WHY UVC
1. Pod Training
We believe Pod Training is the best method to give players the unique opportunity to maximize court time, ball touches, coach interactions, and game strategy.
Players are intermixed across all teams & move through stations that focus on skill-specific and positional training - which are run by coaches that typically have an expertise in that area
Skills improvement happens faster and more consistently across the club
Players have the chance to work with different coaches & coaching styles
Coaches who specialize in specific skills are able to develop players on all teams, instead of just their own team, and help further develop/perfect players technique
Players are able to get to know other members of the club and develop more friendships
2. Character Development
We focus not just on athletics and skills improvement, but also character development, sportsmanship, and what it means to be a good teammate (for both players and parents!)
Players receive team binders which include goal setting, short stories, nutritional advice, etc.
Parents receive UVC Code of Conduct handouts and have access to all player materials
3. Strength & Conditioning
Strength & conditioning is incorporated into all National team memberships. Northeast, Regional, and Academy Programs can add strength & conditioning packages to their training for an additional cost.
4. Competitive Play
Competitive play takes place at every single practice. With so many teams and such competitive depth, scrimmaging across teams mimics real match scenarios. Competitive play gives players the opportunity to improve their skills by "playing up" against older or more experienced teams, work on game strategy, and translate our skill and positional training to a game setting.
club information
TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
Pod Training
Every age group trains in a “POD”. There is an age group Director who sets the training and goals for all teams during their training sessions and season. A typical practice will incorporate 30-40MIN of skill breakout + 50-1hr of 6v6 play.
Within this POD/Training time, all teams and coaches work to maximize court time, ball touches, coach interactions, and game strategy. This also allows players to train in specific positions and with coaches who have specific skill sets and experience, and maximum exposure to learn the skills needed to succeed and grow in volleyball.
We train to develop all-around volleyball players who can grow and develop along with their changing physical skill sets and court sense throughout their playing careers.
time Commitment
Practices
All players on all teams are trained with the same skills and drills. Our goal is to train at a higher level for all players and teams. Practice times & locations vary by team. Boston UVC's main training facility is Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, MA
National teams: Practice 3X/week
Northeast teams: Practice 2X/week + 1 Skills practice/week
Regional teams: Practice 2X/week
Academy teams: Practice 1X/week
Practices begin in mid October for the Boys teams & mid November for the girls teams
Boys Schedule: Mid-October through Mid-March
Academy Girls Schedule: December through March
Regional Girls Schedule: Mid-November through April
National Girls Schedule: Mid-November through May
Tournaments
There are typically 1-2 tournaments each month
Single-day tournaments last 1/2 the day, usually with the AM Wave starting at 8AM and ending around 3PM and the PM wave starting at 3PM and ending around 9PM
Multi-day tournaments are usually divided into two sessions – morning and afternoon. The morning session starts at 8AM and concludes around 2 or 3PM. The afternoon session starts at 3PM and concludes around 8 or 9PM.
Tournaments
Tournament Timing & Scheduling
Club volleyball is arranged by age groups and tournaments are held on weekends. Most local tournaments are one-day events held in the Greater Boston area, and most regional or national tournaments are either two-or three-day events.
Each day of a tournament typically has 2 waves. Wave 1 starts 8AM and ends around 3PM and Wave 2 starts at 3PM and ends around 9PM.
Tournament information, including gym location and start times primarily, depends upon the respective tournament director. Due to team cancellations, tournament schedules are not set until the week prior. Most tournament directors inform the team coach by the Wednesday immediately preceding the weekend's tournament. Once our club receives tournament information, it is shared with the coaches and then the team.
Many multi-day tournaments are divided into a morning pool & an afternoon pool. Teams will be seeded into a pool and play at that time for the first two days of pool play. The second day of pool play depends on the results of the first day. The last day of the tournament will be bracket play. Most bracket play is double elimination. If a team loses, they are done playing although they should expect to assist officiating one match, and then they are free to leave.
UVC will provide teams with their tournament schedule for the year at the start of the season
What to Expect + Bring at Tournaments
A typical tournament day starts at 7:15 am when the doors open or 2:15 pm (for afternoon waves). Players warm-up and get ready for pool play which starts at 8:00 am. Each division is divided into two pools of 4 teams. Each team will play the other three teams in their pool (best 2 out of 3 games). A team will usually have one or two matches they have to referee and at least one match they are off during pool play. Pool play can last until 1:00 or 2:00 pm. Then, based on the morning pool play results, the eight teams are seeded into two brackets (championship & consolation). Day 2 is typically double elimination bracket play. Expect to referee after your last match.
Players must bring their complete uniform to all tournaments. This includes all jerseys, extra shirts, spandex, socks, shoes, ankle braces, and knee pads. Anticipate not being able to leave the gym for food. Some locations have concessions but it is best to bring a full day's supply of food & water. Healthy foods & snacks are the best. Please note that some tournaments do not allow parents and players to bring outside food into the venue. It's always best for parents to arrange food for the team. Typically a "team parent" will help coordinate what food needs will be for each tournament and enlist the help of all other parents.
Families are responsible for getting players to events. Players and families frequently carpool and share travel duties. Club administrators frequently coordinate arrangements when traveling to weekend tournaments. Most teams will stay in the same hotel and participate in an organized team bonding time (usually a team dinner).