2025-26

Evaluation Clinics​​

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First and foremost, welcome to DIG Volleyball Club! We are super excited you are here! Although it can look a little crazy with coaches and athletes everywhere, we have intentionally planned all of these clinics and are here to navigate this club tryout process alongside you. We hope that the below information will help better understand the clinic today. 

 

Why are these clinics so early?! The club season doesn’t start until November! 

We hear you on this one and we agree that it’s a little weird. However, the North Texas Volleyball Region (NTR) makes decisions that guide the clubs and one of them is that offers for the 2025-26 season can start going out now. It is important to note that if you played for DIG for the 2024-25 season, we can now verbally offer you a spot on the team, but if you played for a different club last year, we have to wait until May 19. All Clubs are expected to abide by this rule.  But, if that’s the boat you are in, we will still give lots of feedback and do the best we can to help you until then. 

 

You used the term “verbal offer.” What does that even mean? 

Very good questions! Again, the NTR allows us to make “verbal” offers to athletes, but they are non-binding. Contracts for teams cannot be officially signed and deposits made until Tuesday, July 8. 

 

Wow! July 8! That’s a long time away! What happens between now and then? 

Another great question! Once you’ve received your “verbal” offer, and you accept the position, it becomes like a tattoo. It stays with you and that spot is yours! As teams are formed, we will offer training opportunities, do some fun bonding activities and give the athletes opportunities to get to know each other. 

 

If I receive a verbal offer, how long do I have to give a response back to the coach? What if my athlete wants to try and make a higher team?

When a coach gives you a verbal offer, you have 48 hours to give us a response. It can be a yes, no, or maybe. For a no or a maybe, the coach can fill that position immediately to the next candidate. You may be able to come back later and ask for that spot, but there is a good chance the coach will have already found a good candidate. With a “yes” response, refer back to my tattoo joke. 

 

Say, for example, your daughter gets an offer on a “red” club team. If you say yes, you have a spot on that team, but you could still be moved up to a “blue” team. However, that cannot be the expectation. If you say yes, be happy with the offer you were given and not bank on the expectation that you’ll continue to be moved up. Yes, that is possible and happens frequently, but not the norm. 

 

How many of these clinics do you suggest we attend?

This is tricky because I am obsessed with volleyball and I want you there all the time so you can get those reps in!! However, that’s probably not realistic and I do realize you have a life outside of volleyball. So, the bottom line is, the more you attend, the more exposure you’ll get to coaches, the better chance you have to receive an offer and the more fulfilled your life will be (this is a proven fact).  Also, as the teams are filling, it’s nice to see the committed members there to work with prospective players to build the strongest team possible. 

 

How do I reach out to coaches and how will my child receive feedback? 

Our website has our coaches bios posted and those pages have their contact information. You are always welcome to reach out to a coach via cell, text or email if you have questions. If ever a coach is non-responsive, just email- troos@dallassportsplex.com - and I’ll make sure to connect you and facilitate a conversation if needed. Most of our coaches do this part-time and have full-time jobs, kids, etc. so it can get busy. 

 

Feedback is REALLY important to us. Like REALLY important. Your athlete will be receiving constant feedback throughout the course of the clinic. We are using feedback to see how they respond to the coaching and how they make the adjustments they suggest. 

 

HOWEVER, PLEASE READ THIS PART IF YOU READ ANY OF THIS AT ALL—- Our coaches are usually working back to back sessions that they need to get ready for, and by the end of the night need to get home to families, so we will not be able to have parents/athletes in line to talk to coaches for endless hours into the night UNLESS the coach asks the athlete during the clinic for their parent to come speak with them after the clinic. 

 

If the clinic is over and my child doesn’t have an offer, is there any HOPE FOR A SPOT?! 

Yes. Oh my gosh, YES 500 times. We owe it to these athletes to evaluate them fairly and appropriately and sometimes that just can’t be done in a 1.5 hour session to make a final decision. Thus the need for some to come to multiple sessions. And I just want to note- it’s absolutely not for your money!! We will provide excellent training, skills development, position training and feedback in a 1.5 hour session and we think it’s a pretty sweet deal for $35. 

 

BUT at the same time, if ever we believe there is not a spot or opportunity for your athlete on one of our teams, we will not string you along. We will let you know and give you all the feedback we can to assist you in any way. We don’t think that is right or fair and it’s not our thing to do that to a hard working athlete and family! 

 

Ok, I’m starting to better understand all of this. Can you explain the team “colors” and what all of that means? 

Oh glad you asked! So, with each age group with our club teams (10 Black-18 Black and everything in between), you’ll see the colors BLACK, BLUE, RED AND WHITE. Think of this as the “package” as well as the level. The BLACK club teams are our highest level. On these teams we are looking for highly competitive and skilled athletes looking to prioritize club volleyball to improve their skills. 

 

Some age groups, like 13s, 14s, and 15s, have two BLACK level teams. Again, think of this like a “package” that both of those teams get. From there, we have BLUE, RED AND WHITE level teams. WHITE level teams are more regional, meaning no travel and less tournaments. These teams are great for athletes that have other activities going on, however, since this is a big commitment, we ask that athletes discuss all potential conflicts prior to the start of the season so that there are not excessive absences. It’s REALLY hard to go into a tournament without key players! 

 

We will have all of these details regarding price, number of tournaments, practice information, etc. all on a PDF document out really soon! 

 

My athlete isn’t quite ready for a club team. What else do you offer? 

Ahh, the best part of DIG Volleyball Club is we have so many different kinds of teams and programs, that you are able to find something that can fit for your family. For our 9U-12U athletes, we offer an Academy Program, which in our humble opinion, is the best in the state….I take that back. It’s the best in the WORLD. Seriously. Think of our Academy program as “club prep.” You will get the best of both worlds for our 10-12 Academy players, meaning you will play rec games (Friday or Saturday games at The Sportsplex) as well as a small handful of “real” club volleyball tournaments. It’s like when you want to dip your toe in the water at the pool and just see what you think about it. 

 

If this sounds like the best plan for your family, these evaluation clinics are great to fully understand and prepare for what a tryout looks like. The “official” Academy Tryouts will take place in the fall. So, keep coming to the evaluation clinics if it’s your jam and your athlete is having a good time, but know that the bulk of Academy offers are given out in the fall. Can you get an Academy offer now? YES! You can get that Academy offer, secure the spot and accept it NOW. Done and dusted. However, we will not create teams, announce all coaches and finish that process until the Fall. 

 

Why should I choose DIG over all of these other clubs in the area? 

The best answer I can possibly give you that means more than anything else I can say is that WE CARE A LOT. Yes, we have excellent volleyball coaches with years of experience, knowledge and wisdom, but above all things, we truly care about your child, we get to know them so incredibly well, and you will never leave our facility feeling like no one cares. We find that when an athlete is happy and feels safe, they will thrive and find their full potential on the volleyball court. 

 

Sum it up please! I want to watch my kid play and don’t want to read anymore! 

The summary to all of this is that we are so glad you are here, we value your athlete and the talents they can bring to the court, and we want this to be a low-stress, high-energy environment where your child can THRIVE. There is no better gift to us than to see your athlete HAPPY and having a great time. 

 

We encourage you to follow us on social media @digvbc and keep a look out for clinics, camps and other important information sent to your email over the next few months. There’s a lot going on and a lot of fun opportunities to get in the gym! And as usual, NEVER hesitate to email, call or reach out if you have any questions! 

 

GO DIG!