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July 6, 2023: Volleyball Canada announces 2024 Youth Nationals dates

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VC acknowledges that, in previous years, the registration format was stressful and caused issues with technology for many users.  It has since been concluded that a lottery would provide an equitable registration process for all Nationals participants.  The lottery format alleviates several key stress points: 

1.      Participants no longer need to have access to reliable internet; 

2.      Participants no longer need to take time out of the workday in order to prepare to click a link at the exact right time; 

3.      Reduces the burden on clubs who need to register multiple teams at the same time. 

The expression of interest will allow VC to invite teams directly and opens up the event’s full capacity therefore limiting the number of teams directed to the waitlist.  VC will also be able to adjust the number of courts designated per age/gender of a tournament to better serve the demands of any particular age/gender. 

While we recognize the stress associated with getting into Nationals cannot be alleviated, we are working to limit the stress of the overall registration process.  

Questions about Registration? Click here

Watch our info session reviewing the new registration process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDObgjQf3LM 

Registration

New for 2024!  VC will be launching an all new registration process in an effort to reduce the stress and time sensitive pressures associated with Nationals registration.  

From December through January, teams will have the opportunity to fill out an expression of interest for attending Nationals.  All interested teams will be placed into a lottery and will be drawn to determine the teams who will be invited to register.  

14U teams may only submit one (1) expression of interest per team per event (Ottawa, Fredericton, Richmond, Edmonton), however they may submit additional expressions of interest if they wish to attend multiple 14U events. These teams will be waitlisted for any/all events after their first event invitation to ensure that all interested teams have an opportunity to participate before a second invitation is offered. 

**Additional note for 14U** When expressing interest, please select a priority (First, Second, Third) for each event to help with invites.

A $500 deposit will be required with each expression of interest, this amount will be removed from the overall amount owing on the registration fee.

Once the tournament is at capacity, remaining teams will be placed on a waitlist based on the order of the lottery draw. Selected teams will then receive an invitation to register via Sportlomo.   

In the event that a team does not submit an expression of interest in the allotted timeframe, they will be able to submit a late expression of interest and will be added to the waitlist. 

We are excited to offer this new opportunity as all teams will have the time to complete the registration process on their own schedule and not have to recruit multiple individuals to be a part of the registration process.  

Pre-Registration

Championship Tier Medalists from 2023 will be offered an opportunity to register for Nationals prior to the general registration period.  

New for 2024!  Provincial/Territory Gold Medalists from 2023 will now also receive Pre-Registration for 2024 Nationals.   

Pre-Registration invites will be sent out Monday, December 11th, 2023 and will expire December 20th, 2023.

Expression of Interest

To express interest in the registration lottery please fill out form between December 11 – January 7th by midnight EST.

**Teams expressing interest after January 7th will be invited to register if there is space. If the event is full, teams will be added to the waitlist in the order that they express interest. To express interest after January 7th, please click here.

Click here to Express Interest for 2024 Nationals

Click here to Express Interest in Playing up at 2024 Nationals (Opens January 22nd, 2024)

Click here to view the list of teams who have submitted an Expression of Interest as of January 5th, 2024 at 12:00pm.

Registration How-To

All team registrations for Nationals are done on SportLoMo. For assistance with registering a team, please consult the Nationals Registration Guides.

Club Portal (AB, NB, MB, NS, BC, NL, PEI, YK)

Club Administrator

Club Administrator Portal Registration Guide 

Rostered Coach/Official (Team Manager) *appropriate membership required 

Rostered Coach/Official (Team Manager) Login for Club Portal Registration Guide Coaches or Team Managers (parents) added to their Team's Roster on the Club Portal 

*Membership varies by PTA for adding Parents to Team Staff, please contact your PTA.

Non-Club Portal (ON, QC, SK, and the Territories)

Non-Club Portal Registration Guide 

If you are unsure which registration process (Club vs Non-Club Portal) please reach out to your Provincial membership coordinator.

The 2024 registration fee for Fredericton is $1085.

Registered Teams

Click below for a list of Registered and Waitlisted Teams. (updated 2/23/24)

Boys

Girls

**Room to expand

Please note that teams who have pending invites are not currently listed on the Registered Team List nor are they on the Waitlist. Teams will be noted on the updated list once the registration is complete or expires.

Waitlist

Once an age/gender category is full, teams will be placed on the waitlist based on the order of the lottery draw and/or the date of submission of the late expression of interest.

VC may invite a team(s) off of the waitlist:

• If a team does not accept an invitation
• If a team withdraws from the event
• If there is sufficient space in the facility to expand the event
• If there are enough teams on the waitlist (minimum of 4 to 8 teams required)

Rosters

Below are the team Submitted Rosters provided to Volleyball Canada for Nationals .
Teams are permitted to make the following updates at coach check-in

-Adding/changing jersey numbers
-Scratching players/team personnel
-Adding players who are on the provincial roster but not included in the posted -Nationals rosters
-Teams must provide a copy of the approved Provincial Roster, or approved communication from your PTA. 
 

Any changes to the team personnel must be done via an exemption form.

14UG Rosters ** Teams from the expansion are not listed

14UB Rosters 

All players participating at Nationals MUST be the same as those listed on the roster for their PTA Championship. Coaches will be required to present their official roster for each match for verification by the referee and scorekeeper as rosters will not be printed on the scoresheet.  If the official roster is lost, a replacement can be purchased for $20.

Team staff participating at Nationals are not required to be on the PTA Championship Roster. However, they must meet all roster requirements and/or exemption requirements to be added to the official roster.

New for 2024!  Teams will submit their official roster directly to VC via Sportlomo. All rosters must be submitted by March 28th, 2024.

All rosters will be locked as of the provincial roster lock date.  Teams are required to review their Nationals’ roster following their provincial championships to ensure that any roster changes (if applicable) made between the provincial roster lock and the provincial championships have been recorded on the Nationals roster. Please note that changes or additions cannot be made during Coach Check-in

New for 2024!  Teams who submit a roster that does not match their PTA Championship roster will be subject to the following penalties:

·        The team will receive a fine of $1500

·        The Head Coach and/or club may be placed on the National not in good standing list,

·        The team and/or club may be ineligible to participate in the following year’s Nationals

Important Reminder! The roster lock date for teams from New Brunswick who are attending Nationals will be March 28th, 2024 (registration closing date).

Ontario Teams: VC and Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) have different policies regarding the 14U age categories. The OVA has an extended 14U age range which exceeds VC's 16-month window. If you have an athlete/athletes on your roster that exceed VC's 16-month window, they will be deemed ineligible to participate at Nationals and will be removed from the teams' roster. 

Click here to view the 2024 Indoor Nationals Age Categories.

Click here to view the Age Category Exemption form; exemptions are granted in exceptional circumstances only.

Roster Exemption 

Please complete a request form if you wish to make a change to your provincial championship roster for VC Nationals. Please note that exemptions will only be granted under exceptional circumstances. All team personnel changes must fall within the guidelines listed in the Coach Certification Policy. Player changes should fall within the following guidelines:

• Teams must have seven (7) or fewer players remaining for their Nationals roster
• Incoming player(s) must have played the current season with the same club
• Incoming player(s) could not have played on a team who was declared at an older age category during the current season (16U player who played on a 17U team during the same season)

Coach/Team Staff Exemption Form
$50 for team personnel change

Athlete Exemption Form
$100 for player change

For questions regarding roster exemption please contact: Sandra de Graaff, Director, Domestic Competitions

Any teams playing up by 1 or more divisions from their declared age category must wait until January 22nd, 2024 to express their interest to play at the older age group.  If space is available, teams will be invited to register.  If the event is full, teams will be waitlisted in the order that they have expressed interest. 
 
This is to give all “of-age” teams a chance to register in their appropriate age group. Any team found in violation of this rule will be subject to removal from the tournament. If a team wishes to play up but the event fills before the play-up registration date, the team will be added onto the waitlist on January 22nd. 

Example: a 14U girls team may express interest to compete in the Fredericton Nationals. If that team wishes to also play in the 15U Nationals in Edmonton they must wait until January 22nd to express interest for that event. If the 14U girls team plans to only compete in 15U Nationals, they must still wait to register until January 22nd. 

If you wish to withdraw from Nationals, please complete the Team Withdrawal Form.

Teams who wish to withdraw from Nationals will be eligible for a refund as per the following timelines:

** Teams who do not submit a withdrawal form and who do not attend Nationals are subject to the following penalties:   
-No refund for registration fees  
-A fine in the amount of $1500 
-A not in good standing status for the head coach and/or club should the     penalties not be completed in the specified timeline.   

The registration closing date for the 2024 Nationals is March 28th, 2024. 

Early Bird Tournament passes will be available for purchase at a discounted rate on Thursday, February 15th at 12 pm (noon) EST. Tournament passes will increase to full price on Thursday, April 18th at 12 pm (noon) EST.

Online Tournament pass sales will be deactivated on Monday, April 29th, 2024, at 12 pm (noon) EST.

NOTE: All event pass options will be available for purchase on-site.

New for 2024! Cash payments will NOT be accepted on-site.

Refunds:

Refunds will only be provided for event passes which have not been secured or worn by the spectator. To request a refund, please contact nationals@volleyball.ca.

Please note that athletes and team staff are not required to purchase an event pass as accreditation will be provided at Coach Check-in. 

For information and questions regarding event passes, please contact nationals@volleyball.ca or 613-748-5681 x231.

Volleyball Canada is not responsible for any lost or stolen passes.

Fredericton Event Pass Purchase Link: https://VolleyballCanada.formstack.com/forms/event_passes_2024_fredericton

Tournament passes purchased online will be available for pick up at Will Call. Make sure to have a piece of photo I.D. as well your confirmation email with you when picking up your pass.

Further information regarding ticketing hours and locations per event will be available in the Spring.

If you are picking up a pass under another name, please have the confirmation email from their purchase to receive these passes.

Fredericton Event Pass Purchase Link: https://VolleyballCanada.formstack.com/forms/event_passes_2024_fredericton 

Address: 

600 Knowledge Park Dr, Fredericton, NB E3C 2N5

Parking:

Grant-Harvey Centre has free onsite parking. 

Please be advised that no outdoor food or drink are permitted in the facility

VC’s Stay to Play policy is in effect for the 2024 Nationals. This means that all participating travelling teams are required to book hotel rooms through the event’s Accommodation Management Provider (AMP), in order to be eligible to play in the tournament.

For more information on the Stay to Play policy, please review the Volleyball Canada Stay to Play Overview and our Frequently Asked Questions document.

VC is once again pleased to be working with HTG Sports Services who is the official AMP for Nationals 2024. Please refer to the chart below for the tournament accommodation opening dates.

Nationals Accommodations Contact Information:

For questions regarding the Stay to Play Policy and Exemption Requests, please contact: nationals@volleyball.ca

Hotel Booking Link: Please note, the booking link will be posted approximately half an hour before the portal opens. Links will only go live at the designated opening time. 

Booking Link - Opens February 27th @ 10AM EST

Hotel Preview Links:

To view the list of 2024 Fredericton Hotels, click here.

Team Cap - 12 Rooms:

Due to unprecedented demand in certain markets, VC has lowered the hotel caps for 2024 to ensure all travelling teams have fair access to accommodations. These caps are the maximum number that can be reserved per team during the initial booking period.  All caps are identified on the event web pages as well as in the preview links.

We ask that only confirmed or required rooms be booked during the initial booking period. Historically, there have been significant room drop-offs by the time final rooming lists are due as clubs have booked more than they needed. This takes away rooms from other clubs trying to book for their teams. 

Additional rooms, should they be available, can only be requested once your initial block has been completed and/or filled. 

Please refer to the below guide for an overview of the hotel booking process for HTG. VC strongly recommends teams review this prior to the booking portal opening.

HTG Booking Guide

Volleyball Canada offers exemptions from the Stay to Play policy for both teams and individuals under the following categories:

1. Proximity Exemption:

If a team/player meets one of the criteria below, they would be eligible for a local exemption.

• If the team/athlete is based within the specified proximity distance from the competition venue.
• If member(s) of the team plan to stay with family or friends that reside within the specified proximity distance of the competition venue.
   

The proximity distances for 2024 Nationals are:

 Note: If your Club falls within the proximity distance, and your Club Team decides to book accommodations, bookings must be made through Hudson Travel Group (HTG) to help support the event. 

Pre-Approved Local Clubs – Volleyball Canada and the host PTAs have pre-approved local clubs that fall within the designated proximity distances. Any teams associated with a club on this list are automatically exempt from the Stay to Play requirement. No further action is required on their part. To view the list of clubs, please see the link below.

•               2024 Pre-Approved Local Club List 

*If your club is not listed but should be based on its club address, please have a club administrator complete the S2P Local Exemption Form to have your club reviewed.

2. Special Exemption:

For exemption requests that do not fall under the above category, a Special Exemption Request must be submitted.

Please note, that previous booking exemptions will not be considered. Teams who book a hotel room outside the Stay to Play policy will be required to cancel their hotel bookings and book through the designated hotel provider.

Exemption Request Process: 

To apply for an exemption from the Stay to Play policy, teams will be required to complete the online S2P Exemption Request Form. The opening date for submission requests is December 15, 2023. The closing date for submissions is April 2, 2024.

S2P Exemption Request Form - Now closed for 2024

Volleyball Canada will respond with the result of the request within 10 business days. Exemptions are not final until official approval is received from Volleyball Canada. 

Who is eligible:

• Any club with three (3) or more registered teams in a single event; AND,
• Clubs looking to have all teams stay in the same hotel.

Any club meeting the above criteria will be provided with the opportunity to book their entire group into one of the designated ‘large club’ properties. The designated hotels were selected by VC and HTG and were chosen to ensure options meeting a variety of potential team needs.

How to Book: VC will email all registered eligible clubs/teams directly with full booking details on February 2nd. After receiving the email, teams will be required to confirm their participation and provide the following details to VC. If you do not receive the email on February 2nd but feel you should be eligible, please email nationals@volleyball.ca.

• Name and Contact Details for the Club Representative who will book on behalf of all teams;
• Number of teams participating ;
• Booking codes and team names for each participating team

Please refer to the Accommodations Booking Date Chart for details on when the Large Club Booking window will open. The designated Team Contact will be sent a booking link prior to this window and will have 24 hours to complete their initial request.  Room caps will be strictly enforced, as per each event’s guidelines.

Preview Links: Clubs can view the designated ‘large club’ properties via the Hotel Preview Links for each event. 

*Note, clubs are not required to book via this method and may choose to have their teams book accommodation individually during the regular accommodation booking window. 

VC is once again happy to partner with Absolute Travel Specialists for the 2024 Nationals season. Though not required, we encourage teams to book with Absolute Travel Specialists to take advantage of the following benefits:

• WIN: Book your team with Absolute Travel Specialists by January 29, 2024 and you will be automatically entered into a draw for a $500 credit towards your group flight booking.
• Hold Group Space: Absolute Travel is holding group space, permitting you to mix and match flights with Air Canada and Westjet from all gateways! Absolute Travel has secured group air seats from all major gateways, which ensures the best flight times for your team and families with competitive rates.
• Free checked bag and seat selection: Bookings include 1 FREE checked bag per person, round trip PLUS free seat selection! (Approximate value $120)
• Group pricing: Every person travelling with your team will pay the same price.
• Reserve with deposit only: Final payment required 75 days prior to travel date giving your team lots of time to fundraise if required. Names are not required at the time of deposit, just your estimated numbers.
• Payment options are available.
• Block reduction: You can reduce your group block by up to 20% without penalty.

Read past Nationals Participants' Absolute Travel testimonials!

Contact Elayne Pink - epink@absolutetravelspecialists.com or call toll-free 1-866-322-6538 - for more information, or to book today!

Did You Know?

• Air Canada Groups no longer provides group quotes unless you are an IATA registered agency, which Absolute Travel is.
• Absolute Travel has experience booking team group travel and has assisted Volleyball Canada Teams for all Nationals since 2015.
• WestJet has a long-standing group relationship with Absolute Travel.

Nationals are held over three (3) days, with Day 1 being pool play, Day 2 being power pools and Day 3 being playoffs. Day 1 and 2 are separated into two waves, AM wave (7:30 am – 2:30 pm) and a PM wave (2:50 pm – 9:45 pm) while Day 3 has all teams starting in the morning. During the first 2 days, teams play all other teams within their pools. After the first day of competition is complete, teams are “re-pooled” for day 2 of the competition in order to group teams of similar calibre together. Day 3 playoffs consist of teams playing in a single-elimination playoff bracket. 

Last matches of the day 3 are scheduled for 4:50 PM. 

Important note for Tier Based schedules! Some teams will be ‘bubble teams’, this means they may switch waves from Day 1 to Day 2.

Tier Schedule Template 

Schedules will be available on AES within 1 week of competition.  Final Schedules will be available once all teams have checked in.  Please always refer to the Final Schedules posted on AES for the most up to date information on match times/courts.

Seeding is being shared with coaches once all provincial championships have been completed for the specific age/gender category. Final seeding will be updated in AES as soon as possible.

Wave Schedule

Master Practice Schedule:

This document will be updated every Friday by 5:00 PM EST beginning Friday March 15th. Please note, specific court numbers will be posted here, closer to the tournament.

For the Master Practice Schedules please follow this link, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yI0g6Qns6Vt6ekqnGEFsI_xk32t9LmdjjdsI286H418/edit?usp=sharing 

Youth Nationals Practice Time Booking Guide

Book a Timeslot:

Teams may sign up for a practice time prior to their tournament at no charge. Teams are permitted a 45 minute practice slot and are asked to promptly exit the court space at the end of the reserved time. Practice times will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Practice times are not guaranteed for all teams due to space and time available in each venue.

Practice time bookings will be available Thursday, March 14th at 12:00pm EST.

Practice Time booking site 14U Events: https://volleyballcanada14u.simplybook.me/v2/ 

Nationals will now be seeding using a point-based system. Teams will need to submit their best result from a Provincially/Territorially sanctioned event. These results will be combined with data provided from the PTAs to calculate each team’s total points. 

To submit your result, click here by April 18th.

Teams who do not submit a result, will be given a score of 0, for their result submission, which accounts for 10% of the total point score.

For the full National Seeding Process, click here.

All coaches participating in Volleyball Canada’s National Championships are required to meet a minimum level of training and certification to ensure that every athlete is provided with a safe, inclusive, and responsible sport experience.

Guiding Principles

All athletes have the right to an NCCP Certified coach.

All coaches have the responsibility to:

• Have the required training to provide an environment that is physically, mentally, emotionally and socially safe for all athletes and participants.
• Have the required training to be able to provide a responsible learning environment that incorporates VC’s teaching methodologies, technical guidelines and long-term athlete development principles.
• Ensure that all training is current and updated as required, to be able to provide a safe and responsible sport experience for all.

A full breakdown of the Coach Eligibility Requirements, including deadlines, can be found here.

If you have questions regarding the Coach Eligibility Requirements for Nationals, please contact your respective Provincial/Territorial Association or email coaching@volleyball.ca.

Check-in Time

Fredericton: May 2 (3:00 PM-8:00 PM)

Late Check-In

If coaches will not be able to make the listed coach check-in time they may request late check-in. Late check-in requests will be charged $50.

Late check-in form

VC is committed to a sport environment free from abuse that is safe for all participants. For more information, our policies, and resources, please click here.

Safe Sport Reporting

Volleyball Canada has zero tolerance for any type of abuse. Individuals are required to report abuse or suspected abuse. If you are the victim of abuse, harassment, or discrimination, or you’ve witnessed such an incident within our sport, you are encouraged to contact the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline by phone or text at 1-888-83SPORT (77678), or by email to info@abuse-free-sport.ca, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

When the incidents recounted appear admissible, operators can assist you in filing a report through a confidential online platform, if desired.

To see the complaints process, click here.

Education

VC is requiring that all individuals involved with the sport across the country take the new safe sport training module, available via the Coaching Association of Canada website.
 
As of April 1, 2020, anyone associated with a Sport Canada-funded organization must be trained on conduct to prevent and address maltreatment. This includes coaches, referees, parents of youth athletes, high-performance staff and contractors, officials; and all administrative staff and volunteers whether they may have direct contact with athletes or not. 

Through the adoption of VC’s Pan Canadian Safe Sport policies, all Provincial/Territorial Association registered coaches, referees, staff/contract members and volunteers, are required to take approved Safe Sport Training. VC also currently mandates training for parents of Youth National Team Program athletes, however, PTA’s currently implement safe sport training requirements for parents of youth athletes in their province and it is not currently included in the Volleyball Registration System and is not a requirement for registration for National Championships.

The safe sport module is a free, 90-minute eLearning module that gives all participants the tools to recognize, address, and prevent maltreatment in sport. The module aligns with the principles of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport and meets Sport Canada requirements for Safe Sport education.
 
Visit the safe sport training site for more info: https://safesport.coach.ca/

Background Check and Screening Disclosure Form

All coaches, staff members, volunteers, referees, team staff members and Integrated Support Team (IST) members involved in VC domestic competitions are required to complete a yearly Screening Disclosure form and have completed a criminal record/police check issued within 36 months of the activity being attended. These requirements apply to all disciplines.

These are to be completed upon your yearly registration and can be done though Sportlomo. 

To provide further clarification, we have compiled the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Nationals provides an excellent opportunity for companies to showcase products and connect with participants. In addition, our social media and community reach provides partners with the opportunity to engage with an even wider membership.

Instagram: 71.3K followers
Facebook: 168K followers
Twitter: 52.2K followers
YouTube: 14.6K subscribers
VC Nationals Newsletter: 4.9K subscribers

Are you interested in what sponsorship options are available during the 2023 Nationals? Please contact Colin Young at colin@sportbrand.ca or 403-764-3955 for more information and to discuss your marketing ideas.

Interested in becoming a vendor at the 2024 Youth Nationals?

If you would like to be at one of our Nationals events as a vendor, please review our Vendor Guide and complete the Vendor Application Form.

Volleyball Canada welcomes companies and organizations of all types who would like to connect with our participants through interactive displays, contests, as well as general information.

2024 Vendor Guide

Vendor Application

Apply to become a vendor today!

For more information, please contact nationals@volleyball.ca.

The Fredericton Capital Region is a destination that’s built for discovery. The more you look, the more you find. We’re a place where harmonious contrasts don’t just coexist, they entwine, mixing together in unique ways to create a place filled with memorable experiences.

To explore more about Fredericton, please follow this link.