Virginia Elite Volleyball Club

Playing time issues often have a major impact on a player’s volleyball experience. Virginia Elite is committed to developing each player to the limits of her desire and potential.

We seek players who want to play. Playing at tournaments is the payoff for hard work at practice and at home. Parents don’t come to tournaments and pay club fees to watch their daughter sit on the bench. At the same time, everyone wants to be on a winning team,  and the club is committed to develop players. In order to balance these interests, and to ensure clarity and accountability, the Club has established parameters for playing time at each age level. 

1. Coaches will endeavor to provide equitable playing time for every player in every match. All players will play in every tournament if they have demonstrated that they have a desire to play through hard work at practice, and are eligible to play.

2. In order to be eligible to play in a tournament a player must:
   1. Attend practice regularly. Absences must be excused by parents and should be based on illness or academic considerations. 
   2. Abide by the player Code of Conduct.
   3. Demonstrate the effort expected of a Virginia Elite player during all practices and competitions.
   4. Demonstrate respect for coaches, officials, opponents (sportsmanship), and teammates.
   5. Be current in payment of player fees.
   6. Be on time to tournament and to matches. 

3. A head coach has the discretion to bench a player for the remaining day of any given competition for behavior unbecoming to themselves, their team, or Virginia Elite.

4. All our players require and deserve ample playing time during both practices and tournament competition at their respective positions to develop in the sport sufficiently to reach their next level of development and to get the most enjoyment out of their experience with Virginia Elite. However, knowing that the pace of skill development differs from player to player, a player can expect either an increase or reduction in playing time as the season progresses, based on performance.

5. Playing time parameters will evolve over the course of the season based on three phases:
   1. Phase 1 (December – February): Coach will provide balanced playing time during pool play, i.e., players can expect to play a relatively equal number of sets during pool play over the course of a tournament.

6. All players will have the opportunity to play in the back row so that they get match passing experience.

7. Players will be trained in and play at tournaments in at least two positions during the first two phases of the season.

8. Special cases/Exceptions: The following exceptions to the above parameters apply:
   1.  Post-Pool Play/Playoffs:  If the team advances to the playoffs in a tournament, or is playing a deciding set in a match the coach has the discretion to play the players that have performed the best on the court that day, to give the team the best chance to win. Coaches will endeavor to get every player in the play-off matches so they can contribute, but the focus in play-offs will be on team success.
   2. NEQ and Regional Tournament, and Nationals: Coaches have the discretion to organize the team and playing time so as to offer the team the best chance to win, as these tournaments are qualifiers for Nationals.   Coaches will endeavor to ensure that each player will play in every match, but not necessarily a whole game.
   3. Skill Qualification: Coaches may make adjustments to playing time based on skill qualification (e.g., serving) as long as the standards are clearly stated and upheld. 

9. Suspensions: Suspension from play beyond a single day of tournament play requires approval of the Virginia Elite Executive Committee. Suspension from play for longer than a single competition may be imposed as outlined in Virginia Elite’s issue resolution policy.