Are beginners invited to participate in this program?

For the Competition groups - NO.  The Competition group program is aimed at players who already have been in some sort of coached competitive environment.  Basic ball control and rules knowledge are expected.  The training groups are aimed at beginners and low intermediate players.


What is the attendance expectation of this program?  Are players expected to attend EVERY date?

While this program is, by nature, sequential, we understand that summer is a busy time for families, and not all players can make every single date. Thus, while we certainly encourage players to attend all the sessions, we understand that this may not be possible.  That said, players who attend all the sessions typically improve more quickly than intermittent attendees due to increased exposure and number of “touches.” We DO encourage players who have booked a season pass that cannot make certain dates to notify us beforehand so we can fill those dates with other available players and maintain our head count.


How much actual court time do players get?

ALL of it.  Part of the success of our program is based on the fact that, other than short breaks, ALL players are always engaged in setup, drills, coaching breakouts, water breaks, scrimmages, or takedown, period.  No bench time for anybody, ever.

We've actually done some math for the Competition group - based on some statistics pulled from women's junior tournament play, here are the average numbers of active touches (does not include blocks) by position for a  full day tournament.  A full day tournament typically averages 10 games and requires about a 9 hour commitment.

  • Outside hitters - 370 touches

  • Setters - 680 touches

  • Middle Blockers - 102 touches

In the 4 hour period of our typical Elemisha Volleyball event, each player will typically get 1000+ touches.


Does my son/daughter have to be a standout to participate in the Competition group?

Not at all.  This is a skills building program.  We want players with good attitudes who want to improve their play and are interested in competing hard every week.

We do NOT pay much attention to the following:

  • height

  • weight

  • position

  • fancy club or high school volleyball pedigree

We DO pay attention to these things:

  • attitude

  • coachability

  • enthusiasm

  • energy

  • ball control


Do I have to be a member of some particular organization to participate? What if my athlete has already played club and/or high school volleyball - do I still need to pay for AAU registration?

Because our program is run under the auspices of the AAU (primarily for event insurance), ALL participants must register with the AAU.  We handle this on our end when you register. School volleyball is insured under the local leagues, so there is no connection to the AAU.  If they played club volleyball, it is likely that his/her club play was under the NCVA, not the AAU.  That said, if it *does* turn out that he/she was registered with the AAU already, please feel free to send us their AAU registration information (their AAU number and an electronic copy of their AAU card) directly and they would NOT have to register again.


What are the age restrictions?

There are different age/skill groups.  Please see our GROUPINGS page.


Is there any specific equipment required?

No.  We supply the field, balls, EZ-Up, and nets.  Because this is will be in an outdoor environment on grass, we highly recommend that you arm your participants with: 

  • sleeved t-shirts

  • sunglasses

  • sunblock

That said, we WILL have sunblock available at all times and will FORCE all youth participants to use it.  Lastly, all youth players must have their parent(s) fill out and sign our Elemisha Volleyball Waiver.


Should I bring food, water/drinks, or ice?

We've got this all taken care of.  We already supply water, sports drinks, snacks, and ice for these events, so please do not feel the need to bring any of these items unless your participant has special dietary needs.


Do you have any recommendations for footwear?

We will be playing on grass - running or indoor athletic shoes are fine, cleats are preferred for ideal traction, barefoot is acceptable but not recommended - due to accelerated joint loading during play.


Can I register for multiple dates in one transaction?

Yes - many events have a season pass option that allows registrants to purchase a single ticket for the entire range of events.


Why does the date shown on the AAU registration page not necessarily match any of my event dates?

This is connected with how our registration tool (EventBrite) handles payment and dates.  Simply put, we needed to leave AAU registration open for the entire summer in case someone wants to register toward the end of the summer.  Thus, your credit card will not be charged for AAU registration until the end of the summer.