St. Louis Powerhitters VBC

Here are the Top 10 questions most frequently asked about the St. Louis Powerhitters or volleyball generally in the Gateway Region, based upon Club Director Kevin Nelson's perspective as a parent (who had two daughters play on teams that each went to Nationals), as a coach that has led a team to Nationals, as a Club Director, as a Regional Mentor assisting younger players with officiating and scorekeeping, as a former member of the Gateway Region Board of Directors, and as a recipient of the Dennis Lafata Meritorious Service Award from the Region for outstanding contributions and service to the sport.

Q: What do you look for when you select players?
A: The younger the player, the focus is more on who is the "best athlete" as opposed to the "best volleyball player." We are looking for "athleticism" - jumping ability, speed, agility. etc. We believe that we can teach volleyball skills. We also look for players who have great attitudes, as a passion for the game and your teammates are an important part of the tryout.

Q: How many players will you have on a team, and how many teams will you have?
A: We choose to be a small, select, and elite Club, ideally sponsoring one team at each level for ages 11-18. As such, we occupy a specific niche among Clubs in the Gateway Region. Accordingly, we do not believe that being a "bigger" club necessarily means being a "better" club. Perhaps the biggest mistake players and parents make when deciding about which tryouts to attend is to assume that because another club has multiple teams that will increase their odds of making a team. While hypothetically true, it also needs to be recognized that multiple teams will attract many more players at tryouts. Unless a player has outstanding talents, it is easier to be overlooked simply because  the coaches may not have enough time to properly assess a player's skills. Players may fare better attending smaller tryout, such as ours, as a result.

We require that each team have at least nine players. The coach has the option of selecting additional players. Generally, throughout the Region, most teams have 9-10. Most  of our teams have had ten. This gives everyone sufficient playing time while protecting the team from absences due to illness, injury, family commitments, or other factors.

Q: How often will teams practice; when; and where?
A: Teams generally practice twice per week, for an hour and half to two hours per session, at local gyms. Specific dates/times/locations may be found on our Calendar link. Practices begin the week after Commitment Night. In the event that the facilities that we are using are closed due to inclement weather, the cancellations are posted and updated promptly on the Calendar. Further, players are required to become certified in score-keeping and officiating by attending clinics in addition to practices.

Q: How competitive is your program?
A: We are not a "developmental" program. We expect our teams to be be among the best in the Region and to send teams to various National Championships. We are also an original member of the Gateway League. 

Because we play at the highest competitive level we cannot accept waivered players; we encourage players and parents to consider the consequences of playing for a "waivered" team. Unlike some clubs which advertise themselves as a "north," "south," or "west" county team, we have historically drawn players from all over the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Q: How important is it to play in the Gateway League, a National Qualifier or the Bid Event?
A:  We believe that it is very important. Players who are interested in playing at the highest competitive level and perhaps in college, should give serious consideration to this issue. College recruiters come to these events, drawing representatives from the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Associations) Divisons I-III, NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), and  the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association). Very simply, playing for a club that does not play in these kinds of events can have serious consequences. From my personal perspective I would say this - if my daughters were starting their club volleyball careers over again, we would not even consider playing for a club that does not play in these type of events, believing it best to affiliate and stay with a Club such as ours as soon as possible.

Q: What is a "waivered" player, and why is it important?
A: A waivered player is one who does not qualify, by age, to be on a team with a lower age limit. The age cut-off date is September 1. As an example for the 2017-18 season, for 12's, players born on or after September 1, 2005. are "12's." A player born on August 31, 2005  (or any date earlier as far back as September 1, 2004) is a "13." A 13 can play on a 12's team, but the effect is to disqualify the team from playing in the Gateway League, a National Qualifier as well the Region-sponsored Bid Event in May. This makes the team ineligible to compete for a bid to the USAV National Championships. Thus, we do not accept waivered players. We encourage players to ask the Club Directors of other teams if they take waivered players before trying out for those teams so that there is  no confusion about the level of play.

Q: How competitive is club volleyball in the Gateway Region?
A: It is very competitive, and we anticipate that it become even more so in the future.

The Region currently has Gold/Silver and Bronze/Copper levels of play. Bronze/Copper teams often take waivered players, tend to have lower club  fees and not travel to out-of-area tournaments, and may play a less competitive schedule, as they are ineligible for certain events. They fulfill an important role for players. 

Gold/Silver Division teams usually play at a higher competitive level, tend to have higher fees, and travel.  

Q: How much does it cost, and where does the money go?
A: The 2017-18 fee is $1,375, which is all-inclusive. The fee covers USAV and Regional memberships, tournament entry fees, gym rentals, volleyball equipment, supplies, Olympian Scott Touzinsky's three day camp (if held), and other administrative expenses. The fee does cover the travel expenses incurred by coaches for out-of-town tournaments. The Club has a travel policy which places limits on the amounts and types of expenses for which the Club will pay. Our coach expense policy is significantly different than many teams. Many teams charge a base Club fee and then have players pay extra to cover a coaches' travel expenses, participate in fund-raising activities, or donate goods or services to reduce their costs. We choose not to do so. We believe that not requiring fund-raising or requiring parents to donate goods or services benefits parents and players in these unsettled economic times. We choose not to "nickel and dime" parents to death. Our travel also places limits on the amount and types of expenses incurred by players and parents. 

The Club fee does not cover the cost of uniforms, which is about $185.00. for a new full set of jerseys, warm-up shirt, shorts, and socks. The Club fee does not include a player's own travel expenses to out-of-town tournaments. For a more detailed explanation, see the Club Comparisons or Fees & Uniforms links.

Q: How many tournament will you enter, and do teams travel?
A: Teams will play in events sponsored by the Gateway League beginning in January and ending in February. Depending upon scheduling, teams may play in either the Gateway Girl's Festival, the Mid-East Qualifier or Show-Me Qualifier, and/or the Bid Event. We play in these major tournaments because these events attract the better teams, and in order  to be the best, players need to compete against quality competition. Participation in these events means exposure for players to college recruiters, and the financial impact that a scholarship may have for a family. Please see the Tournaments link for those events which we will enter this season as of this date, with more to be scheduled..

Q: How do you notify players if they have made a team, and how do players handle offers the weekend of tryouts?
A: We immediately notify players at the end of the tryout if they have made the team, are an alternate, or are not be offered either of those options. We will be offering a make-up tryout for those players who cannot attend the primary tryout.

According to the Gateway Region policy, a player may only have two "open" offers from different teams at one time. If they receive a third offer, they must notify one of the teams that they are declining the offer. Further, a player has until 7 p.m. on October 30, 2017 to definitively commit to a team (ages 11-14), and to 7 pm on November 20, 2017 (15's-18's). A player may accept an offer before that time and sign the Region's Binding Commitment Letter if they choose to do so, but cannot otherwise be bound until the commitment date/time. Up until that time they may tell a coach that they accept the offer, reject the offer, or want time to think about it.

Accordingly, a team official may not require or pressure a player into a definitive commitment; they may not make "excessive" phone calls, text, or e-mail contacts in this regard. Team officials are not to speak with the player if a parent or legal guardian is not present or available by phone so as to minimize this pressure. Further, a team official cannot promise that a player is guaranteed a certain amount of playing time, play a specific position, or similar matters (play for us and I guarantee you will be on the "A" team; play for us and I guarantee that you will get a college volleyball scholarship). If any of these inappropriate issues arise, parents should contact Chris Clauss, Junior Development Coordinator, at the Gateway Region office.

In addition, the Gateway Region has developed a FAQ document that addresses many issues to assist players and parents. It may be found at our Documents link.