2006-07

Player’s Handbook

Version. D03031.1

Table of Contents

          Welcome!                                         Page 3

          Club Philosophy                                Page 4

          Expectations/Requirements               Page 5

          Club, Team, Player Finances              Page 7

          Conflict Resolution                            Page 11

          FAQ’s                                                Page 14

Welcome!

Welcome to the StrikeForce Volleyball Club.

You are now amongst a group of fellow sports enthusiasts who, like yourself, want to work hard, improve, and play some winning v-ball.

Being a part of this organization though, can mean much more than just playing volleyball. If you haven’t learned already, you will soon come to know that this organization is much like a family.

Like any family, there are some like views and some differing ones. There will be family bonding and sibling rivalry. It comes with the territory. Competition can bring out the best (and worst) in people.

Many of the people who have played in the SFVBC program have gone on to become tutors, coaches, and teachers… touching more lives… and helping more people.

Over the 20+ years of this club, many steadfast friendships have been forged. On and off the court, once you are a part of this organization, you have fellowship, teammates, and friends.

So again, from the SFVBC staff…welcome to

StrikeForce Volleyball Club

page 3

Club Philosophy

The StrikeForce Volleyball Club “mission” is to further enhance the game of volleyball in the Puget Sound Region and in the State of Washington, through education, training, and dedication to physical and mental conditioning.

We at StrikeForce hope to assist anyone who wishes to learn about the sport of volleyball, become a better player, and encourage him/her to help others in the same manner.

Playing this sport is awesome! There is no doubt about it. But if everyone ‘just played’, eventually volleyball would die out. Some people need to teach others, perpetuate the game, and help others to improve… That’s what SFVBC is all about.

This doesn’t necessarily mean by coaching. An encouragement, a smile, a friendship… a little prodding, some pushing… both of one’s self and of one’s teammates… these are all vital keys to helping others.

But most important of all, when the day is done, when the last point is over, win or lose, within this Club, we are friends and family. We cry on each others’ shoulders as we agonize over the defeats… and we cheer and rave at our team’s victories.

A wise man once said,

“A sorrow shared is halved, a joy shared is doubled”

Relative to the game of volleyball, no matter what your personal goals are, let this club, your teammates, and your coach, help you to attain them.

Strike First, Strike Fast, StrikeForce!

page 4

Expectations/Requirements

Within the StrikeForce Club, there are expectations of each player and of each team that need to be met in order to be successful as a team.

These ‘rules’ are in place for several reasons.

First, to promote unity… a winning team should be made up of players who are thinking the same way about the game. Six players on the court, all knowing what each other will do.

Secondly… is equality. No player, especially based upon ability or skill level, should be treated differently on the court. Each of us has abilities we have been given. The goal is to develop the skills to maximize those abilities and to make us the best players we can be so that we can blend them with other players to make us the best team we can be.

Lastly, to represent the SFVBC name honorably. When others from outside the Club, think or speak about StrikeForce, it should be a positive reference. It is the responsibility of each player to promote that attitude to the community.

Toward these ends, each member of SFVBC must comply with the following rules:

1. Players on SFVBC teams must attend weekly practice. If a player misses practice, informs the coach ‘well in advance’ AND the coach feels the reason is justified, the player must sit out the first match of his/her next tournament.  If a player misses practice without meeting the above criteria, the player must sit out the next tournament all-together. The player MUST attend the entire tournament though, suited to play.
   
    
2. SFVBC members must not drink alcohol nor take any illegal substances immediately prior to nor during any team practice or competition. Any player doing so shall be immediately lose their membership status and be expelled from SFVBC.
3. SFVBC members must treat fellow players, coaches, and staff with appropriate respect. Coaches may at will, insist that any player leave a practice or tournament if he/she feels it is in the best interest of the team or the Club. Refer to section on “Conflict Resolution” for specific guidelines in this area.
   
    
4. During competitions, SFVBC team players must make every effort to refrain from receiving any ‘cards’ or ‘sanctions’. Should a player receive a sanction from a referee or official, the player will be required to take certain steps prior to being allowed to continue with the team. Refer to the section on ‘Conflict Resolution’ for specifics.
   
    
5. SFVBC members must remain in ‘good financial standing’ within the Club. This can be a sensitive area for some players. Refer to the section on ‘Finances’ for specifics and options.
   
    
6. SFVBC members are required to ‘donate’ eight hours per year to Club approved or sponsored community improvement activities. As a part of the overall goals of this organization, SFVBC holds volleyball clinics, classes, and fund-raisers to further the advancement of volleyball education and access opportunites. Each player is required to donate a minimum of eight hours per year to such activities, but we ask that you offer more time if possible. We all love to help others get an opportunity to learn the game too.
   
    
7. Players on SFVBC teams must complete the USAV referee/scorer requirements for the indoor season. Any player failing to do so, will be required to be a ‘line judge’ for EVERY match in which his/her team is required to officiate. Should more than 2 players on any team fail to meet this requirement; additional tasks will be levied upon these players.
   
    
8. Players on all SFVBC teams are required to arrive prior to scheduled start time of practices and tournaments. For practices, ALL players need to be already warmed up and ready to begin rigorous physical activity by the time the scheduled ‘court time’ begins. For tournaments, although ‘team breakfasts’ are not mandated, they are STRONGLY encouraged. This begins the day on a bonded, unified note. In any case, all players are required to be in the gym at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time for the first match to begin. Failure to meet either of these requirements will result in the player not being allowed to play in the first match.

 pages 5,6

Club, Team, Player Finances

As always, when referring to finances of the organization, we need to point out, that no member of the SFVBC staff draws any kind of salary or is paid in any way, with the exception of independent contractor coaches hired by the teams.

Also, we recognize that the financial demographic within the Club is diverse. Should you have financial difficulties or would like to work out a modified payment schedule, please contact an SFVBC staff member and we will try our best to accommodate reasonable requests.

Like coaching styles, there are differing views on a team’s finances. No one view is necessarily correct or better than another, but… one way must be chosen and followed.

We can estimate the individual and team expenses, but there are going to be slight variations by in these expenses based on the requirements of each team.

Not all teams will be paying a coach.  Although the estimates provided include a coaching fee, no coaching fees will be collected and processed from players on a team without a coach.  2003 will be the last year that the coaching requirement is optional.

Different gym facilities have different rates.  Although an estimate of gym fees has been provided, the actual amount due for each specific facility will be collected and payments processed for any teams requiring gym rental processing.

Equipment requirement per team:

·        6 Balls in ‘good’ or better condition

·        1 Ball Bag

·        1 First-aid Kit (fully stocked)

·        1 Ball Bin

The following tables break down the ENTIRE season of ESTIMATED costs for each player.

Start-Up Costs (Membership, USAV Registration, and Uniforms): $124  Due the first night of practice.

Estimated Monthly Recurring Costs (Payment Processing Services available to members): $81 per month, Season total $405 (Dec-Apr)

NOTE: For your team, you may need to pay for gym space in advance, rather than on a monthly basis

One-Time Costs (Collected in Mid-Feb): $70

Summary of ESTIMATED costs for the entire indoor season:

Optional additional expenses might include:
Tournaments in excess of 2 in one month, all expenses related to competing in the National Tournament, team shorts, or additional team wear such as sweats.

~ NOTE ~
The above quoted costs are fairly accurate estimates.

We, the staff, have already fielded a few questions regarding the costs of playing. Please keep several things in mind…

pages 7-10

Conflict Resolution

Any time you put a group of highly competitive people together for any significant period of time, there are bound to be conflicts. Put those same people into an actual competition of some sort and the likelihood only increases.

Because of this, the following ‘conflict resolution’ steps have been set forth. ALL players are required to read, agree to, and sign a letter of acknowledgement of these procedures prior to playing with any team within the StrikeForce Volleyball Club.

Conflicts during Tournaments:

1.     Should any player receive a yellow card during a tournament, he/she must complete the following within 72 hours of receiving the sanction.

·        Mail or email a written apology to the referee that issued the sanction (copy also sent to Bill Foote of the SFVBC Staff).

·        Mail or email a written apology to the SF teammates of the player receiving the sanction (copy also sent to Bill Foote of the SFVBC Staff).

2.      Should any player receive a red card during a tournament, he/she must complete the following within 72 hours of receiving the sanction.

·        Mail or email a written apology to the referee that issued the sanction (copy also sent to Bill Foote of the SFVBC Staff).

·        Mail or email a written apology to the SF teammates of the player receiving the sanction (copy also sent to Bill Foote of the SFVBC Staff).

·        Mail or email a written apology to the Puget Sound Regional USAV office (copy also sent to Bill Foote of the SFVBC Staff).

3.      Should any player be requested to leave a practice or a tournament by his/her coach, that player shall immediately comply and the following steps taken:

·        The coach must notify the SFVBC office of the incident and details within 24 hours of occurrence.

·        The player and the coach, must schedule and hold a meeting outside of practice or tournament time to meet and attempt to resolve the conflict. If either party is not satisfied at this point,

·        The player, the coach, and an SFVBC staff member must schedule and hold a meeting outside of practice or tournament time (‘SFVBC time’) to meet and resolve the conflict.

4.      Should a player have a conflict with another player within his/her own team, the following steps should be taken, in order:

·        The first player should meet with the other player outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to try to resolve the issue. If the player is not satisfied,

·        The player should meet with the coach outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to try to resolve the issue. If the player still is not satisfied,

·        The player should schedule and meet with the player AND the coach outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to resolve the issue. If the player has not at this point, resolved the issue, then as a FINAL measure,

·        The player should schedule and hold a meeting of both players, the coach, and an SFVBC staff member to resolve the issue.

5.      Should a player have a conflict with another player within the Club, but on a different team, the following steps should be taken in order:

·        The first player should meet with the other player outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to try to resolve the issue. If the player is not satisfied,

·        The player should meet with either coach outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to try to resolve the issue. If the player still is not satisfied,

·        The player should schedule and meet with both coaches outside of ‘SFVBC time’ to resolve the issue. If the player still is not satisfied,

·        The player should schedule and hold a meeting of both players, and both coaches to resolve the issue. If the player has not at this point, resolved the issue, then as a FINAL measure,

·        The player should schedule and hold a meeting of both players, both coaches, and an SFVBC staff member to resolve the issue.

 pages 11-13

FAQ’s

Q:        What does the “Membership Fee” (Admin Fee) pay for?

A:         Equipment, printing costs, licenses, state and federal filing fees, and hopefully, an accounting program this year. The cost just to file federally to obtain our ‘non-profit’ status is $500.

Q:        Must I attend the “End of Year Awards Banquet”?

A:         Although I (Bill) believe that the Awards Dinner should be a mandatory event, the fact of the matter is, we can’t force anyone to go. Each year, it is a blast, and we’ve never heard anyone ever say, “I wish I hadn’t gone”, or “I didn’t have a good time”. Please consider this another “strong request” for you to attend.

Q:        $599 seems like a lot of money to play volleyball, please explain it to me again.

A:         Well, we took the projected gym costs through the whole season, the coaching fees, USAV registration fee… the whole nine yards… and laid it all out there for people to see. It’s a little higher than last season because of paying for a coach, a modest $15 admin fee, and the increased tournament entry fees, but all in all, we thought people should go in with eyes wide open, no surprises down the road.

Q:        How are tournament entries handled?

A:         Great question! Each team will need to “bank” two tournament fees ($220 total) here with the SFVBC office. When your team wants to register for a tournament, your team rep simply calls or emails a staff member, who will process your registration paperwork and payment to enter your team for that tournament. Then on tournament day, your team rep collects from each player and gives ONE check to the SFVBC staffer who is there at the tournament. That ‘replenishes’ your bank.

As long as you are only registering for two tournaments ahead, things are perfect. If your team gets 3 ahead, they will need to increases the team ‘banked’ amount here at the office.

Then, late in the season, your team will use the banked amount to enter your last two tournaments without replenishing the team bank.

Q:        How often and how much will I be paying?

A:         At the first practice of the season, you will need to write a check for at least $124 to cover the player “start up costs” as outlined in the finances section of this handbook.

After that, your TEAM will get an invoice of sorts the middle of each month that outlines the following month’s expenses for your team. Your team rep is responsible for collecting from the players or organizing fund raisers. The team rep submits ONE check to an SFVBC staff member on the first of the month to cover the month’s invoice.

Because of the “pre-pay requirements” of some gyms, some teams will need to pay more gym costs up front than others. Please speak to your team rep for specifics.

Then, early to mid-February, each player will be responsible for the “once a year” costs of Regionals and the Awards Banquet. This will be about $70.

Q:        How did the name “StrikeForce” originate?

A:         Well, that’s a question that only a few people have asked over the past 21 years. Originally, we were named “Sons of Thunder” after two of the Apostles. Then during a tournament one day, the coach, trying to fire up the team in a huddle said, “Strike first, strike fast, strike with force!”  Somehow the “StrikeForce” part stuck with a couple of the players and they suggested a name change. That was that. SFVBC was born.

pages 14-15