SYC REC Volleyball FAQs

This page is being actively updated. Check back regularly for information as it becomes available and additional questions brought to us by SYC Volleyball participants. If your question isn't addressed below, feel free to reach out to the volleyball commisioner or your respective league director.

GENERAL

What is recreational volleyball?

SYC Recreational Volleyball is a co-ed, no-pressure, fun way for players from 4th grade through high school to learn the fundamentals of volleyball with other players of varying experience levels.

Teams are coached by volunteers who have a passion for the game and who want to help their players learn, love and have fun while experiencing this team sport on the court.

Why are clinics offered for 4th grade and high school only & are there league options for these age groups?

We offer recreational volleyball clinics for 4th grade because this is the perfect age to start learning to understand volleyball basics. The clinics allow our coaches to work with individual players in a stress-free environment to get the fundamentals down. While official games are not held, coaches do form 'pick up' games to work on team play and volleyball rules.

Our high school clinic is all about fun and gives high school players the chance to play pickup volleyball once a week.

League options are not available for high school and 4th grade.

What is the time commitment for recreational volleyball?

Players are asked to commit to 1 practice a week and one game a week. Practices are held Monday-Thursday and games are on Fridays.

Practices run 1 ½ hours and games usually are about an hour. You will find out your practice schedule once your player is placed & your coach reaches out via email or within the Demosphere App.

How long are the Spring and Fall Volleyball Seasons?

The Spring and Fall Volleyball seasons run about 7 weeks.

How many teams participate in SYC Recreational Volleyball?

The number of teams participating in SYC Recreational Volleyball depends entirely on the number of volunteer coaches we have. Without you, we have fewer teams and can’t place all the players who register for any given season. Consider volunteering today!

My player could have scheduling conflicts with practices. Can I request certain days/times?

If your player is placed on a team that has practices conflicting with your schedule, please reach out to the volleyball commissioner via email to request a team move.

My player needs to be on a team with friends/neighbors for carpooling purposes. Is that possible?

If you need to request a team change, please do so by reaching out to the volleyball commissioner. We will do our best to place players with others from the same school, but this is not always possible based on the amount of players we registered.

What equipment do I need to purchase for my player?

Recreational volleyball only requires that your player have a pair of gym shoes and a pair of knee pads! SYC provides a team t-shirt.

My player has never played before. Is that OK?

Of course! We love being able to introduce players to the sport of volleyball. We do our best to place players on teams with varying experience so they can not only learn the game from fellow players but not feel singled out if they have little or no experience.

When is the right time for my child to start playing volleyball?

At SYC, we believe anytime is the right time! We offer grade school through high school leagues to make sure there is every opportunity for your player to discover their love of volleyball.

Whether your player just wants to get out and increase activity or learn more about the sport itself, recreational volleyball is the perfect place to start to get the fundamentals and learn about this incredible sport.

How do teams/coaches/players communicate during the season?

Outside of practice, we encourage our participants to utilize the Demosphere App. This app enables communication between your coach and you so you can keep track of game and practice schedules as well as receive general team announcements. The app can be found within the application stores on your Android or iOS devices.

COVID CONSIDERATIONS

Located here is the current SYC COVID-19 Guidance/Policy for outdoor/indoor play. The SYC COVID-19 Guidance/Policy has been updated and includes safeguards based on the uncertainty of the different COVID-19 variants spreading rapidly. It is effective on August 1, 2021.

Registration

When does registration open and close for each of the recreational volleyball seasons?

The Spring Recreational Volleyball season is open for registration from December to early April and Fall, from June to early September. *

*Open and close dates may vary slightly.

I registered a player for SYC Recreational Volleyball but now, we are unable to participate. How can I request a refund?

You can request to drop and receive a refund by filling out the REFUND/DROP REQUEST FORM. When determining a refund, the office staff will follow the refund policy that you agree to and check off on during registration.

I registered my player, but it says we are on the ‘waitlist’. What does that mean?

SYC Recreational Volleyball Teams are coached by volunteers. We open up registration to the amount of players we believe we can place at the time. When we reach that threshold, prospective players are placed on the waitlist.

Does being placed on the waitlist mean my player won’t get to participate this season?

No! While there is the possibility we won’t have enough coaches to place every player on the waitlist, new volunteers sign up all the time, and we do our best to make sure every player gets to play.

Is there any way I can get my player off the waitlist?

Yes! Consider volunteering! If you volunteer as a coach or an assistant coach, your player or players come off the waitlist and are automatically placed on a team with you. Not only are you helping your player enjoy recreational volleyball, but you’re also helping additional registrants get off the waitlist! Find out how to sign up to become a volunteer.

If my player isn’t placed on an SYC Recreational Volleyball team, how do I get a refund?

We do our best to place every single player on a team but sadly, sometimes we don’t have enough volunteers! Should this be the case, you will be issued a full refund to your original payment method . The office staff generally issues refunds to waitlisted players after the first games. No action is required by you.

How do SYC Recreational Volleyball Scholarships work?

You can find information on SYC Scholarships/Financial Assistance here. Please reach out should you have further questions.

Teams

How are teams chosen for SYC Recreational Volleyball?

When putting together teams, the respective SYC Volleyball League Directors place players on teams in the order they are registered within our system and try to group players by school whenever possible. Players are also grouped with varying volleyball experience, so players can learn from each other, as well as from their coaches.

Can I request a coach?

SYC Volleyball is no longer taking special requests and if necessary, will evaluate them on a case-by-case basis. If a player is placed on a team in the fall season and wishes to remain on that team in the spring, we will do our best to keep teams the same -- up to 10 players. Players are placed in the order they register -- therefore, requests with later registration dates may not be honored if the requested team is already full.

As this is a recreational league, to ensure our teams are well-rounded and fair for all players, we do our best to place players of varying experience levels on each team.

Can I request that my player be placed on a team with friends for carpooling purposes?

We can’t guarantee the placement, but will do our best to place players from the same schools together -- in the hopes of managing most carpooling requests.

I made a team request but it was not honored. What can I do?

We do not guarantee we will be able to honor all special requests. Please understand we make every attempt to honor special requests, but sometimes it isn’t possible. It is our goal to have fair teams with equal skill levels, and we place players in the order in which they register.

How will I know what team my player is on?

Once your team is placed, your team’s coach will reach out to you. We ask our families to download the Demosphere App to keep up on team updates, practice & game information, and general league information. This app can be found in the app stores on iOS and Android phones.

What is the cutoff for me to request a team switch for my player?

We do our best to honor team change requests due to schedule conflicts, etc up until practices begin. TEAM PLACEMENTS ARE LOCKED THE WEEK OF FIRST PRACTICE and team changes will not be made at that time.

Practices & Games

When are SYC Recreational Volleyball practices?

Practices are held during the week, Monday-Friday, and are between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Where are SYC Recreational Volleyball practices?

Volleyball practices are held in Fairfax County School gyms normally at the following locations, but location may vary:

Orange Hunt Elementary School
West Springfield Elementary School
Key Middle School
Laurel Hill Elementary School
Island Creek Elementary
Irving Middle School

How are practice dates and times determined?

Individual coaches within each league choose their practice locations and times based on the permits we are granted from Fairfax County.

How will I know when my player’s practices are held?

Once your player is placed on a team, the coach will reach out and inform you of your practice times. We encourage all our participants to download the Demosphere app to keep up-to-date on practice times, game schedules, and general team communications. This application can be found within the app stores on your Android and iOS devices.

Can I request a particular practice time?

We understand players and families have other commitments and if you find your assigned team's practice is in conflict with your schedule, please reach out to the volleyball commissioner to discuss team change options.

Are practices mandatory?

Practices are not required as this is a recreational league. We do strongly encourage participation in all practices as volleyball is a team sport, and it is important all players get time together on the court to understand the game and how to play together.

How are games scheduled?

Game schedules are determined by the number of teams within a league and the gym space we are given by Fairfax County. Once teams are formed, we begin forming a game schedule where each team plays at least once (if league size permits).

Does SYC Keep Team Stats?

We compile game scores, matches won and total accumulative points only. The team stats button can be found on the volleyball main page on the left-hand side.

Who referees Syc Recreational Volleyball games?

SYC utilizes certified referees whenever possible, but also gives budding referees the chance to learn more about the game and its rules by shadowing a certified referee, then calling elementary school and middle school games when appropriate.

Is there a tournament during the season?

The last week of each season is tournament play. During this week, each team will play in a tournament with either single or double elimination, based on league size. Teams will continue to play until they are eliminated based on the tournament schedule.

When is the tournament schedule released?

The tournament schedule is released the weekend before tournament play begins, if not sooner -- and is a round-robin tournament. The SYC Volleybal Commissioner will determine whether to run a single or double elimination tournament based on the number of teams within each league and the available gym space.

Coaches & Volunteers

What type of volunteers are needed for the volleyball program?

There are several different opportunities to volunteer within an SYC Recreational Volleyball team. We need coaches and assistant coaches for each team and we also need a Volunteer Building Director at each game.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Besides helping the next generation of youth develop a love for the sport, volunteering allows you to meet others in the community and you earn credits towards future registrations. More information can be found on the credits earned here.

Also, if your player is currently on the waitlist, and you volunteer, they will be placed immediately once you’re placed on a team as a volunteer.

What type of experience do I need to have to be a coach or assistant coach?

To coach a team, we ask that you have an understanding of the game and a desire to teach it to others. While no previous coaching experience is required, it is a plus -- but don’t let that discourage you. You could volunteer as an assistant coach, and we will pair you with someone who can help bridge your volleyball knowledge and learn so you can coach in the future if you’d like!

How do I volunteer for an SYC Recreational Volleyball team?

We would love to have you! To sign up as a volunteer, please fill out our registration form and select ‘volunteer’.

We require our volunteers to go through a brief background check and also ask you to complete some brief online training.

What are the benefits of coaching/volunteering?

Besides being able to teach the game of volleyball to eager players, you will have the chance to meet fellow enthusiasts and make our league the best in the county!

I’m thinking about coaching. What is the time commitment?

Your in-person time commitment is about 3 hours a week, and we ask that our coaches stay in communication with their teams by sending out practice and game reminders.

Referees

How do I become a Referee for SYC Recreational Volleyball?

We are currently seeking referees for our fall and spring recreational volleyball programs. All the info you need to know can be found here.

Do SYC Referees have to be certified?

While we do have some certified referees who work our games, we also take budding referees, too! There are some requirements that have to be met before you can be considered for our referee program but if you love the game, know the rules and are up on the way SYC runs it's volleyball program, we'd love to have you.

Do SYC Referees get paid?

Certified referees receive $45 per match and non-certified referees earn $25 per match.

How old do I have to be to referee a game?

Our referee program is open to those 16 and older.

How often will I have to referee?

Each week, we will set a referee schedule based on that week's games within our elementary and middle school leagues. Depending on demand, we try to assign each referee at least one game a week -- but if we have a larger referee pool, this isn't always possible.

How often are referees paid?

Referees are paid at the end of the volleyball season.

What do I have to do to make sure I am paid?

When you sign up to be a referee, please make sure you also fill out the necessary forms attached to the Referee page.