Skagit Island Volleyball Academy  

SIVA Ohana Handbook

SIVA OHANA HANDBOOK

Mission Statement 

Skagit-Island Volleyball Academy (SIVA) is committed to the introduction, development, and promotion of volleyball in Island, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. Our primary objective is to facilitate and nurture a passion for the sport of volleyball within our academy members resulting in a continued growth of volleyball.

Philosophy

Skagit-Island Volleyball Academy is dedicated to the development of all members through positive reinforcement in a competitive team environment. SIVA will strive to be more than a volleyball program - 

“We Are Ohana!” Our priorities will begin with our keikis (kids) and helping them succeed on the court while creating a familial type environment off the court. The Ka’i (coaches) shall mentor each keiki through the identification of their strengths and encouraging the development of skills to be a successful athlete on the court.

Our goal is to share Aloha with all and to kako’o (support) our Ohana on and off the court. Having a growth mindset will allow us to learn without boundaries and accomplish goals once thought out of reach. We will expand our horizon as we become comfortable with the uncomfortable through positive reinforcement in a competitive environment.

Mental Health

As much work as we do to support our players to be at their best physically during practices and matches, we want to do the same for them mentally as well. Our goal is to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in athletes and create an environment where we can openly support each other through anxiety, stress, and all the other ups and downs of life. 

We support our players doing whatever they need to do to be in the best place physically and mentally to enjoy and make the most out of their time in the gym. Whether it’s having conversations with the coaches, their teammates or taking mental health days, or finding another type of help, we fully support our players to do what’s best for them and will be here for them however we can. As always, we just ask for open communication so we can do our part to help them through whatever they’re going through. 

A great resource for athlete mental health is the Hidden Opponent- they provide support and education for athletes of all ages. Former SIVA coach and WWU VB Alum Breanne Smedley also has a wonderful Instagram account full of help with mental health, motivation and more.

Expectations for Players

  1. Attitude and Effort
  2. When we walk in the doors to practice or a tournament, we will give our best that day, whatever that means. A positive and competitive attitude and all out effort will always be the easiest way to ensure it’s a successful day. If you are struggling mentally or physically we will be here to support you through that however you need. 
  3. Commitment 
  4. Whatever we do on the court, we want to commit 100%. That means trusting everyone is doing everything they can each point and holding ourselves to a high standard of commitment to the team. 
  5. Communication 
  6. Open and honest. Whether you are loving something or struggling with something please be transparent with us and we will do the same with you! If you prefer a certain kind of feedback please let us know so we can be sure to give you what you need as coaches.
  7. We encourage our players to advocate and communicate for themselves as much as possible to prepare them for life after high school. Whether it’s practice schedule conflicts, family events etc we just ask that you let us know as early as possible so we can adjust as needed. 
  8. Practices
  9. Please be dressed and ready to go 15 minutes early. If you can arrive earlier to start warmups that is ideal, we have a limited amount of practice time and want to maximize each rep during the 2 hours. 
  10. If there is a team on the court before your team, do what you can to warm up or stretch without interfering with their practice. It’s also good to support the other teams in our program, so don’t be shy to talk to them in between practices if you get the opportunity. This will help create a family environment within the club where we all support each other.
  11. Tournaments
  12. Blue / Black Teams
  13. As part of a Blue/Black team, playing time at tournaments is not equal or guaranteed. We will take everything we see at practices and choose the rotation we think will be most successful on any given match or day. Part of our philosophy is to find opportunities for all our players where they can succeed and be comfortable to be the best they can be. 
  14. Since this is a competitive team, it is very important that we see each other as more than the number of matches started or played. Each player walks in the gym as a human first, not an athlete. By building relationships with each other, we will be working to support each other in whatever role the team needs them for that day. Mutual support and respect within the team is the goal!
  15. If there are ever questions about playing time or roles on the team, we ask that those conversations are held outside of a tournament or practice setting. We always encourage athletes to ask how they can keep improving and see more playing time and will be honest in our responses. 
  16. White Teams
  17. Playing time at tournaments is structured to get everyone opportunities to play and grow together on the court. The focus of our White teams are development of skills and growth as individuals as a team. 
  18. It is very important that we see each other as more than the number of matches started or played. Each player walks in the gym as a human first, not an athlete. By building relationships with each other, we will be working to support each other in whatever role the team needs them for that day. Mutual support and respect within the team is the goal!
  19. If there are ever questions about playing time or roles on the team, we ask that those conversations are held outside of a tournament or practice setting. We always encourage athletes to ask how they can keep improving and see more playing time and will be honest in our responses. 
  20. Team Area 
  21. We take pride in keeping our team areas and bench neat at tournaments. When we step into a gym for a tournament, we want to treat the facility as if it is our own and be respectful of the hosts. 
  22. Supportive & Respectful
  23. We will treat opposing teams, coaches, officials and parents with respect and kindness. When we walk in the door to tournaments we want to put our best foot forward as a program and treat others well. 


Expectations for Coaches

  1. Communication & support
  2. We want to provide our team with all the tools they need, mentally and physically, to grow on and off the court. We will motivate them and support them throughout the season and whatever they are going through.
  3. Open communication with our players & families. We want to make sure we are communicating clearly about the season, dates, times etc as needed.
  4. Checking in with players multiple times throughout the season to track their goals, growth, and see how they are doing with the season..
  5. Recruiting assistance - We want to help guide our players through the recruiting process if that’s an avenue they want to pursue. We have tools like Sports Recruits to help us along that path, as well as several coaches with years of experience in the recruiting world.
  6. Practices
  7. Ensure practice plans are geared towards the team’s specific needs. We are here to help each other when needed, share ideas, drills, and resources.
  8. We want to challenge ourselves and our players throughout the season by trying new things and holding ourselves to a higher standard. We are always working to improve our drills & systems based on what we see is successful at the next level of our sport.

Coaching Resources:

  1.  Art of Coaching Volleyball is a great resource for drills, skills and how to build team chemistry and trust. (Visit their YouTube channel here)
  2. Coaches Insider: https://coachesinsider.com/topic/volleyball/?cdir_ccat=3474
  3. American Coaches Volleyball Association: https://www.avca.org/
  4. Membership required for access to educational tools but well worth it!
  5. Every seminar at the AVCA convention this year and previous years are included
  6. 2020 Convention was by far the best one as it was virtual and made for online learning
  7. Coaching Volleyball: https://coachingvb.com/
  8. USA Volleyball: https://usavolleyball.org/resources-for-coaches/
  9. Drill recommendations from James: Monarch, OWD, Linear Ranking Tournament

Tournaments 

  1. Team Area 
  2. We take pride in keeping our team areas and bench neat at tournaments. When we step into a gym for a tournament, we want to treat the facility as if it is our own and be respectful of the hosts. 
  3. Supportive & Respectful
  4. We will treat opposing teams, coaches, officials and parents with respect and kindness. When we walk in the door to tournaments we want to put our best foot forward as a program and treat others well. 
  5. Create Memories & Bonding Time
  6. Whenever possible at tournaments, we try to have team bonding or activities throughout the day to help the team form stronger bonds.

Building Relationships

  1. Relationships & trust as a team is the most important part of any season. We work hard to create a family environment and atmosphere for our players and their families to be a part of the SIVA Ohana.
  2. Our coaches support each other! We are here to answer questions, provide support, tips or guidance to each other throughout the season. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us if you need help with practice plans, drills, teaching a certain skill or any other help. 

Expectations for Parents

  1. First and foremost, we pride ourselves on having a fun and supportive family! Nothing is better than traveling to a far away tournament and still having a loud group of SIVA families in the stands. 
  2. Our parents and supporters help set the tone for our teams off the court, the same way the players and coaches set the tone for our teams on it. We ask that parents and supporters be respectful, kind and supportive to our team, other teams and their families, and to officials and tournament personnel as well. 
  3. We encourage the players to advocate and communicate for themselves as much as possible to prepare them for life after high school. Including communicating about schedule changes, family events or anything else they think we need to know. Of course we always welcome communication from our players’ families as well if there are any questions throughout the season! 

SIVA Grievance Policy 

Aspiring athletes, by their very nature, create situations where everyone may not be happy all the time. Knowing when to communicate and how to communicate with your athlete’s coach is a concern for almost every parent at some time during the season. Most often the concern is how to inquire about issues surrounding playing time. 

At Skagit-Island Volleyball, we encourage the athlete to take responsibility for their participation. We expect the player to talk to the coach first when they have a problem concerning their playing time or if it is unclear what a coach expects either in practice or competition. The appropriate way to do this is for the athlete to ask the coach what they need to do to get more opportunities to play in matches. Often the player knows why they may not be playing as much as a teammate when the parent may not. 

Parents can help best by helping their athlete set goals to achieve more playing time. When a parent has a problem that is specific to their child, we first expect them to talk to their child to discover all relevant facts and context to the problem. Afterwards, we ask parents to schedule a meeting with the coach via email and courtesy copy (CC:) SIVA Club Director (skagitislandvball@gmail.com). Please note that Skagit-Island Volleyball coaches have been instructed to not discuss “coaching decisions” with anyone other than our staff. These coaching decisions include, but are not limited to: specific match decisions about who played where, when, and who was subbed out for how long and when. Coaches will not be asked to defend or explain their decisions and judgments about playing time. It is improper for a parent to request that.

The following steps should be followed to handle a grievance: 

1. The athlete will meet or speak to the coach to discuss the matter.

2. The parent(s) should speak with their child to discover all relevant facts and the context for those facts to gain a complete understanding of the problem. 

3. The parent should speak to the head coach. Meetings should NEVER be done at a tournament. If a parent approaches a coach at a tournament, we have instructed the coach to refuse to discuss any controversial matters at that time but to strongly suggest they contact the SIVA Director and to walk away from the situation. The recommended time for a scheduled meeting between parent, athlete & coach, is immediately before or after a practice session as time permits. 

4. The parent may request a meeting with the SIVA Club Director.   

5. The parent may request a meeting with the head coach and the Club Director. In most situations, we will ask the athlete to attend the meeting as well. Meetings must be scheduled 24 hours or more in advance. Meetings will not be scheduled during a practice or tournament. The coach and SIVA staff will not engage in discussion about “coaching decisions.”

Payment and "No Pay, No Play" Policy

SIVA is grateful to be able to offer volleyball, however there are financial obligations which is associated with offering these opportunities. We will do our best to work with families with payment plans that works within their budget. Communication is key to ensuring a positive experience for all involved.

This season, SIVA will be implementing the following "No Pay, No Play" Policy:

If a player's account is more than one month behind (i.e. January's payment has not been paid by the time February's payment is due) and no formal, written payment plan has been established, the player becomes ineligible to participate in practices and tournaments.

The following series of events is what can be expected when a payment is missed:

  1. Parent/Guardian will be notified of missing payment for the first time. Parent/Guardian has opportunity to respond with a payment plan to get missing payment paid.
  2. If a response or the missing payment has still not been received within one week. Parent/Guardian will be notified of missing payment for the second time and the Coach will be made aware of the standing.
  3. If a response or the missing payment has still not been received within one week of the second notice, the Player officially becomes ineligible to participate in practices and tournaments until account is brought up to date.

Payments can be made and mailed to:

SIVA

815 22nd Street

Anacortes, WA 98221

Or Via Venmo: @Zach-Calles


MAAP – Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies

USA Volleyball has adopted the U.S. Center for SafeSport Minor Athletes Abuse Prevention Policies. Federal law authorizes the Center to address the risk of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes. The U.S. Olympic Committee and national governing bodies (collectively, “Covered Organizations/LAOs) are required to follow these Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies. Covered Organizations/LAOs are responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance with these policies.

The goal of Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies is to limit one-on-one interactions with minor athletes--interactions with minors should be observable and interruptible. Any violation of MAAPP is reportable.

The policy covers six areas:

  • Limiting one-on-one interactions, including meetings and individual training sessions
  • Massages and rubdowns/athlete training modalities
  • Locker rooms and changing areas
  • Social media and electronic communication
  • Local travel
  • Team travel

Information pertaining to MAAPP can be found at https://www.teamusa.org/usa-volleyball/about-us/safesport/maapp or the attached MAAPP PDF from USA Volleyball. 



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