Our 16U Heat and our 18U Inferno brought back Gold Medals from the 2023 Nationals!
2024 Season Information
The Winnipeg Volleyball Academy is home of the BLAZERS Club Volleyball program. We love volleyball! We love to play it, we love to watch it, and we love to teach it.
We help athletes develop their skills; have confidence in their abilities; and to empower them as leaders on and beyond the court. We even offer mentorship opportunities for chosen BLAZERS athletes in the form of junior coaching roles with our camps. Our athletes are our future.
We are a respectful and inclusive Club that values the voice and the goals of each member. While we pride ourselves in being organized, (which makes the life of a parent or guardian easier - we know because we’re parents) we also like to have fun while we train to win!
Ultimately, we know that the skills and lessons learned as a BLAZERS athlete will benefit you on the court… and like we've said, beyond the court.
Making the decision to commit to Club volleyball is an important one for athletes and families, and it can be overwhelming. That's why we’ve written this page... to help you sort through it all, and to give you a chance to learn a little more about us.
We also encourage you to look at the Volleyball Manitoba site for a list of approved Clubs in Manitoba, and more general information relating to Club season, including recruitment guidelines, early-signing protocols, and tryout details.
1. When is Club Volleyball season?
Club volleyball in Manitoba runs from January to May each year, but tryouts for all Clubs are in December each year. Club season is designed to not interfere with school volleyball. BLAZERS Club volleyball practices begin early January and the season ends with the Nationals tournament which is typically in May.
Many Clubs including ours, offer volleyball camps in “off-season” to provide athletes an opportunity to continue learning and playing volleyball, but these camps are not part of Club volleyball.
2. How do I become a BLAZERS Club Volleyball athlete?
If you are interested in playing with one of our BLAZERS Club Volleyball teams, you can try out for a spot during the designated tryout period, which will be held December 9th and 10th this year.
The only exception to this is for players who are “pre-signed”. Clubs are able to pre-sign only 17U and 18U athletes in September, (prior to school season), by following very specific regulations set by Volleyball Manitoba.
If you do not receive a pre-sign offer, you are only allowed to receive and accept a formal offer on or after the first day of tryouts.
Before selecting a Club for tryouts, we suggest that you review the Official List of Early-Signed Athletes to get a sense of what positions Clubs are looking to fill and how many spots are available.
Volleyball Manitoba sets the official tryout dates for each age class for Club Volleyball tryouts each year. The tryout weekend can be very busy for volleyball players as there is no limit to the number of Club tryouts you decide to attend!
3. I’m interested in trying out for BLAZERS, so what do I do?
First of all…. Yay! We’d love to see you at our tryouts! You can register now!
4. What do BLAZERS coaches look for during tryouts?
Our BLAZERS coaches will be watching to see if you have what we like to call “SPARC”.
S - for Skills
P - for Passion
A - for Attitude (the positive kind)
R - for Reliability
C - for Coachability
If our BLAZERS coaches decide to offer you a spot on our team, they will reach out to you after tryouts by phone or by email.
Tryouts are an opportunity for athletes to come and showcase their skills, and also a chance for athletes to get a sense of the coaching, style and energy of the Club. We believe the right fit is important for everyone!
If you want to get a feel for our Club, please follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook. We believe in the words we write!
More details on tryout rules can be found on the Volleyball Manitoba website.
5. What is the time commitment for BLAZERS Club Season?
BLAZERS athletes can expect to attend three two-hour practices per week.
For 2024 our practices will primarily take place between Monday and Thursday each week. (We do not hold practices on Fridays or Saturdays since tournaments often run on those days). We will confirm the 2024 details closer to the start of the season but at this point here is the tentative schedule.
13U
Sun 3:00 - 5:00 pm @ Sturgeon Heights Community Centre
Mon 7:00 - 9:00 pm @ Hastings School
Thu 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
14U
Mon 7:00 - 9:00 pm @ Shamrock School
Wed 7:00 - 9:00 pm @ Hastings School
Thu 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
15U
Mon 7:00 - 9:00 pm @ Shamrock School
Tue 7:00 - 9:00 pm @ Hastings School
Thu 7:30 - 9:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
16U
Mon 5:45 - 7:45 pm @ Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church
Tue 6:30 - 8:30 pm @ Frontenac School
Thu 7:30 - 9:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
17U
Mon 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
Tue 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
Thu 6:00 - 8:00 pm @ Ecole Christine-Lesperance
18U
Mon 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ Dakota Fieldhouse
Wed 6:30 - 8:30 pm @ Frontenac School
Thu 8:00 - 10:00 pm @ Ecole Christine-Lesperance
Again, the above schedules may change prior to the start of the season, but we will be using a combination of the above venues and times for our Club teams during the 2024 Season.
6. How often can we expect to play?
During BLAZERS Club season, you can expect to participate in approximately 4-5 tournaments (depending on availability).
- Tournaments are often in Winnipeg and the surrounding area.
- Most teams can also expect one tournament in Brandon which would require accommodation.
- Tournaments typically start Friday evening and carry over to a full day on Saturday.
- Provincials are usually two days and take place in Manitoba.
- Nationals are usually three to four days and take place at a specific city in Canada each year. 13U does not have Nationals.
NEW FOR 2024! Volleyball Canada has changed the entrance requirements for 2024 Nationals. Clubs must submit an "expression of interest" for Nationals, then these interested teams will be placed in a lottery to decide which teams are able to attend.
2024 Nationals Schedule
14U: Check in & practice on May 2nd. Competition from May 3rd - 5th in Ottawa, ON
15U: Check in & practice on May 15th. Competition from May 16th - 18th in Edmonton, AB
16U: Check in & practice on May 23rd. Competition from May 24th - 26th in Edmonton, AB
17U: Check in & practice on May 19th. Competition from May 20th - 22nd in Edmonton, AB
18U: Check in & practice on May 19th. Competition from May 20th - 22nd in Edmonton, AB
7. Can I play Club volleyball if I play other sports?
While we encourage athletes to play multiple sports, our BLAZERS Club teams are very competitive, so we ask our athletes to be fully committed to their team for the entire Club season.
BLAZERS athletes are expected to attend all practices and team events so if you’re wanting to play other sports, please discuss this with the head coach prior to accepting an offer from us.
8. In BLAZERS Club volleyball, does everyone on the team get the same amount of playing time?
All 13U & 14U teams follow “Fair Play” rules (mandated by Volleyball Manitoba) which require that any player not starting the first set in a game, must start the second set. They also can’t be substituted unless the player becomes ill or injured. During the third set of play, coaches may play any player they choose.
From 15U through 18U, athletes may see more or less playing time than other athletes as there is no requirement for fair play. Playing time in these age groups is often dependent on skills, attitude, reliability (attendance), and coachability.
9. How much does it cost to play BLAZERS Club volleyball?
We work hard to keep our fees more reasonable for our families. Something that’s helpful to consider when comparing costs with other Clubs, is to make sure to carefully review what is included in the costs. For example, some Clubs appear to charge less, but may require a significant cost for Club gear or tournament registrations. Our BLAZERS Club Volleyball fees for 2023 were:
- 13U - $2100
- 14U - $2200
- 15U - $2300
- 16U - $2400
- 17U - $2500
- 18U - $2500
BLAZERS Club Volleyball fees included:
- Three two-hour practices per week - totalling six hours
- Four to five tournaments (based on availability)
- Club gear package*
- Two BLAZERS practice t-shirts
- Two BLAZERS long-sleeve jerseys
- BLAZERS hoodie
- BLAZERS sports bag
- BLAZERS sweatpants
- Team entry fee for Provincials
- Team entry fee for Nationals (excluding 13U)
- Insurance
- Facility rentals
- Coaching honorariums
- Coach travel expenses
- Equipment/Supplies
- Photo Package
- End-of-season gift
- Awards Gala
- Administration Costs
*Former WVA BLAZERS athletes have the option of reducing their fees by re-using some of last year’s Club gear.
We also offer athletes the option of participating in fundraising initiatives to help offset costs for the Club season.
The WVA collects BLAZERS Club Volleyball fees in four instalments. Please note that fees shown do not include athlete travel and accommodation for out-of-town tournaments, or travel and accommodation for Nationals.
Are you interested in becoming a BLAZERS athlete? Please let us know, by sending your name and date of birth to: info@winnipegvolleyballacademy.ca so we can ensure you receive updates about Club season and tryouts.
10. Want to know more about BLAZERS Club Volleyball that we haven’t answered here?
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions at info@winnipegvolleyballacademy.ca
BLAZERS Club volleyball is a great way to squeeze more of this amazing sport into your life, and to connect and form life-long friendships. We know our Club players have a lot of fun, even when they’re working hard.
The Winnipeg Volleyball Academy believes in the value of community and we work hard to help everyone feel at home in our BLAZERS family.
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The WVA BLAZERS is an inclusive Volleyball Club and offers a safer space for athletes who are 2SLGBTQ+.
