Individual clubs will determine their tryout schedule. Great Lakes Region encourages all prospective athletes to directly contact each club they will be trying out for to determine how the tryout processes will work on a club-to-club basis.

WHEN PURCHASING A GREAT LAKES REGION/USA VOLLEYBALL MEMBERSHIP FOR THE 2025-26 SEASON, ATHLETES, COACHES AND DIRECTORS ARE AGREEING TO ABIDE BY ALL GREAT LAKES REGION POLICIES, INCLUDING THOSE FOR TRYOUTS, COMMITMENTS AND CLUB -SELECTION.

2025 – 2026 USAV CALENDAR YEAR

DO NOT CONTACT THE REGION FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE TRYOUTS-CONTACT THE CLUB DIRECTLY!

As in the past – clubs may re-sign their own players at any time during their previous club year. Renewal contracts must be in the same discipline of sport (indoor or outdoor) that the player participated in the previous club season (2025-2026).

For the 2025-2026 Season, the start dates for tryouts are as follows:
Girls – All Divisions – first legal date for tryouts is Saturday, July 12th, 2025 (1^st Allowable girls try-out date will be second Saturday after final date of USAV nationals (with impending possible dates i.e. Illinois dead date, etc.))
Tryouts, offers and payments may begin as soon as the 1st tryout date.
Be aware that there are the IHSA restrictions regarding High School Girls in August.
Club Practices for Girls ages 14 & Under may begin on or after September 1st, 2025.

Boys – All Divisions – first legal date for tryouts is Saturday, August 16th, 2025.

(1st Allowable boys try-out date will be first Saturday after completion of IHSA dead period).
Tryouts, offers and payments may begin as soon as the 1st tryout date.
Club Practices for Boys of all age groups may start on or after September 1st, 2025.

The GLR will not be responsible for financial losses to clubs as a result of players breaking contracts during the gap period.

Tryout Memberships will be available in SportsEngine for ANY NEW CLUB PLAYER. New Athletes can purchase a tryout membership (Valid from July 1st through December 31st, 2025) through SportsEngine.

All 2025-2065 memberships will expire September 1, 2026.

GIRLS 15’s, 16’s, 17’s and 18 and under Divisions PLEASE NOTE: ATHLETES who are STILL competing or practicing with their HIGH SCHOOL TEAM are NOT ALLOWED to partake in any athletic demonstrations, drills or athletic fitness testing at a tryout. You may attend and sign up for the tryout to let the Club know you are interested – and then arrange for a future tryout date AFTER you have completed your High School Season. Any Club who asks an athlete who is still in any phase of their High School season to physically tryout should be reported to the Region Commissioner immediately at 630-986-9000 or greatlakesvolleyball@glrvb.com

Great Lakes Region is committed to the athletes and the schools they attend.

PLAYER SELECTION:

Clubs may use a variety of methods to select their players. Some clubs may choose to hold tryouts; some clubs may accept everyone who chooses to be a part of their program; some clubs limit their membership to a certain school district or metro area; and, some clubs extend invitations to players who played with them in the previous USAV season.

Great Lakes Region and USA Volleyball do not get involved with financial disputes or contractual obligations between a club and a player/player’s family.

Please contact Great Lakes regional Board of Directors representative or Great Lakes Region Office at 630-986-9000 or email the office at greatlakesvolleyball@glrvb.com.

I WILL:
 I WILL abide by the official rules of USA Volleyball.
 I WILL display good sportsmanship at all times.
 I WILL encourage my child and his/her team, regardless of the outcome on the court.
 I WILL educate myself on the unique rules of this facility.
 I WILL honor the rules of the host and the host facility.
 I WILL generate goodwill by being polite and respectful to those around me at this event.
 I WILL direct my child to speak directly with his/her coach when coaching decisions are
made that may be confusing or unclear.
 I WILL re-direct any negative comments from others to the respective Event Director or
Program Administrator.
 I WILL direct all concerns regarding officials to the Head Coach or Club Director for my
team/club as opposed to contacting the Head Official directly.
 I WILL immediately notify the Event Director and/or Program Administrator in the event
that I witness any illegal activity.
 I WILL support the policies and guidelines of the team/club that I represent.
 I WILL positively acknowledge effort and good performance for both teams, remembering
that all of the players in this event are amateur athletes.
 I WILL model exemplary spectator behavior while attending this event.
 I WILL respect the history and tradition of the sport of volleyball by being a good
ambassador.

I WILL NOT:
 I WILL NOT harass or intimidate the officials, Line Judges, or Scorekeepers.
 I WILL NOT coach my child from the bleachers and/or sidelines.
 I WILL NOT criticize my child’s coach or his/her teammates.
 I WILL NOT participate in any game or game-like activities – including on-court ball shagging

 I WILL NOT bring and/or carry any firearms at any USA Volleyball/Region event.
 I WILL NOT bring, purchase, or consume alcohol at any Youth/Junior volleyball event.

Event management may refuse admission to, or eject without refund, anyone who is
deemed disorderly, or who fails to comply with these guidelines or any and all security
measures and laws.

Spectators assume all risks incident to the game, or related events and activities, including
the risk of lost, stolen, or damaged property or personal injury.

Becoming a Better Volleyball Parent : Helping your athletes
Positive Coaching Alliance: valuable resources for sports parenting
Parents Association for Youth Sports: education and membership program
YESports: a mastery approach to parenting in sports
USAV Parent Resources: helpful resources on parenting in the volleyball world
NCAA.org: information on college rules and regulations
What Parents Should Say: some guidelines on what parents should say as their children perform.
Positive relationships: The importance of a strong coach-athlete relationship
Education and sports: How the two go hand-in-hand to build a better community
Sports lingo: Terms that you may hear around our sport.
Steroid Abuse: Understanding and preventing steroid use in sports.

All 40 regions of USA Volleyball use a player’s birthday, not grade, to determine what age-level the player can participate in during the club season. Adhering to these age definitions is a requirement, resulting in uniform age divisions across the 40 regions of USA Volleyball.

Sometimes a player’s birthday will require them to compete on an older team than their same-grade peers. Because of this, Great Lakes Region has decided to allow junior club directors the opportunity to request an AGE WAIVER for a certain qualifying players. An Age Waiver allows a player to compete at a younger age-level than their birthday requires IF playing at the younger age level will allow the player to compete with same-grade peers. Players do NOT need an age waiver if they wish to compete at an older age level. Each club makes their own policy on if they will accept a waivered player. 

Please note that this waiver is ONLY approved for non-qualifying, in-region events. If the team plays in a USA Volleyball National Qualifier, the player will not be allowed to play. If the team plays out of region, the club must contact that tournament director and get prior approval. Pending the decision of the tournament director, the player might not be allowed to play.

A junior player wishing to compete for a club team must determine which age division he or she belong in for the upcoming season. A player can choose to compete in an OLDER age division than his or her own but cannot choose to compete in a YOUNGER age division.

Age waivers can ONLY BE SUBMITTED by someone affiliated with the specific club (not a parent), preferably the director.

Click here to view the 2023-24 USA Volleyball Age Definitions.

Click here for the GLR Age-Waiver Form

Question: Why does my child have to keep score and line judge?
USA Volleyball believes in teaching players the entire game and that includes officiating. When they are not playing, players will develop leadership skills and knowledge of the game when they assist in officiating. Prior to any competition, clubs are required to instruct their players on proper techniques in refereeing and scoring.

Question: How do they learn to keep score, line judge, and referee?
USA Volleyball and Great Lakes Region provide a variety of options for players, coaches, and parents to learn how to officiate and keep score at events. USA Volleyball provides free, on-line training modules via volleyballreftraining.com. These modules can be viewed and/or “taken for credit” to fulfill the training requirements. These modules can be viewed and/or “taken for credit” to fulfill the training requirements. Members may log into their USAV Academy to be enrolled in the group of training modules listed here.

The required modules for scoring are:
• Scoring Basics, Non-deciding Set
• Scoring Basics, Deciding Set
• Scoring Sanctions
• Libero Control

The required modules for officiating are:
• Junior Second Referee Clinic
• Junior Line Judge Clinic
• Libero Rules
• Net and Center Line Rules

In lieu of the above on-line training, some clubs choose to have a professional Certified Referee conduct a Scoring and Officiating Clinic at a Club meeting. The subject matter of this in-person clinic is essentially the same as what is contained in the above on-line modules, but the in-person clinic allows the participants to interact and ask questions of the Certified Referee. Clubs who choose the in-person option may also encourage parents to attend so they have a better understanding of what it takes to work a match.

During the tournament matches, the club’s workers will also receive individualized instruction and encouragement from the Certified Referees.

If your mind is set on playing college athletics, going through the recruiting process is inevitable. Whether you are interested in 20 different schools or deciding between two, it can be a long and stressful road to go down. Personally, I only visited a few schools before I found the school that felt like home, but the path is very different for everyone. In this blog, I want to share my tips to help anyone going through this process.

1. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE

Some are fortunate enough to be in an environment that has the access to college coaches and recruiting, but for those who do not, you must put yourself out there. Introduce yourself, develop highlight videos, game footage and send it out for coaches to see. This is a good way to showcase your talent along with showing coaches that you are interested in their program. Showing interest in a coach and their program will make them want to show interest in you. It may not always work out, but you will never know unless you try.

2. GIVE YOURSELF OPPORTUNITY

Getting involved in a club program or travel team is a huge step for an athlete that is looking to be recruited. These types of teams let you compete in competitive environments and allow you to play with and against those that display similar talent as you. It is impossible for college coaches to attend all the high school games because they are also in season, so this is often where they will go to look for potential athletes for their program. You can also attend camps at your colleges of interest. This will give you a chance to show them how you play and compete along with you being able to see their coaching style, and if it’s something you would like to pursue more.

3. KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

It takes some open mindedness when looking for a college that you will spend the next chapter of your life. Each school will be a little different from the other but there will be a right fit for you. It is important to know what level you want to play, and what will benefit you the most. Consider all divisions and things like, distance from home, how big of a school you want, if they offer what you would like to study, what type of program you want to get in to and much more. You will know when you find the right fit on a visit, the campus will feel like home and the team and staff will feel like family.

4. DO YOUR RESEARCH

Whether it’s looking up recruiting rules, the schools you want to visit or simply asking someone who’s been through it before, it’s important to know what you are doing before digging too deep. You also want to take the time to know the program, look at their history, watch games and read interviews with the coach, and even check out their social media. This will give you a feel on the coach, players and the program from a different viewpoint. This will also help you come prepared to any unofficial visits you decide to take, which will show your interest to the coach.

5. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Building relationships is key when going through the recruiting process. You want to try to connect with the coaches, players, academic advisors and anyone else you may encounter during the time on campus. Building these relationships will give you a feel on whether the school is right for you or not. You want to be around people you like and want to work hard for. It is always important that the people you are surrounded by every day have the same goals and drive that you possess for the programs overall success.

6. GO OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Even if you think you already know what kind of school you are interested in, it is important to check out colleges that you did not really consider from the start. There may be places that were not even on your radar, but reaching out and taking a visit could surprise you and change everything.

7. MAKE LISTS

Starting with a list of schools and people to contact at each of these schools is a great place to start when looking to be recruited. It keeps you organized and is easy to refer to. Visiting a lot of schools and interacting with a lot of coaches can be overwhelming, and it may be hard to remember what assets went with what program. Listing out the pros and cons can be very helpful when you are looking back and trying to decide on what university you want to pursue.

8. BE HONEST

It is important to be honest with yourself when going through the recruiting process. You have to look at what is important to you and if you are willing to sacrifice some things to attend the school of your dreams. Know if you are okay with things such as, being far away from home or if you straight up do not like a school that you visited. Being honest with the coaches you are dealing with is also crucial. You must show them that your interest is still there and if it’s not, let them know so you both can focus on other things. It is your decision to make, go wherever benefits you the most and makes you happy.

9. PERFORM OFF THE COURT

If you want to continue your schooling and athletic career into college, it is vital to work hard academically in high school. If you cannot perform in the classroom it will be difficult to perform on the court. Coaches want good players but also want well-rounded people representing their program, along with the university. This can also include having social media accounts with appropriate content on them. These coaches are like employers and having unprofessional social media accounts can hurt you, even if you are a very talented athlete. Making good decisions off the court is what will help you in the long run.