Badger News

The Badger Region Board of Directors met Monday, Nov. 20, and voted to allow an additional tryout and commitment period to take place in the summer starting with the 2024-25 club volleyball season while maintaining the October and November tryout and commitment periods that are currently in place.

The following motion was approved by the Board 11-1 and will be effective July 1, 2024.

The Badger Region will allow clubs to open tryouts to all ages and gender of athletes on the second Saturday after the conclusion of the final day of the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships (GJNC) or Boys Junior National Championships (BJNC) (whichever is later). All tryouts must be completed by 11:59 p.m. CT the Sunday before the start of the WIAA season. If an athlete receives an offer from a club, it must be honored until 7 p.m. CT Aug. 1. Any offer made after that time is at the discretion of the club.

No tryouts are allowed once high school season begins. If a club holds a tryout during the regular fall tryout period, they may do so the first Saturday in October for athletes 14-and-younger, or the Saturday after the conclusion of the WIAA state volleyball tournament (15-and-older). Clubs must honor their offers until the Monday after the tryout period at 7 p.m. Any offers made after 7 p.m. are at the discretion of the club.

Clubs can offer a retention offer to those athletes who played for their club that season for the following club season to athletes starting on July 1 through seven days after the final day of the GJNC or BJNC (whichever is later).

Details

The second Saturday after the last day of the GJNC and BJNC would allow a minimum of at least eight days for an athlete to recover from the end of their season. It will also allow some time for athletes and families to consider possible retention offers they may have received, and mirrors tryout policies from neighboring regions.

The policy allows clubs to host tryouts for all ages and genders during the summer tryout period while still retaining the fall tryout periods Clubs may choose to host tryouts during any or all of the available periods. The updated policy does not mandate that a club hold tryouts during the summer tryout period; this is up the discretion of each individual club.

The Aug. 1 commitment date allows a longer tryout period and will allow athletes to attend multiple tryouts possibly over two weekends. This gives athletes and families to try out at multiple locations and not have to race from club to club on just one day of tryouts. The Aug. 1 deadline gives clubs and athletes two weeks before the high school season starts.

Moving the retention period to July 1 through seven days after the final day of the GJNC or BJNC allows clubs who choose not to participate in the summer tryout period to retain athletes. The summer tryout period and summer retention appeal to athletes who want to know what club they will train with and compete with after their high school or middle school seasons.

If a club chooses to host a tryout in the summer period, they can then advertise for available team openings for the fall tryout periods. Allowing a summer tryout gives clubs additional planning time to organize their resources to prepare for the upcoming club volleyball season.

Timeline

These policies will go into effect for the 2024-25 season, with the applicable dates below for the coming season

1. Retention will open July 1, 2024, for the 2024-25 season
2. the last day of the 2024 GJNC / BJNC will be July 11.
3. The last day a retention offer can be signed will be July 18.
4. The first allowed dates for tryouts will be July 20
5. The first commitment date will be Aug. 1. Any offers made after this date are at the discretion of the club.
6. The last allowed date of summer tryouts will be Aug. 18.
7. WIAA (high school) season starts Aug. 19
8. Fall tryouts can start Oct. 5 for 14-and-under (Commitment date: Oct.7)
9. Fall tryouts can start Nov. 16 for 15-and-older (Commitment date: Nov. 18)
   

More details about how official commitments will be made and other logistical adjustments will be published once they are finalized.

The Badger Region appreciates all of the time spent by the tryout committee, board members, club directors and others during this several year process. Numerous surveys of families and clubs, club director listening sessions and almost two years of planning went into the decision made by the Board of Directors.

We understand that with change comes questions, which we will help facilitate. Please send any questions to membership@badgervolleyball.org.

Thank you for your support of the Badger Region.

Signed,

Badger Region Board of Directors