the 12s & 10s and under team.  If your daughter is trying out for the 12s & 10s and under team, please

read the information below and then go to the 12s & 10s and under team here or at the bottom of the page.

The Directors of The Advance Volleyball Club would like to share the following information with all those considering trying out to become a part of our JO Club program. We feel it is important to understand why we are taking the JO Club in what we think is a different direction than other clubs 

and also how we plan to do it. Some of the information presented can be found in other areas of our website and the rest will be our thoughts regarding how we believe we can make the Advance 

Volleyball JO Club a positive experience for all involved. Please read this information and carefully consider your decision to become a part of this cutting edge program.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Advance is looking for very special athletes. These athletes should be ready to move their game to another level through dedication, hard work and discipline. We have learned through our experiences 

and talking with many other successful coaches that these three elements, equally applied, can lead 

to an athlete becoming a strong competitor on the court and a successful person outside of sports. 

At Advance we are striving to achieve this balance in young people’s lives and help them to reach 

any and all goals they set for themselves.

The dedication required to become an elite athlete must be found from within the athletes themselves. Athletes will be asked to prioritize their activities with first consideration being given to the Advance Program. When a group of people share the same goal, it would be unfair that some of that group not dedicate themselves to the same activities required to reach that goal. Attending every practice, getting adequate rest before tournaments, accepting coaches’ decisions and following ALL of the rules are 

all part of the activities that will make the team successful. We do not expect these athletes to give 

up all of their other activities outside of Advance but we do ask that Advance be given first priority 

above other conflicting activities. Unfortunately, many tournaments take place on Sundays so this is 

a decision that will have to be considered by each athlete and their family.

At Advance, we know that many girls are a multiple sport athlete.  The one instance Advance will not 

let our JO Program interfere with the High School Basketball program.  Most Freshman, JV and 

Varsity Basketball teams season will be completed by mid Feb.  Mid Feb. is when Advance gets 

started in their practices.  If your Basketball team extends its season in the playoffs and there is a 

conflict with your Basketball team and Advance practices.  Your HS Basketball program should 

take precedence and we WILL NOT penalize the athlete during this circumstance.  

Note:  Unfortunately some middle schools and CYO basketball programs or other programs get 

started in Jan or Feb and run extensively into our JO Season.  Advance Expects to be the priority 

sport and will not accept missed practices for  basketball or other any other outside activity.  Other 

Club programs are more willing to allow missed practices or game days so it may be wise to find an alternative program that will accommodate this type of schedule.

Also, Advance and all teams will be off for week of Spring Break and Easter.  We know that some players' schools take spring break at a different time then others, so should a vacation or family 

function during this time interferer with practice or a JO Match, just notify your coach a couple of 

weeks ahead of time.  Again, during this circumstance Advance WILL NOT penalize the athlete just 

as long as the coach is notified in ample time.

In order to create a strong team, hard work is essential in every practice and tournament game. The 

hard work begins when you prepare yourselves both mentally and physically to come to practice. 

We will expect each athlete to give their best effort in every drill. Remember that playing time is 

earned. It is earned in practice and not simply by just being there. The athlete must be willing to 

change their bad habits and learn. They must be willing to try new things and reach outside their 

existing comfort zone to reach another level of excellence.  They must be willing to accept criticism 

as part of the learning process and not as a personal attack. The coaches respect each athlete they 

work with and are willing to help them improve any way they can. Both the coaches and players hard work will show through by the teams’ performances at tournaments. We believe this;  you play the 

way you practice. Practice like a successful team and you will play like one.

Discipline simply shows a respect for what you are dedicating yourself to. It also creates many good habits that can be applied in the students’ life as well as life in general. Things like being on time, 

using checklists to make sure you have what you need to participate, and a regimented routine during activities all contribute to ones success as a competitor and a person. We believe strongly in this discipline and expect and require any athlete selected to be a part of the Advance Program to believe 

in it also.

FOR TEAM SELECTION

Every Advance JO Team is open to any player. Our tryouts are for every spot. We do not believe in placing or inviting kids to be on teams prior to trying out.  We will not cater to an individual school system even if a coach from that school system becomes part of our program.

What makes Advance JO Club different than other JO Clubs ?

NO. 1   Our JO Tryouts are designed & broken down for the specific skilled positions.

Advance tryouts are offered by age and position. Advance wants to build strong JO teams utilizing the best talent 

in the best position for each team. In order to do this we want our tryouts to allow the athlete to showcase their 

talents at the position they desire or are interested in. They will be evaluated only in that category and ranked according to those results. Teams will consist of the following positions: Setter(s), Hitter(s) and defensive 

specialist(s).  If we feel that the athlete may be better served by considering a different position we will tell them

 and allow them to train in that position if they choose. Also, with the indications that the Libero (defensive 

specialist) will be coming to Ohio High Schools in the near future, it will be important to develop this position.

NO. 2   Team selection is designed on ability or skill level & NOT on just age alone.

Advance teams will be built using the talent that best suits that team’s make-up. If a younger player shows the 

ability and maturity to be placed with older, equally talented athletes to form a good team, this is what will occur regardless of ages. In turn, the teams will be registered with USA Volleyball to accommodate these variations. 

We may have 14, 15 or 16 year old athletes playing 17 open IF their abilities warrant it. 

NO. 3   No limit on Player Opportunity.

Since we have no loyalty to any High School Programs each athlete will be evaluated based on their talent and 

attitude. Everyone trying out for Advance JOs’ will be evaluated equally and fairly with no outside influence. The evaluation process and results will be made available on an INDIVIDUAL basis to any parent requesting it 

AFTER the tryouts have taken place. Advance tryouts are unbiased and athletes will be chosen on ability and character alone.

NO. 4   Cross-Team Training.

Advance Team Training is structured so that not only does each athlete learn along with their teammates but also

have the opportunity to train individually with our coaches in specific areas. For instance, Advance will use part of 

the training time to isolate hitters, setters and defensive specialists from each team. These groups will then be 

trained individually in their specific skills. To reiterate our philosophy, training individual skills leads to better 

team players. By utilizing part of this training time to focus on specific areas of the game, we believe our teams 

will improve at a faster rate. This also means more training time for each athlete individually to prepare them 

better for their High School Program.

NO. 5   Playing time is earned and not open for discussion.

Playing time is always a big issue. We believe we have the answer for this. Playing time for Advance JOs’ will be EARNED and NOT open for discussion. If the athlete is selected to play in the Advance Program we are 

confident that they will receive an adequate amount of playing time. Because Advance is choosing to offer a 

limited number of opportunities those involved will be dedicated to and understand the demands placed on them. (Please see JO Program Rules)

NO. 6   Advance Coaches offer consistent training.

Advance structures all of its’ training on principles and techniques set forth by the directors. All coaches involved 

with Advance are asked to learn, understand and apply those same principles and techniques in their training as 

well. In other words, all coaches at Advance are on the same page. Although game situations and personalities 

may be different among our coaches, you can be assured that the athlete will be trained consistently using the most modern and proven methods available. Advance is highly organized with good communications and that will carry 

over into our JO Program as well.

NO. 7   Tournament schedule designed for nearest locations.

The Advance JO tournament schedule will be planned using the nearest locations for most tournaments in order to 

limit the amount of time and travel families need to commit. Some area USAV adult tournaments may be included 

to provide high level competition close to home. If one of our teams show the need and ability to go to larger 

tournaments for better competition or to showcase a particular group of players this will be discussed with the 

team and parents and arrangements made accordingly.

For 12s, 10s & Under information please read the 12s & 10s and under Link!   (click on green)