Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I Play Beach Volleyball Year-round?
Yes. Stealth offers year-round training and tournaments are held on a weekly basis throughout the year. Year round beach training offers significant development and teaches you how to be a complete, all around player.
Do Players Wear a Uniform?
While our players don't wear official uniforms, we expect our athletes to wear a STEALTH tank or t-shirt when competing in a tournament. CLICK HERE to order Stealth gear.
Is There a Practice Requirement for Club Members?
It is ideal that STEALTH players attend at least one practice per week. We are looking for athletes who are committed to working hard to reach their highest potential. We understand that other commitments may not allow all our of club players to be active throughout the entire year.
How Do the Club Levels Work?
STEALTH offers four levels of training, Beginners, Basics, Elite-Prep, and Elite. Players are placed into the appropriate level based on their experience and performance level. Athletes will be notified once they are ready to move to the next club level (athletes must demonstrate the level of skills necessary to contribute and learn in the next level). Athletes are encouraged to approach our coaches to discuss their progress within their current level.
Beach Tournament FAQs
Should I Play in Tournaments?
Absolutely! Every tournament has athletes at different skill levels, from beginner to advanced. At tournaments, players will apply the skills they learn at practice, but also develop their mental game. Beginners - don't get frustrated if they're not winning right away. Just get out there, practice your skills, and get real game experience. Set small attainable goals for each tournament (i.e., our team is going to earn 5 or 10 points this game - start small and keep building).
Where Do I Find Tournaments?
See the Tournaments tab on our website. Here you can find STEALTH run tournaments, as well as tournaments run by others both locally and in other areas of the country.
Do I Need a Partner for Tournaments?
YES, you need a partner for most tournaments. But, no partner is needed for STEALTH'S Friday Night QOB/KOB Tournaments.
How Do I Find a Partner?
With beach volleyball, athletes have the freedom to choose their own partners and pick the tournaments where they compete. That means networking is an important part of the beach volleyball experience - for both players and parents alike. While we love our players to partner with others within the club, players are welcome to partner with players from other clubs.
Do I need an AVP or Other Membership?
STEALTH offers a variety of sanctioned tournaments, including AAU, AVP America, p1440, and BVNE. In order to play in a sanctioned tournament and earn player points, you need to be a member of that association (i.e., you need an AVP membership to sign up for an AVP tournament, or a p1440 membership to sign up for a p1440 tournament). There's no need to sign up for all the organizations right away. Players should join an association when they are ready to play in a sanctioned tournament.
Age Divisions
The most commonly offered age divisions are as follows 12u, 14u, 16u & 18u. Each association has its own division age guidelines. For example, BVNE goes by your age on the day of the tournament, AVP and AAU use a September 1st cutoff, and USA uses a July 1st cutoff - all subject to change. Athletes can play in their designated age division or higher, but they cannot play in a lower division.
Parents & Spectators
Enjoy your role as a spectator, and do not assist during tournament play (i.e., calling shots and hand signals are prohibited). We ask that our parents stay positive for their athlete and allow the coaching staff to coach.
Club v. Club
Club v. Club is designed to bring the beach club community together and prepares athletes for the next level. Junior beach volleyball is set up as an individual sport, where players are competing with a different partner each weekend, and many times that partner is from another club. What is missing is the sense of team and the pride for representing one club, and that is what Club v. Club offers.
The Club v. Club format is similar to the high school and college game structure. Clubs align their ranked teams to compete against one another for a win as a "squad." Club v. Club opportunities are announced via Team Reach and/or email.
Overnight Travel - Club v. Club & National Tournaments
During any overnight travel, the athletes and their families arrange all travel for their athlete. STEALTH does not pay for or arrange travel, rides or hotel accommodations for athletes.