RAIDER VOLLEYBALL TRYOUT INFORMATION



LADY KNIGHTS VOLLEYBALL INFORMATION

Welcome to Lady Knights Volleyball

The Knights Volleyball coaches are looking for dedicated student-athletes who take pride in their school and are willing to make a maximum effort in both the classroom and on the volleyball court. Wearing a Knights uniform is a privilege, one that carries both responsibilities and rewards.

Athletic Paperwork

Athletes can attend tryouts ONLY after completing all the paperwork required:

• Signed Parent Permission

• Proof of Medical Insurance

• Current Physical Exam - good for 24 months

• Concussion Management Form

• Purchase an ASB Card

All your paperwork must be complete and returned to the Bremerton HS Activities Office before participation at tryouts will be allowed.

Forms can be picked up in the Activities Office or found online at:

Questions about paperwork should be directed to Ms. Donna Maib (360 473-0905, donna.maib@) in the BHS Activities and Athletics Office.

Volleyball Tryout, Camp and Practice Schedule

Tryouts and team camp will begin Monday, August 20nd in the Bremerton High School Gym and will run for 2 weeks thru Friday, August 31st. 2-a-day practices will be held Monday – Friday from 1:30pm – 4:30pm and 6:30pm – 9:00pm. Teams will be decided no later than Friday night, August 24th.

Be on time and do not schedule conflicting appointments during any part of tryouts or camp. You must attend every session, unless you have made specific arrangements – in writing and in advance – with Coach Renken.

If a player is planning on missing ANY portion of tryouts, camp, practice, a match or other volleyball commitment for ANY reason (excused or unexcused), they must bring a note signed by a parent/guardian with their name, the exact times and dates they will be missing and the reason. If the absence is unplanned due to an emergency, please contact me by phone as early as possible!

The absence will generally be considered excused if it involves a school related activity (like LINK, orientation, schedule pick up, etc) that does not take excessive amounts of time away from volleyball.

I will not make value judgements about the worth of other activities which a player/family chooses to attend such as church, weddings, birthdays, vacations, visits with family or relatives, concerts, plays or other activities. They will all be considered unexcused. Unexcused absences are choices and like all choices, they have consequences such as not starting the next match or loss of playing time. Please weigh your priorities, keep your commitment to the team in mind, and make your choices as appropriately for your values.

Unexcused absences during tryouts and camp will result in being placed on JV for a probationary period equal to the length of time missed. During the probationary period, the player will be evaluated and may be cut or moved up to Varsity based on ability, attitude and needs of the team.

Tryouts and camp make up over 50% of our total practice time during the whole season. This time is critical to developing individual skills and playing as a team.

Additionally, by WIAA rules, all players are required to have 10 practice days prior to being eligible to play.

Regular practices will be held Monday – Friday, 3:00pm – 5:30pm starting Sept 3th. Some practices may be added on Saturday mornings from 9:00am-11:30am, as determined during the season.

Varsity Tournament is TBD. A jamboree on September 1st on Whidbey Island is one of our options. Players should keep this date available. If we don’t attend the Jamboree, we may try to attend a UW Women’s Volleyball Game in Seattle.

JV Tournament is Sept 15th at the Kitsap Pavilion. This will be an all day event and there will be no bus transportation. V will have a morning practice and then attend a portion of the JV tournament to support their teammates.

BHS Girl’s Volleyball Website:



This website will be updated periodically with schedules and handouts.

I will also communicate via email, text and the Facebook group, Bremerton High School Volleyball.

What to Bring/ What to Wear

Wear comfortable clothes: t-shirt, shorts/spandex, socks and court shoes. Do not wear spaghetti-strap tops or shirts exposing a bare midriff. Do not wear jewelry (including earrings) to the gym.

Water bottles are required. Kneepads and ankle braces are highly recommended, but not required for tryouts.

What to Expect at Tryouts

Expect to work hard: You will be asked to perform all physical testing and drills at full speed. You should run when shagging balls, when moving from drill to drill and when going to and from water breaks.

Skill Introduction: Prospective student athletes will be taught the basics of the Lady Knights Volleyball system, including passing, serving, attacking, setting, blocking and defense.

Attitude Evaluation: Prospective student athletes should be willing to try hard, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes and keep trying. Coaches will take note of those players who demonstrate progress and determination while learning new skills.

As with most team sports, coaches will evaluate players for their ability and potential to fill specific positional needs (setter, outside hitter, middle blocker, opposite hitter, defensive specialist, and/or libero).

Tryout Evaluation Criteria

The coaching staff will be looking for coachable athletes who have a great work ethic and want to learn to be better players and teammates.

Prior volleyball experience or skill helps, but is not required. Prospective student-athletes will be tested and evaluated for their overall athletic ability and level of volleyball skill.

Coaches will evaluate the following:

• Attitude: Players who are coachable, positive, competitive, determined and eager to learn.

• Athletic Ability: Players with the ability to learn and perform the basic volleyball skills.

• Position: Players whose skills fit a specific need for the team’s overall balance.

• Physical Testing: approach jump, agility, speed, strength and balance

Evaluation will be based on statistical observation of volleyball skills and physical testing and by subjective observation of communication, attitude and interaction with coaches and teammates.

All players should be aware that assignment to a team can be fluid and players can be moved between teams, either up or down, based on ability, development and team needs. This can happen for a practice, for a match or can be a longer term change.

How to Impress the Coaches

1. Be among the first to arrive in the gym and among the first to help set up nets and equipment and put away equipment.

2. Be among the first to line up for drills.

3. Look the coach in the eye when she/he speaks to you or the team.

4. Be a champion ball shagger.

5. Communicate with your teammates by calling the ball, calling for a set, calling blockers and open court, calling switches, transition, and hitter coverage.

6. Hustle for every ball and never let a ball drop in your area.

7. Listen to directions and ask questions, if you don’t understand.

Tryouts are a difficult time. One of the toughest jobs for any coach is the final decision about which players make which team, and those who do not. The coaching staff strives to make all decisions fairly, without bias, based on observations and statistics during the 5 days of tryouts. During the tryout process, it is not unusual for some girls to decide they would rather not continue trying out. If you think you’d like to withdraw from consideration for a spot on the team, please talk with one of the coaches before leaving the gym.

If you are not selected this season, and would like to try out again in the future, there are other options available to you that may help you in the future.

1. Be a team manager. Volleyball managers have a chance to learn leadership and organizational skills and fill a valuable role on the team.

2. Play another sport. Fall sports include soccer, swimming, and cross country.

3. Try out for club volleyball or attend a camp or clinic. There are several good club teams in the area, such as Olympic Premier, Gig Harbor and Bainbridge. Area clubs, schools and colleges also offer volleyball camps and clinics during the summer. Additionally, there are multitudes of opportunities in the Seattle area, if you are willing to travel.

Time Commitment for Volleyball

Building a team requires a commitment of everyone’s TIME.

Our season is short…tryouts begin August 20th, and the first match is on Sept 4th, before the first day of school, and the season ends by early November. Focus during the brief period is incredibly important.

As a member of the BHS Volleyball team, you are expected to commit to the team by:

Attend every practice

Skills training, lesson plans and game preparations are all built one step on top of another. Coaches will not have the opportunity to help players “catch up.” If you know you must miss a practice, you must call the coaches in advance. Phone numbers will be given out once teams are assigned. It will be your responsibility to make up the practice session that you missed.

Attend every match

There are usually two and sometimes three matches a week. Players will assist with setup for home matches. On match days, all players must attend each others matches as well as their own. The team not playing may be asked to help officiate the other match and/or record statistics and help during warm-ups and cleanup. No one may leave a match early unless she receives permission from her coach; that permission is rarely given.

Ride the team bus

For road matches at other high schools, all players must ride the team bus to the game. A player should be prepared to do homework during the bus rides. A player may, however, go home from the opponent’s gym with her parents as long as the parent signs them out with the coach. All other players must return to BHS on the team bus.

Avoid other conflicts

Before you plan anything outside volleyball, please check with your coach for any VB obligation that you may be interfering with. Try to avoid conflicts, if at all possible. If you do find a conflict, talk with the coaches early.

Team Philosophy

The coaches love volleyball. They are committed to you as students, as athletes and as young women. It is their goal to provide every opportunity for you to become as good as you want to be. More important, they strive to help you and your teammates become the best team you can be.

The team comes first

As a volleyball player, you agree that the team is paramount. Your individual goals and your team’s goals do not necessarily conflict, but when they do, you accept that decisions are made for the good of the team. Successes are sweeter and losses sting less – when they are shared.

Rules help our team run smoothly

Each player must decide if she buys into our system and is willing to commit to this team. Every rule is for the benefit of the team, and you have to decide, in advance, whether you want to follow them. If not, you should not be part of the team.

Our team thrives on trust and respect

You must trust your coach and your teammates, and behave in a way that earns their respect. You must do everything reasonably necessary to make yourself and your team better.

Our athletes learn to be coachable

There is often more than one way to do things correctly. In some cases, however, your coaches will select a specific strategy for the benefit of the entire team, even if it may not seem to benefit a particular individual. You must be willing to make changes according to your coaches’ suggestions. If coaches seem to be ‘riding’ you, it is usually because they think you are capable of a higher level of performance.

Our athletes know their roles

Each athlete knows where they fit on the team. Every role is important to the success of the team. Everyone contributes something different.

Our team works hard

Everyone wants to win, but few make the sacrifices to do it. No one will give you anything in life, you must earn it. You cannot cut corners. If, for example, you don’t have a consistent, killer serve, you should work long and hard to get one.

Our team has balance

To balance academics, athletics, work and family, you must plan ahead and make difficult choices. Choices have consequences. The choices you make will affect your future opportunities. Choose wisely.

Our team can be successful

Your coaches want you to know that almost any obstacle can be overcome with hard work. Commitment, perseverance and responsibility will be rewarded.

Our team passes it on

As you move through high school, share your new skills and insights with new or younger players. Be generous with your time. Consider helping at the middle school or club level as an assistant coach or referee. Be an active and involved BHS alumnus.

Parent Expectations

Parents are central to success as we build the BHS Volleyball Program. Parents can help by providing support and encouragement to their daughters and volunteering to help with tournaments, games and fundraising.

Communicating with coaches

Coaches understand the parenting joys and frustrations that can accompany high school athletics. We are glad to speak with you about your daughter, but ask that you:

• Insist that your daughter try to work out volleyball-related issues directly with her coach before enlisting your assistance. Learning to deal with authority figures is one of the supreme benefits of participation in organized sports.

• Avoid jumping to conclusions. Remember that some teenagers tend to exaggerate both when praised and criticized, and that decisions about complicated issues like playing time are usually the product of many factors.

• Coaches are happy to explain the reasons for a particular decision but we will not negotiate over roles or playing time.

24 hour rule

If you are concerned about a volleyball-related issue that requires you to speak directly with a coach, we ask that you wait 24 hours after the triggering event. Cooler heads are inevitably more productive. We always enjoy chatting with parents at the conclusion of matches, but cannot address non-emergency issues at that time. We also cannot interrupt practice sessions.

Playing time

For coaches, delegating playing time is a zero-sum exercise; the decision to give one player more time on the court means another player will get less. As such, all good coaches know that with each decision, however well-considered, comes the likelihood that someone will be disappointed.

• Strong teams have strong benches. Players who keep focused on the match while not on the court greatly increase their chances of success once they enter the game. Spirited bench players almost always infect their teammates with optimism and extra energy.

• Lineup decisions are primarily the result of careful consideration about our own team’s chemistry, and our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. Playing time is earned by hard work, proven performance and an occasional hunch. Coaches take a season-long view about each player’s time on the court.

Parents should resist measuring their daughter’s volleyball experience solely by the amount of her playing time. We strive to inject each player with a love for the sport, teaching her to value the opportunity to be strong and confident, whether in practice or a game.

Sportsmanship

All players, parents and fans are expected to demonstrate the highest level of sportsmanship while representing BHS Volleyball. Please cheer for our team’s efforts and successes but do not celebrate our opponents’ mistakes.

• While in the gymnasium, keep all comments positive.

• Volleyball officials are off-limits. Players must learn to perform under adversity, and to not waste emotion or effort on things not within their control.

• Take the time to learn more about volleyball rules and strategy. What sometimes seems like a blown call or a poor coaching decision often looks much different if you a more detailed appreciation for the nuances of this sometimes – complicated sport.

Contact Info

Please feel free to contact me! Personal email (kimrenken@) is best and cell phone is second (360-434-5314). If it’s time critical and during the working day – call me at work (360-627-2709) or email me at work (kimberly.renken@navy.mil) as I do not have access to Yahoo email or my cell phone during the work day.

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