Below you will find information regarding Frequently Asked Questions.  We have addressed many of the questions that have been asked in the past; however, this does not mean that we have addressed every question that you may have.  If there is a question that you have and you cannot find the answer below, please feel free to email us and we would be happy to answer your question. 

Club volleyball is a highly organized, nationwide, competitive volleyball network designed for athletes to refine their volleyball skills, compete at the regional and national level, expose their abilities to collegiate recruiters if interested in playing at that level and train to achieve any development goals they may have for the sport of volleyball.

USA Volleyball (USAV) is the national governing body and is responsible for local, regional, national and international rules and competition.  USAV is divided into 40 regions.  We fall under the Bayou Region Volleyball Association (BRVA) which includes Louisiana.  Each year, players and teams must become members of the USAV in order to participate in practice and tournament play.  Club Volleyball is an avenue for girls 10 (or even younger) to 18 to play in competitive tournaments and get advanced training.

Most club seasons run from October/mid November, when tryouts are held, until April.  Some club teams continue training until the National Championship, held in June. 

The following are some of the benefits of participating in Club Volleyball:

- Fitness and Improvement: You will get better!!! That’s a guarantee.  The more touches

- You get on the ball than you competition, the better you will become. 

 - Exposure to college recruiters: College coaches regularly attend tournaments.  The majority of colleges now recruit directly from club programs.  If you want to play at the higher levels       of this sport, such as high school or college, play club volleyball!

- Tournament play: Tournaments are where the hard practice pays off and many favorable moments are made. Understand that practice and training is where you receive the most instruction and experience, but tournament play is  a supplement to participating in club.  Club tournaments are usually far more competitive and more physically demanding than the typical recreational match.

- Certainly not!  For most players, club volleyball is simply another challenging experience that better prepares them for their school seasons.  Club volleyball, simply put, is a way to increase your individual skills and become a better volleyball player. 

- It is our firm belief that enrolling your daughter in club will give her the edge she needs to succeed in volleyball in the future.  The sport of volleyball is growing in popularity and expanding in its number of players each year.  If your daughter is planning on playing volleyball in school or college or thinks she might like to play volleyball at the collegiate level, then it is imperative that she plays club, now. 

- If she plays club, she will be playing with girls that are equal to or better than her.  This will push her and make her the best player she can be. 

- Club volleyball provides a higher level of training and competition for girls interested in learning and developing their skills.  The club season lasts approximately 5 months and the teams are small.  This allows players to receive many hours of focused skills training and development.  However, it is important to remember that club volleyball requires a major commitment from both the player and parent.

- 10 & Under through 14s age groups generally tryout in October.  However, the 15s to 18s will tryout the weekend after the state volleyball tournament in November (which usually falls mid November).  If your child falls in the 10s to 14s age groups but participates on Freshmen, JV, or Varsity volleyball teams, they cannot tryout until after their season.  This means they will have to tryout at the conclusion of their high school season.  Therefore you must pre-register in October in order to be considered for a team.

- The USAV club season lasts from November to July; however most teams conclude their season in late April if they don’t qualify for additional tournaments, such as nationals.

- Each Cajun Elite athlete will be required to wear the appropriate shoes and kneepads for all practices.  Coaches will direct players as to type of shoes, etc.  Additional equipment will be provide and/or assigned by Cajun Elite to each athlete participating.  

- Depending on the age level, Cajun Elite teams attend minimum 4 (10 & Under Age Group) - 7 or 8 tournaments (13s through 18s) during the season.  Attending National tournaments, such as AAU Nationals in Orlando, is at the discretion of the Club Directors and coaches usually with player/parent involvement.  Additional tournament fees will apply to all teams attending National Tournaments. 
 

Our current tournament schedule can be found on our tournaments page.

- Cajun Elite averages 9-11 players per team.   Teams are small in order to maximize growth in every player.  By keeping teams small, players and parents must understand the expectation and commitment involved in accepting a roster spot.   With such a small roster, it is imperative that athletes attend practices and tournaments. 

- Cajun Elite Directors and coaches assign players to teams based on a combination of tryout results and team composition needs.  The tryout results are determined by on-court evaluations of skill level, athleticism, attitude, effort, ability to communicate, competitiveness and desire.  The team composition needs are determined by how many players are needed at each position (setter, middle blocker, outside hitter, libero​, etc.) with additional consideration given to such factors as height, etc.

- The goal is to assign players to teams where they will have the best chance of individual success and be most capable of making a significant contribution to the team’s success, as well as to meet the needs of the teams to allow for the strongest possible lineup. 

- Most of the time players will play the same position.  However, sometimes players get the opportunity to learn a new position.  One they may not have had the opportunity to play in school but can thrive in during the club season.  We may train a player in a different position that they played in school based on their ability and the needs of their club team.  Therefore, you must be willing to play any position.  Each player on the team will have one or more positions they may play.  The many hours of practice time creates an opportunity for each player to learn and develop their skills in order to improve as an overall volleyball player.  

- Equal playing time is not guaranteed and should not be expected in a competitive environment. Playing time is at the complete discretion of the coach and is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, performance in practice, games, the athlete’s attitude, the athlete’s position, the team’s needs at the moment, and the team’s needs in the future. 

- Equal playing time is NOT guaranteed. Coaches have the responsibility of evaluating players during each practice and during tournaments. Playing time is earned! It is expected that each player give their full commitment and 100% of their effort to their team. Failure to do so could result in less playing time. If there is a question about playing time, the player is to set up a meeting time with their coach.  

- In our younger age groups, (10 & Under and 12 & Under), due to the fact that these teams are primarily developmentally based, all athletes will be given chances to perform in game time situations; however, playing time does not have to be equal.  On our stronger 10 & Under and 12 & Under teams (our "A" teams), playing time will be competitively based and will be based on the teams needs at the time of the match. 

Club fees pay for team enrollment fee for the seasons' USAV and AAU tournaments, practice facilities, insurance, equipment and coaches’ fees. The Cajun Elite payment schedule is listed on our fees page. There is an initial down payment due at the parent meeting, which varies between age groups, because most of our overhead occurs at the beginning of the club season. 

Common items not covered by club fees include: uniforms, player shoes, ankle braces (optional), and player/family travel costs, such as gas and food.  Most tournaments charge an entrance fee for spectators.  Approximate cost is $10 per person.  Additional costs may be incurred during a season if a team decides to attend tournaments that were not included in the original team budget, such as AAU Nationals in Orlando.

 ​For older age groups, it is strongly recommended that those who participate in club volleyball have previous experience in either competitive level play (several seasons) or club volleyball. Attendance  any of our camps or clinics to determine if your athlete is ready for this level of play is encouraged. However, with our younger age groups an athlete simply needs to have the desire to learn the sport of volleyball, and be dedicated to working hard.