Alamo Sports Foundation Volleyball Program Structure:
We are organized into two divisions: Viper Volleyball Academy and the Viper Volleyball Club. The differences between the divisions are based primarily on demonstrated and evaluated skill level and the expected level of competition for the players. The Academy is designed to teach and improve on skills with minimum tournament time; whereas the Club uses tournament play as a way to improve team skills as well as individual skills. Please remember that at the local level our focus is on ensuring a proper foundation to play volleyball whereas at the regional level we expect the players to be able to properly execute the fundamental aspects of the game so that we can concentrate how best to use all of the skills on a team. All Viper Volleyball Club teams are scheduled to practice twice a week.
Viper Volleyball Academy
Developing and Training Volleyball Players
Viper Volleyball Academy (VVA) is an alternative to the traditional volleyball club in that our focus is entirely on improving the skills of the player without the cost of playing in tournaments.
VVA has three levels of participation: Itti Bitti, Momentum and Revolution. Each of these must have a minimum of 8 players for us to offer the program.
Itti Bitti: This is designed for those ages 6 through 10 who have not played. This group practices once a week for one hour. We use a non-traditional approach to ensure that everyone has fun while learning the very basics of game of volleyball. This season runs from early Jan through the middle of March. If we have enough desire, we could schedule a second session from the middle of March through the end of April. Cost is $400 per player per session. Coach: John Rivera, CAP I certified
Momentum: This level is designed for those who are ages 9 through 14 who have played some volleyball (such as YMCA or CYO), who demonstrate a minimum understanding of fundamentals of volleyball, and who now want to be part of a club. In this case the parents may not be sure club is the right place for their daughter and cost is a major factor. This group will practice once or twice a week depending on available court time, will participate in scrimmages with like groups, and may play in one tournament. The season runs from early Dec through the end of March. Cost is $600 per player per session. Coach: Rachel Vega, High Preformance Certified
Revolution: Our Revolution program is for those players who are 14 to 18 who wish to continue to improve their volleyball skills but do not have the time to devote to a full club schedule; or may not have the funds to belong to a club team. These girls will practice once a week but will not participate in tournaments unless an opening is available on an existing Viper Club team. Their season runs from early December through end of March. Cost is $600 per player per session. Coach Eloise Weis, Certified Viper Volleyball Coach
All players in the Viper Volleyball Academy are invited to participate in our VolleyThon fund raiser and will have an option to buy tickets to our end of season banquet. To keep the cost of these programs to a minimum, players will be issued practice tee shirts and spandex shorts.
Viper Volleyball Club
The Viper Volleyball Club (VVC) is a traditional club organization with three levels: limited local, local and our traveling team (regional).
Limited Local Team: We expect these players to know the fundamentals of the game and be able to demonstrate an entry level skill set. This is a step up from our Volleyball Academy Program. These teams will play in 6 tournaments and will end their season in late March. We offer this team level to those players and parents who want to play but who have less time to devote to volleyball or are looking for an economic way to play club ball. Generally this level of Viper participation appeals to the parents of the younger players (10 through 14). This is a developmental level where participation during tournaments is relatively even throughout the season. Our emphasis is on improving skills and developing the fundamentals necessary to enjoy the game and to compete. The cost per player is $1200.
Local: This is similar to our Limited Local Team except that the teams will play in more tournaments and their season is longer. Local teams will play in 8 or 9 tournaments (about two a month) and will not play in any tournament that has an overnight stay. Teams play in tournaments within the San Antonio area and will have some emphasis on the local multi-day events and series; i.e., IH-35 for the 12-14 age group and Sunday Fun for the 15-18 age group. Play ends in mid to late April. This is a developmental level where participation during tournaments is relatively even throughout the season. Everyone on these teams should play an approximately equal amount of time. Our emphasis is on improving skills and developing the fundamentals necessary enjoy the game and to compete. The cost per player is $1600.
Regional: Players on regional teams should possess the intermediate to advanced skills of volleyball as well as the right attitude (to learn, to be a team-player) and the right aptitude (to change; to listen to the coach). Regional teams play in multi-day events within San Antonio and will travel to some multi-day events outside of San Antonio. We anticipate the number of tournaments your daughter will play in will range from 9 to 10, at least three of which will be out of town with overnight stays. The season will end in early May at the Regional championship tournament. This level of our club will concentrate on fielding the most competitive team possible while focusing on tactics and strategy. Players will compete to earn and to retain their positions on the team. Regional teams are tentatively scheduled to play in the Alamo City National Classic (SA), MLK Challenge (SA), President’s Cup (SA), Cross Court (Houston), the Lone Star Classic (Dallas or Houston) and the Lone Star Regional tournament (Houston). If the parents wish to travel out of state, then we will meet with them to talk about the cost and other issues related to out of state travel. In our club, the only difference between a Regional team and a National team is whether or not they travel out of state. The cost per player is $2400.