FAQ 

What does a club season entail?

Our club volleyball starts with tryouts that take place in late October and mid November. Each athlete's tryout date will depend on their age and school volleyball participation. 

Will teams be made at every level?

The number of teams, as well as the age groups cannot be determined until tryouts are complete. Occasionally if we do not have enough players to form two teams we may make a "combo team".  Such as a 15-16s team instead of a 15s team and a 16s team. 

Can my child try out at a higher age level?

We ask each player to tryout at their current age level. If it is determined that a player should be playing up, our coaches will approach the player and their parent to discuss moving up. If a player does choose to tryout at a higher age level and is not selected for that team, they will be ineligble for a younger team.

Practices

Practices typically start right after Thanksgiving. The season breaks for the December holidays and picks up again the first week of January. 

All our teams are provided at least  5 hours of practice per week, with the option to attend positional skills clinics. The season runs until the beginning of May most seasons. Practices are during the week; typically on Tuesdays and Thursday but each season's practice schedule is determined by gym time availability. Practices are mandatory and unexcused absences will result in less competition playing time. 

Currently, our policy states that each a player will sit one set for every unexcused absence from practice. This means that if a player is only scheduled to play 2 sets in a game, they will sit for one of those sets.

Can I watch my player practice?

For safety and insurance reasons we do not allow parents to remain in the building during practice. 

When will games take place? 

Games (or matches) are only played on the weekends. The majority of the tournaments will be single day.  A single day tournament will have anywhere from 3-6 matches in a day depending on how a team performs throughout the day. Tournaments start at 8am with players needing to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to their first match, and usually wrap up by 4-5pm. 

I know this is a traveling volleyball team. Where do you travel to? Where would the farthest tournament be? 

There are tournaments every weekend throughout Minnesota and surrounding states. We do our best to select tournaments that are no more than one hour from the twin cities, however each team's schedule will vary based on team skill level, age group and tournament availability. Each team will also participate in 1 or 2 "away" tournaments per season. Typical "away" locations include, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester, and Wisconsin. Teams can also elect to participate in additional tournaments during the season, at an additional cost. 

Fundraising Requirements

Players will be asked to participate in a minimum of two fundraisers per season (one fundraiser for Summer and Fall League).  Players that wish to opt out of the fundraiser may do so by submitting an opt out fee donation equivelant to the profit TCE would have received from their participation in the fundraiser. This amount is typically around $70, but may range from $60 - $100. Players that do not participate in fundraising are ineligible to play on competition dates until they have fullfilled their fundraising requirements.

Volunteering Requirements

Players and at least one parent per household are required to commit to 2 - 4 hours of volunteer service during our club hosted tournaments (TCE Classics). Our tournament schedule will be released early in the season for parents/players to sign up, and we encourage parents to serve on dates that their players are not competing as they may not step away from their post to watch their player compete.

Players will also have the option to attend guest coach clinics, guest speaker events, Health and Wellness seminars and we round off our season with an end of season party.

I am going to miss a practice or tournament what should I do?

The player or parent should contact the coach as soon as they know they will miss a practice or tournament. This contact should include the reason and date(s) the player will be missing. If the coach is not contacted at least 2 hours prior to practice or 24 hours prior to a tournament it will be an unexcused absence.

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What are the policies around missing practices/tournaments?

Each player is asked to commit to the season, and their team, when offered a spot on a team with TCE. While we do understand that occassionally a player must miss a practice or tournament date, there are guidelines that must be followed to ensure your absence is excused. 

• The player or parent must notify their coach at least 2 hours prior to the practice, and at least 24 hours prior to the missed tournament.

• Notification must come in writing (via email or text) and include the reason they will be absent and the date(s) they will be out.

Each unexcused absence will require the player to sit one set in the next tournament.  For example one missed practice or match during a tournament will equal one match sat at the next tournament. If the player only plays one set per match that will be the set they have to sit. 

Examples of excused absences include: 

• Illness (a doctor's note may be required)

• Bereavement

• Religious Event

• COVID Quaratine

• School Sports

Examples of unexcused absences include but are not limited to:

• Family Vacations

• Not having a ride

• Homework or school load

• Activities with friends

• "I don't feel like it".