eligible window will be used for entry and seeding. The eligible window is defined as an athlete's five () most recent AVP Pro events within 6 days of entry/seeding date guidelines.
. Do I have to be from the zone where a direct bid earning is hosted in order to receive a bid? No, direct bid earning events are open to anybody and the bids will be received by the highest ranking teams irrespective of their place of residence.. What happens if a player earns more than one bid to the National Championship? If a player receives two or more bids through direct bid earning events, these players have the following options:. The player with multiple bids can choose any of the players that they earned a bid with to compete.. The player/s that are left over can choose another player to enter the National Championship with. This replacement player must have played AVP junior events in 08-. Players who have earned a bid at a direct bid earning event are not eligible for a Zonal Qualification bid unless all previously earned bids forfeited.. What happens if a team has earned a bid into the National Championships and one of the players becomes injured or sick? If a team has earned a bid into the National Championship and one player becomes injured or sick a replacement can be found. This replacement must have played AVP junior events in 08-. The player who has withdrawn can not reenter the National Championship in any new team or division.
Tony Giarla AVPFirst Executive Director Ph: 4-6- (office) E: tonyg@avp.com Marty Suan AVP Director of Sport and Competitions Ph: 4-6- (office) E: marty@avp.com Brooke Bernard AVPFirst Program Assistant Ph: 4-6- (office) E: brookeb@avp.com Wayne Gant AVP America Director Ph: 4-6- (office) E: wgant@avp.com Carly Gant AVP America Assistant Director Ph: 4-6- (office) E: cgant@avp.com Document Version.0 Released November 0th 0
Website Social Media There is an AVPFirst tab available through AVP.com. The AVPFirst site will house all information about AVPFirst as well as the rankings for AVP points and zonal points. This will allow players to easily see where they re at in the standings. Follow AVPFirst on Facebook and Instagram (@AVPFirst) to get the latest on all AVPFirst events, news and updates! AVPFirst.org Facebook.com/AVPFirst Instagram.com/AVPFirst
The below charts are an example of the SoCal Zonal Bid qualification process, helping athletes and their parents understand the point system. Appendix for AVP Junior Programming Guide # of Events # of Individual Counted Toward In-Zone Events Zonal Qualification Points Accrued Toward Zonal Qualification Place (Points) Place (Points) Place (Points) Place (Points) Place (Points) Place (Points) Courtney th (4) th () th () th () th () th () 6 0 th () th () th () th () th () 6 0 Teams Emma th (4) Notes on number of events: The maximum number of in-zone events for Zonal Qualification is per athlete. Notes on number of points: The th place finish does not count for points because only the best results count. Jasmine th (4) th (4) th (4) st () th (4) Jane th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) 0 68 Notes on number of points for Jasmine: The 4th best in-zone event does not count as the out zone events are both higher. Notes on number of points for Jane: The third out of zone event does not count as only maximum of out of zone events can count. Lexi rd (48) th () st () st () nd () Luisa th (4) th () nd () rd () th () nd () 4 6 Notes on number of events: Lexi's extra in-zone events do not add to the teams number of in zone events. Notes on number of points for Lexi: The 4th best in-zone event is better than the worst out of zone event and therefore counts for points. Notes on number of points for Luisa: The in-zone event and best two out of zone events count. Brooke th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) 0 0 Alisa th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) th (4) 0 0 0 Notes: No in-zone events, so qualification is not eligible in this zone. They will be eligible in events where they have both competed. KEY = In-Zone Event BOLD = Points Count Toward Zonal Qualification
Teams Awarded A Zonal Bid Zonal Ranking Names Team In-Zone Events Team Zonal Qualification Points April / Alix 6 4 Summer / Sarah 6 44 Nicolette / Ali 6 44 4 Geena / Caitlin 6 40 Betsi / Emma 6 6 Kelly / Brittany 6 8 Kelley / Emily 6 8 8 Courtney / Emma 6 4 Kerri / Janelle 0 0 Jasmine / Jane 8 Lara / Sheila 6 Example Team Example Team Teams Not Awarded A Zonal Bid Zonal Ranking Names Team In-Zone Events Team Zonal Qualification Points Lexi / Luisa 4 6 Aurora / Bree 4 0 Delaney / Jessica 8 Ali / Kendra 0 Brooke / Alisa 0 Example Team Example Team Note: As the teams are sorted by number events and then by points, you can see that Courtney and Emma are elevated above teams who've played less in-zone events.