Tryouts for the 2023-2024 Season 

Registration now open

TRYOUTS include

Multiple sessions  There will be multiple tryout sessions for each age group and gender, and the athletes should attend them all to make sure they are properly evaluated. NOTE: all athletes will be sized for uniforms to speed up the ordering process after teams are selected.

Those who are not selected for existing competitive teams, may be invited to a Competitive Training Centre for 12 weeks of additional training and local competition. From those groups, a few players may be selected in December to form additional teams that travel and attend OVA tournaments from January through April. 

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Interested in coaching or assistant coaching positions?

The Maverick Volleyball Club accepts coaching applications year round. Visit our Coaching application page for more information.

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2023 TRYOUT SCHEDULE: is posted HERE

How do I register?

The Maverick tryout registration link is below. Please read instructions first.

Do NOT register any athlete more than once. Tryouts for different program levels are covered under the same registration. Sign up for the age division shown in the Age Group section below.

Make sure your registration information includes a valid email address that you check regularly. Once you register for tryouts, your email address becomes part of our communication network through TeamSnap. Make sure you include info@maverickvolleyball.ca to your contact list so messages don't get dumped into your junk folder.

Registration is a 2-step process:

1. Maverick Registration (via TeamSnap) – Registration will open in August and remain at the stated rate until Sept 01 at midnight. Late registrations can be made at a higher rate. Partial refunds available until Sept 01. No refunds for any reason after Sept 01.
2. OVA MRS Registration (*see below for more info) – bring proof to the sign-in desk at your first session. (OVA tryout registration is free, but required for insurance purposes)

When

Tryouts begin on September 8th with 18U on-court sessions. (Physical Testing and uniform sizing for all age groups will be on Sept 9th plus some on-court sessions). For a full evaluation, athletes should attend all tryout sessions for their age group.

For multiple reasons, tryout schedules often change during the tryout period, please check our web site news section for the latest link. Note: the date of any updates will be indicated on every iteration.

Where

Locations for 2023-2024 tryouts are expected to include the following three schools: 1) École secondaire Franco-Cité (623 Smyth Rd, Ottawa); 2) Collège Mer Bleue (6401 Renaud Rd, Orleans); 3) St. Patrick CHS (2525 Alta Vista Dr, Ottawa).  Possible alternate locations: 4) Collège Samuel-Genest (704 Carsons Road, Ottawa); 5) Colonel By Secondary School (2381 Ogilvie Road, Gloucester); 6) Henry Munro Middle School (2105 Kender Ave, Gloucester); and 7) Hillcrest High School (1900 Dauphin Rd, Ottawa). Details for each age group will be posted here when the time comes.

Cost

• Aug 1 - Sept 1: $75 per athlete (standard registration)

• Sept 2 and later: $95 per athlete (late registration)

This fee includes one hour of physical testing, up to 6 hours of court time for skills assessment, and a T-shirt. No refunds for any reason after Sept 1st.

We endeavour to keep our tryout fees as low as possible, however costs have increased in recent years. Mavericks is a registered not-for-profit and budgets are based on cost recovery. Partial refunds may be available until September 1st, no refunds after that date.

Tryout Schedule

The preliminary draft tryout schedule is ready, click here. Please check back frequently as changes may occur. Changes happen as we adjust to the number of athletes who register for each level to ensure we can properly evaluate everyone.

Athletes are strongly encouraged to attend every tryout session for their age group.

The schedule will include a sizing session – this is incredibly important to be able to order uniforms quickly once teams are set. Sizing does not guarantee any player a spot on a team.

COVID Protocols

Although COVID protocols have been phased out, for your health and that of others, we encourage you  to stay home if feeling unwell.

Bring your OVA 'tryout player' registration

For insurance purposes, in addition to registering with the Maverick Club, athletes must also register as a tryout player in the Ontario Volleyball Association's (OVA) Member Registration System (MRS)

• The OVA system should be functional by September 1st.
• Athletes should register as an OVA  'tryout player ' (no cost).
• MRS registration link: https://mrs.ontariovolleyball.org/Account/Login
• Proof of MRS registration will be required at the door at your first tryout session.
• Once selected to a team, at least one parent/guardian must complete the OVA's Respect in Sport certification before competing at an OVA tournament. Keep your certification number, this is a one-time process – if you have already completed the RIS requirement in a previous year (or with another sport or club), it is still valid, and you simply enter your RIS number into the MRS every year.

Here is a screen capture of the welcome page you will receive from the OVA after registration. Each athlete's name will appear on this page. Show this at the Maverick sign-in desk when you first arrive.

Email admin@maverickvolleyball.ca with questions about MRS registration.

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Register at this link

Although COVID protocols have been phased out, for your health and that of others, we encourage you  to stay home if feeling unwell.

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ATTENTION

Make sure your registration information includes a valid email address that you check regularly. Once you register for tryouts, your email address becomes part of the communication network through TeamSnap.  Make sure you include info@maverickvolleyball.ca to your contact list so messages don't get dumped into your junk folder.

Offers: Coaches begin to offer positions after completion of all assessment tryouts for that age group. Parents/athletes then have a response window of 36 hours in which to accept before the coach can offer that position to another player. Acceptances can be sent late, but there is no guarantee the position is still available. Deposit: Immediately upon signing with the Maverick Volleyball Club, all athletes will be required to pay a $475 deposit towards their team fees and arrange payment information for monthly invoicing. Full instructions will be sent to athletes selected to teams.

Monthly Fees: Total fees vary by team and are determined based on factors that are specific to each team (such as how many and which tournaments the team chooses to compete in). Parent groups can influence the number of tournaments and other expenses in conjunction with their coach. Families can choose between installment payments or payment in full, however, all fees must be paid in full before the regular season ends (before Provincials).

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FEEDBACK FROM A PARENT AFTER 2020 TRYOUTS:

"My daughter did attend both sessions. She really appreciated that there is one more chance to demonstrate her skills. She felt that she performed better on the second day because she knew the drills better and because coaches asked her to demonstrate more enthusiasm!"   – Parent

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FAQs

• What if I miss a tryout?

If for any valid reason, an athlete misses any tryout session, they must contact the Head Coach of that age division. There may be makeup dates available. If the athlete misses a session, please contact the head coach of that specific team to determine if there could be another time available for assessment. The Head Coach has final say in these matters and is not obligated in any way to provide additional assessment time. 

If there is a conflict between another Club’s tryout and ours, we recommend that you inform us in advance and we will help you work out any such conflicts to create a solution that maximizes the options for the athlete. 

• What age division do I fall into for the 2023/24 season?

The designated age category is based on a player’s birth date, however, an extended date range allows some players to try to play up or down a level, based on the best fit for athlete development. During tryouts, your coach can make recommendations if they feel a player should be in a more beneficial age group than what you have registered for.

Age Categories

11U - born in 2013

12U - born in 2012

13U - born in 2011

14U - born in 2010 

15U - born in 2009 

16U - born in 2008

17U - born in 2007 

18U* - born in 2006 

*19U players (born between Jan 2005 and Aug 2005) may be allowed to play at the 18U level, provided they are not a part of any OCAA, OUA, U-Sport, CCAA, etc. volleyball team for the 2023-2024 season. They will be eligible to play Provincials but not Nationals.
 

• How long is the Competitive  season?

The basic competition season starts in October and ends in April with Provincials and in May for those who attend Nationals. Once teams are formed, they can start to practice. Most teams play up to 6 OVA tournaments over the season (1 day events) plus Provincial and/or Nationals (2- or 3-day events). Team budgets are decided by each team (budget is drafted by the coach following consultation with the parents). More information will be available once teams have been selected. If you have any further questions, please send an email to info@maverickvolleyball.ca.

Players who are selected for a spot in the Fall Competitive Training Centres (CTC) will train and play until late December. Coaches then choose "travelling teams" from the centres and those teams will compete in OVA-sanctioned events across southern Ontario (mostly Toronto area). Those who are not selected, or who do not wish to travel, can continue in the Spring CTC program. 
 

• What is the difference between HP and Competitive programs?

The Maverick  High Performance program is geared for a progression to varsity post-secondary recruitment. The program aims to maximize each athlete's individual potential through the addition of supplemental practice and training methodologies (such as nutrition, mental and strength/agility training), and creating team fortitude and cohesion. HP teams compete more often, sometimes both interprovincially and internationally. A higher level of time commitment is required than for our Competitive level. Players must learn to manage practice time and schoolwork to ensure their marks allow them to be selected for a post-secondary university or college. All HP teams are expected to compete at OVA Provincials and at Volleyball Canada National Championships.

Any athlete not selected to an HP team will be encouraged to continue tryouts in the Competitive stream (no additional cost). Any athlete in the HP stream can opt to change to the competitive stream at any point during the tryout process (again no additional tryout cost).

The Competitive Program is designed for athletes who wish to play the sport at a serious competition level – but with less travel, fewer tournaments and without the supplemental training mentioned above. Supplemental local and regional tournaments may be added. The Competitive Training Centre (CTC) was designed to train athletes who need more training to compete efectively, or who are less inclined to travel or to commit to the time-requirements of HP. 

Players selected to the CTC will train and play until mid-December. At that time, "travelling team" will be selected from those who are interested in adding travel to their volleyball experience. Travelling teams will compete in OVA-sanctioned events and will compete at Provincials. Players who are not selected to a Travelling Team have the option of signing up for the second half of the Training Centre, which starts in January and runs until the end of March or early April.

• What age groups have Provincial Competitive teams?

The Maverick Volleyball Club fields gender-specific competitive teams at all age groups from 11U to 18U where sufficient numbers and coaches exist.

• What age groups have National HP-level teams?

The Maverick Volleyball Club prides itself in following the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, which has recently opened to begin at 13U. Accordingly, at Maverick Volleyball, our 13U-16U HP teams follow the "learn to train" LTAD model, and the 17U-18U HP teams follow the "train to compete" model. 

• How much does it cost to be on a Competitive (Comp) team?

Competitive fees are set by the Club Financial Officer to cover all fixed operating costs, such as: OVA player registration, tournament entry fees, uniform (jersey, shorts, socks, and practice T's), coaching, and practice requirements (gyms, balls, equipment), and year-end celebrations for the athletes. Any additional competitions, travel and accommodation are "pay as you go" based on the parent-approved season plan. 

• How much does it cost to be on a High Performance (HP) team?

As a not-for-profit organization, Maverick HP fees are set by each individual team, within Club parameters, and must achieve a zero-based budgeting outcome. Team budgets are set by the coaching staff in cooperation with, and approved by that team's parent group. Budgets include OVA registration fees, all tournament entry fees (including Nationals and international or interprovincial play), travel and accommodation to all tournaments, practice requirements (gyms, balls, equipment), team gear, coaching, supplemental training (strength and conditioning, nutrition, sport psychology experts). Before the end of the season, budgets will be reconciled and any remaining balance will returned to the parents (or shortages will be due before Provincials).

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More questions about tryouts? Contact admin@maverickvolleyball.ca

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THE MAVERICK VOLLEYBALL CLUB STRIVES TO OFFER AS MANY PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE FOR COMPETITIVE ATHLETES. FROM YEAR TO YEAR WE MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING ENOUGH QUALITY COACHES TO RUN THESE PROGRAMS BUT WE DO OUR BEST TO INTEGRATE ALL PLAYERS ONTO APPROPRIATE TEAMS.

Interested in coaching or assistant coaching positions?

The Maverick Volleyball Club accepts coaching applications year round. Visit our Coaching application page for more information.