What costs can I expect to pay?
The cost to play for BAVA will vary from year to year, depending on various costs.  Your club dues will cover the cost of: club administration, practice facilities, USAV registrations, tournament entry fees, coaches’ salaries, and equipment. Our costs do not include uniforms, travel to tournaments, hotel accommodations for players and parents, or food at tournaments.

How much does it cost to participate?
The cost to participate in tryouts is a $50 tryout fee to offset facility and administration costs.  Also, players must be registered with the Chesapeake Region (CHRVA) and USA Volleyball (USAV) to participate in tryouts.  The costs per team vary, depending on age and skill level.  Specific costs will be posted in the Payment Center as soon as they are known.

Can I see tournament schedules so I can see if that schedule will fit my family needs? 
We do our best to post the tentative tournament schedule as soon as it is know, usually around mid-November.  The tournament schedule is not set in stone when the season begins.  There are times when a tournament may be changed due to weather, facility issues, etc.  Each team’s website will be updated as soon as possible if there are any changes.

I hate to pay club dues to sit on the bench.  Am I guaranteed a chance to play?
Practice is the core of the learning experience of each player in club volleyball. Tournament playing time will be based upon skill level, participation in practice, performance, effort, commitment, and attitude of the player during practice.  All tournament playtime is at the discretion of the coaches.  Tournament playing time will not be equal.  Athletes in BAVA have paid to learn skills and concepts of volleyball in practice; they have not paid to play in tournaments.  The BAVA coaching staff is committed to developing all players’ skills and the team as a whole.  At tournaments, the coaching staff will make playing time decisions based upon the best interest of the team.  

The cost of club volleyball is high and the commitment level is too. What if I can't handle it and have to drop out. Can I just not finish paying my dues and/ or get a refund?
Players dues are NOT refundable.  Exceptions may be made in the case of a season ending injury.  In the case of a season-ending injury, the Board will determine if a refund will be given and the amount. Parents must request any refund in writing to the BAVA Board and attach a medical certificate signed by a Doctor.  All requests must be received before May 31 of the current club season.  Moneys raised through fundraising are not refundable.  

How long does the season run?
The typical season begins with try-outs in November, followed by a club-wide meeting, and the initial practices/training camp in early December.  For the 10, 12, and 18 and under teams, the season will run through mid/end of April.  For 13-17’s teams, the season will run through the mid-May.  If a team qualifies for Nationals, the tournament is usually held at the end of June.  Attending AAU’s in Orlando is also an option, which is held in mid-June.

Will travel expenses be billed separately from club dues?
No.  Travel expenses (flight, hotel, and ground transportation) are the responsibility of each family outside of the dues paid to BAVA.  Families will make their own plans and pay to hotels/flights directly.

Do coaches get paid?
BAVA takes pride in the professionalism of their coaching staff.  We budget to provide each coach with a modest stipend based on practices and tournaments.  On average a conservative estimate of hours invested into a team is approximately 40 hours per month, per coach.  Our coaches coach for the love of the sport, not money; but a very modest stipend helps off-set the expenses that include professional coaching education and certification, gas money, travel time, personal coaching equipment, planning practices, holding practices, planning for tournaments, and attending tournaments, among other things.

Do parents have to attend the tournaments? 
No, but parents should make sure their daughter has a ride to and from the tournament, as well as hotel accommodations during the tournament.  At tournaments, the coach has control of the team, while in the gym.  Parents are in charge outside of the gym, so your daughter will need to know who she goes to if you aren't there. 

Can I use a credit card to pay my dues?
Yes, the club only accepts MasterCard and Visa. Payments are due on the 15th of each month, from December through March.  

What do the fees cover?
Fees cover a variety of costs associated with participation in club volleyball, namely: tournament entry; equipment such as uniforms, gym equipment, gym rentals, volleyballs and medical supplies; coaches salaries, monthly expenses such as postage, printing and materials; USA Volleyball National Office per athlete expenses such as insurance; BAVA-hosted tournament costs; awards; concessions; officials; custodial/rentals.

What do the fees not cover?
Players and their parents will need to consider costs that are not included in their fee payment, namely: travel costs (gas) for local tournaments, food and hotel while traveling; if desired; personal playing equipment such as kneepads and ankle support braces.  

Are there fundraisers offered by the club?
BAVA helps subsidize the cost per player by holding an annual golf tournament, hosting tournaments, and having tournament t-shirts for sale.  There are no required fundraisers.  If an individual or team is interested in holding a fundraiser, they are welcome to.  The Board has an approved list of fundraisers that teams may choose from.  In addition, if teams have their own ideas for fundraisers, not on the approved list, they can get them approved by the Board during the season. 

How do players get to events?
Families are responsible for getting their daughters to events. Players and families frequently carpool and share travel duties. Club administrators frequently offer travel planning assistance to families wishing to travel to national events with their daughter’s team.

How do you get involved?
Volunteering is an essential piece to the success of BAVA.  Our goal is to have all families participate in the success of the season.

What if we do not want this structured of a program?
There are many clubs in the Chesapeake region, all of which have a different way of doing things.  If you are not looking for a very structured program like BAVA, you can search out other clubs on the CHRVA website, www.chrva.org. 

Why should my daughter play club?
Club volleyball provides a higher level of training and competition for girls interested in learning and developing their skills.  The club season last approximately 6 months and teams are small.  This allows players to receive many hours of focused skills training and development.  Generally, players looking to continue their volleyball career in college will play club volleyball.  Club volleyball requires a major commitment from both the player and parents.  Properly evaluating a player’s time management abilities, academic work load, other sports, other activities, and love of volleyball are all factors that should be considered when deciding to play club volleyball or not.

Can my daughter play another sport while playing club volleyball?
Yes, many players will participate in club volleyball as well as play another school sport.  This takes a huge commitment by both the player and parent to coordinate practices and tournaments.  Players, parents, and coaches will need to work together closely to meet everyone’s needs.  It is very important to make sure your club coaches and other school sport coaches are aware of your daughter’s participation on both teams.  Communication is the key to success when playing on multiple teams.