Home » Parent Handbook
Welcome to the Maverick family! We are excited that you & your athlete have decided to join us! We are proud to be an organization that is dedicated to working hard to service our volleyball community promoting excellence at all levels within an athlete’s growth potential, while knowing that having fun and team bonding make the journey a great one. With that in mind, we strive to work together with our coaches, parents & athletes to make Maverick Volleyball Club the place to be. It’s the ideas, talents and energy of this collective group that keep us moving ahead. Thank you for being here. Let’s make this year great!
Founded in 1985 by Kerry MacLean as a Club to provide a higher level of volleyball competition for young athletes, Maverick Volleyball continues to serve Ottawa and its surrounding communities in providing our youth with high quality volleyball programs. We take pride in our successful track record of promoting and fostering leadership, organizational, team and life skills for our members.
Over time, the Maverick Volleyball organization began to offer a variety of programming to complement and supplement the original Club competitions agenda – and began offering a variety of programs for all skill and interest levels. We’ve got something for everyone!
Maverick Volleyball offers programs for a wide variety of levels and ages in order to provide relevant volleyball experiences for all athletes regardless of age and experience. Each program has unique characteristics such as number of sessions per week, competition opportunities, training environment, travel requirements and much more. All of our programs are developed using a combination of the latest Long Term Athlete Development science and almost 40 years of Maverick Volleyball experience.
We now have three levels of competitive teams that are chosen after tryouts:
We also have local programs that do not involve tryouts, just sign up and play:
Along the way, Maverick Volleyball became the largest single-city volleyball organization in Canada, and its smooth operation depends on a large group of parents and dedicated volleyball enthusiasts to function efficiently.
We are thankful to our skilled, volunteer coaches who continue to amaze everyone with their dedication and passion for their athletes. Always looking to the future, Maverick places a strong focus on the growth, certification and development of our coaches – we do our best to support their needs as they guide the development of well over a thousand young athletes every year.
Our Dedicated Coaches
We owe the success of our Club to our dedicated coaches who share their time and expertise to develop our athletes. Our team of coaches is composed of individuals coming from diverse backgrounds and experiences who, on top of their daily work schedules, dedicate hours to planning practices, establishing seasonal plans, running training sessions and, in many cases, travelling to tournaments with their teams (in addition to guiding young athletes to become team players and caring people).
Our coaches have completed or are in the midst of completing all Ontario Volleyball Association and Volleyball Canada’s coaching certification requirements. Throughout their coaching career with the Maverick Volleyball Club, the Club ensures that coaches continually aspire to learn and develop through the benefits of new volleyball curriculum as offered by various resources such as Volleyball Canada, the OVA and Art of Coaching. Furthermore, the Club provides opportunities and incentives for coaches to consistently develop and grow professionally through learning modules, workshops, seminars and skills enhancement.
Provincial-level and national-level competitive teams are not-for-profit programs, and coaches are provided an honorarium and their expenses are covered. The remaining programs within the club are paid positions for coaches and are a good source of pocket money for students during the school year or summer jobs between semesters.
We continuously look for strong, dedicated and passionate coaches for all age groups. If you are interested in joining our coaching team, the first step is to complete the Coaching Application Form or contact hr@maverickvolleyball.ca.
Maverick Volleyball endeavours to:
More information such as the Mission Statement, Message from the Founder, and our senior leadership can be found on our website at https://maverickvolleyball.ca/about/
This intensive training program is for athletes who participated in tryouts and then were offered, and accepted, a spot in the regional-level training centre. Athletes train for 4 weeks after which they are divided into competition squads for the next 8 weeks, to train and compete against each other and in at least one regional day tournament (possibly as far away as Montreal, Kingston or Gatineau). The fees are set in advance, and cover everything (except related to travel), so parents know exactly what they are getting.
Also known as the “Maverick Volleyball Club”, this part of the organization is the not-for-profit division and covers all components that stem from a player being successful at tryouts, being offered and accepting a spot on either a national-level or provincial-level team which competes in OVA and other major tournaments across the province, sometimes inter-provincially, and sometimes internationally (depending on coach and parent aspirations).
The Club is a not-for-profit entity and each team manages its own finances, which can vary substantially depending on the number of tournaments, the location of tournaments, the team building activities chosen – all in consultation and agreement with the coaches and parents of each team
For better management of the growing competitive component, the Maverick Club has designated these two levels by the skill and aspirations combined with levels of time and travel commitment. Practices and training follow Volleyball Canada and Ontario Volleyball Association guidelines, which we believe provide an improved training environment for players of the elite calibre.
Competitive Teams
The two levels of Competitive teams provide an environment of excellence for skilled athletes who have end goals of attending post-secondary school and possibly playing next level volleyball (Provincial Team, Youth National, University, College, US College/University, National, Pro), and who show the capability to do so in their physicality, skills and commitment. This ensures that the environment is consistent throughout each team as it strives achieve their goals. Although not all athletes will end up reaching this goal, our record shows that more than 50% will do so.
The Maverick Commitment to Coaching
We have multiple progressive, learn-to-play (LTP) and intermediate short term recreational (Rec) options at varying skill levels for boys and girls aged 6 to 18 years. There are no tryouts, athletes simply sign up to any program in this division. These include fall, winter and spring sessions, day camps (Winter Holiday, March Break, and Summer indoor and beach), and more!
The Learn-To-Play programs provide opportunities for athletes to learn the sport of volleyball in a fun and supportive way. These programs are aimed either at athletes who are new to the sport and want to learn, many of whom go on to play in our competitive and high performance programs, or at athletes who are looking to hone their skills to be able to play volleyball for life in one of Ottawa’s many casual volleyball leagues. We offer LTP programs in many communities throughout Ottawa to keep travel within the city to a minimum (and we are always looking for more school gym time).
Our Learn-To-Play programs are divided into 3 levels based on age. For our youngest athletes, we offer a select number of smashball programs. Smashball is a unique and engaging way for athletes between the ages 6 and 9 to be introduced to volleyball and immediately focus on the most exciting part of volleyball: the smash. For athletes aged 10-14, we offer our FUNdamentals 1 & 2 programs. As the name suggests, these programs aim to provide younger athletes with all the fundamental skills and abilities to play volleyball. Finally, for athletes aged 14-18, we offer our Teen Recreational options of Practice & Play and Game On! programs which are preparing athletes for a life in volleyball through teaching skills and tactics.
Different Maverick programs are managed according to very specific fee structures, from the basic pay-in-advance learn-to-play programs to instalment plans for the not-for-profit national level high performance teams.
Recreational programs (including Learn-to-Play) are paid in full by credit card at registration in the Amilia portal.
There are staggered payment options for all Competitive programs (see below). All use TeamSnap to collect fees. Once the athlete’s TeamSnap profile is created with the parent’s emails, the club will send direct invoices through TeamSnap. For proper tracking purposes, all transactions must be through TeamSnap using a credit card.
Coaches at this level are all paid staff.
Athletes must register for, and participate in tryouts. Offer letters go out to those successful at tryouts. Acceptance by the athlete and their family must be accompanied by a $525 deposit (plus HST). The remainder of the fee (also $525 plus tax) is due approximately 4 weeks later (by Oct 31 for the Fall term, and by Feb 8 for the Winter term). Total fee for each 12-week cycle is $1050 (plus HST).
Over the 12-week cycle, athletes will receive 32 hours of on-court training, 24 hours of competition, and 6 hours of off-court training including a Mavs Night team building, an introduction to mental training and strength and conditioning. In addition, athletes will receive a training t-shirt, socks, and Maverick shorts (to keep).
Coaches at this level are all paid staff.
Each CTC will include one “away” tournament (within a 2 hour commute) and one “home” (within the greater Ottawa area).
An additional $50 rental deposit will be invoiced for the numbered competition jersey which must be returned on or before the last day. If the jersey is not returned, the deposit will be forfeited.
Athletes must register for, and participate in tryouts. Offer letters go out to those successful at tryouts. If accepted, a letter of commitment by the athlete and their family must be accompanied by a $475 deposit. A second deposit is due November 1st and the remainder will be determined after the team budget has been finalized. The total budget can be as high as $4,000 for the full season (October to April for some, September to May for others). The remainder of the fee can be made in monthly instalments or a lump sum payment based on your preference but the final payment must be received before Provincials.
These teams managed by the registered not-for-profit (NFP) branch of Maverick Volleyball. The year-end reconciliation is completed in July and potential refunds are issued in July/August.
Coaches at this level are all volunteers who receive a small honorarium to offset their personal costs.
Sample Budget:
| Estimated Cost per Player | Cost |
|---|---|
| Facility rentals – 2 practices per week |
varies |
| Tournaments (across Ontario) – Registrations (_ tournaments , 1 Provincials) – Coach accommodation & travel |
varies |
| Additional Team Training – Training Camps /Additional Facility Rentals – Team Building / socials – Mental Training optional |
varies |
| Strength & Conditioning – optional – CSTS App (Capital Strength) |
varies |
| Coach Honoraria – 1 Head Coach – _ Assistant Coaches |
varies |
| OVA mandatory registration fees – Coach registration fees – Player Registration Fee |
varies |
| Club overhead fees – Software licences – Club Board honoraria – Banquet – Coach Development |
≈$375 |
| TOTAL | Range: $2,500-3000 |
The above table is an example of the cost categories that are divided up per player.
Facility Rental: Costs are prorated on a per use basis for each team.
Travel: Travel and accommodations for individual athletes or their families are not included.
Tournaments: Tournaments cost will vary based on seasonal plan and (i.e number of tournaments registered, location of tournament, out of province tournaments, etc). Provincial Championships are always included.
Additional Training: Will vary based on seasonal plan.
Strength Training: Program led by Capital Strength. Includes Capital Strength App.
Coach Honoraria: Will vary based on coaching staff and level of certification.
OVA Fees: The OVA has a mandatory registration fee for each coach and each player.
Club Fees: Includes general cost to properly operate the club (i.e software license, club board honoraria,
coaching professional development). This fee is applicable to all national and provincial-level athletes.
Uniform costs: Beginning with the 2024-2025 season, these costs will be handed individually based on each player’s store selection of team wear. Players are not required to have multiple pairs of shorts or socks, but they must be in good repair.
Athletes must register for, and participate in tryouts. Offer letters go out to those successful at tryouts. If accepted, a letter of commitment by the athlete and their family must be accompanied by a $475 deposit. A second deposit is due November 1st and the remainder will be determined after the team budget has been finalized. The total budget are often as high as $4,000 for the full season (October to April for some, September to May for others). The remainder of the fee can be made in monthly instalments or a lump sum payment based on your preference but the final payment must be received before Provincials.
These teams managed by the registered not-for-profit (NFP) branch of Maverick Volleyball. The year-end reconciliation is completed in July and potential refunds are issued in July/August.
Coaches at this level are all volunteers who receive a small honorarium to offset their personal costs.
Sample Budget:
| Estimated Cost per Player | Cost |
|---|---|
| Facility rentals – 3 practices per week |
≈$200 |
| Tournaments (across Ontario) – Registrations (6 tournaments , 1 Provincials) – Coach accommodation & travel |
varies |
| Nationals (ie: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver) -Registration – Coach accommodation & travel |
varies |
| Additional Team Training – Training Camps /Additional Facility Rentals – Team Building / socials – Mental Training |
≈$200 |
| Strength & Conditioning – two workouts per week – CSTS App (Capital Strength) |
≈$825 |
| Coach Honoraria – 1 Head Coach – 2 Assistant Coaches |
varies |
| OVA mandatory registration fees – Coach registration fees – Player Registration Fee |
varies |
| Club overhead fees – Software licences – Club Board honoraria – Banquet – Coach Development |
≈$375 |
| TOTAL | Range: $3-4,500 |
The above table is an example of the cost categories that are divided up per player.
Facility Rental: Facility costs are prorated on a per use basis for each team.
Travel: Travel and accommodations for individual athletes or their families are not included.
Tournaments: Tournaments cost will vary based on seasonal plan and (i.e number of tournaments registered, location of tournament, out of province tournaments, etc). Provincial Championships are always included.
National Championships: All national-level teams are expected to compete at the National Championships. Travel costs will vary based on location.
Additional Training: Will vary based on seasonal plan.
Strength Training: Program led by Capital Strength. Includes Capital Strength App.
Coach Honoraria: Will vary based on coaching staff and level of certification.
OVA Fees: The OVA has a mandatory registration fee for each coach and each player.
Club Fees: Includes general cost to properly operate the club (i.e software license, club board honoraria,
coaching professional development). This fee is applicable to all national and provincial-level athletes.
Uniform costs: Beginning with the 2024-2025 season, these costs will be handed individually based on each player’s store selection of team wear. Players are not required to have multiple pairs of shorts or socks, but they must be in good repair.
Maverick Club is committed to contributing to a safe sporting environment through education and by promoting awareness of concussion diagnosis and graduated ‘return to play’ of players who have suffered a concussion.
We follow the OVAs policy and protocols around concussions. If a concussion is suspected, the athlete will be removed from play immediately, and the concussion protocol will be followed, including the requirement of medical clearance to return. If an athlete is diagnosed with a concussion, a gradual ‘return to play’ protocol will be followed after receiving medical clearance to return to sport.
More information on Rowan’s Law and Concussion Protocols can be found on the OVA’s website at:
https://www.ontariovolleyball.org/policies
If an athlete suspects that they or another athlete may have a concussion, the coach must be informed immediately.
At Maverick Volleyball, we make great efforts to ensure a safe environment is available to all athletes. To do this, we depend on every member of the Maverick family (athletes, coaches, parents and siblings, and Mav administrators) to practice respectful etiquette and attitudes towards everyone else, including tournament organizers and referees. This also includes their fellow athletes, fellow coaches, fellow parents, fellow administrators. Breaching such expectations will result in a corrective response.
The OVA’s Code of Conduct’s purpose is to ensure a safe and positive environment within OVA programs. It is applicable to all individuals engaged in activities with the OVA, including but not limited to, clubs, athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, managers, administrators, committee members, directors and officers of the OVA, spectators of OVA events and parents of OVA members.
An individual who violates this Code may be subject to sanctions pursuant to the OVA’s Discipline and Complaints Policy. Violations could result in a warning, reprimand, access restrictions, suspension and other disciplinary actions up to and including termination of employment/contract, as appropriate.
The OVA Code of Conduct can be found here: Code of Conduct.
To ensure full awareness of inappropriate behaviour, Maverick Volleyball has created its own comprehensive Code of Conduct for its coaches (a copy of this document can be found on the Maverick web site). All coaches must read the Code of Conduct and complete the survey to confirm that they have read and understand the terms of the Code before coaching begins.
As specified in the Maverick Code of Conduct, consequences of any breaches of the code of conduct could be severe and authorities will be called in if warranted.
The OVA requires that the Respect in Sport (RIS) module be completed by at least one parent or guardian for each athlete.
The OVA will audit the MRS accounts for completion, and athletes will not be permitted to participate in OVA tournaments if the RIS Module is not completed. There is a small fee to complete the course ($12) and it will take approximately 1 hour to complete. It only needs to be completed once, you can use your existing certificate number if you previously completed the RIS for another sport.
Keep your certificate number on file for future years and future sports.
Once completed, you must input your certificate number into your child’s MRS profile. It should automatically carry forward year to year. If you completed this in a previous year, please login to MRS to verify.
More details on the RIS, and links to complete the module can be found on the OVA website at: https://www.ontariovolleyball.org/respect-in-sport
With the objective of maintaining a safe environment for athletes, coaches, parents and volunteers, the Maverick leadership team implemented a resource that better facilitates the opportunity to present issues and disclose information. This process will allow the Maverick Leadership Team to implement solutions and improvements that will support and help maintain a safe environment for all.
Submissions can be sent by email to: yourvoice@maverickvolleyball.ca.
Click this link to the pdf of these Guidelines: YourVoice Program Guidelines
The following platforms are used to communicate with our members for alerting to program starts, weather cancellations, announcing schedule changes, events or other topics requiring timely dissemination.
Our Constant Contact Newsletter goes out to all who sign up for email alerts. It is primarily useful for the Learn-to-Play and Recreational programs for openings and rescheduling, but also to alert anyone who has signed up for when Tryout Registrations are opening and closing. We try to limit these newsletter emails to once or twice per month, but if something urgent comes up, we may not be able to wait until the next cycle. That said, we are mindful of keeping our posts to a minimum, we will never overload your inbox.
TeamSnap is primarily used by the competitive stream. It allows teams to post schedules, indicate attendance, communicate via TeamSnap email or chats, track assignments, upload files and pictures and much more. TeamSnap can be accessed either on a desktop or on your mobile. TeamSnap may also be used to alert families about optional clothing status on the Maverick store.
If you do not already have a TeamSnap account, you will be required to set one up when registering for tryouts. It is important that you keep your family contact information up to date. All athletes are required to have at least one parent/guardian listed with contact information. To protect our member’s privacy, contact information is only viewable by administrators, coaches and managers. All communication should be completed via TeamSnap to ensure accountability.
Website – We post important public information on the Maverick website: <maverickvolleyball.ca>. If you would like to suggest additional information that you think would be helpful for parents and players to have regular access to, please send your ideas to chris@maverickvolleyball.ca
Social Media platforms – Maverick uses different social media platforms for video and photo-sharing:
The Maverick Store offers optional Maverick-branded clothing (including kneepads and backpacks) for all program levels. The store currently offers an East End free pickup only, but we are working on establishing a Kanata or Barrhaven free pickup location and possibly a direct delivery option (for a fee).
Optional Maverick clothing can be purchased through the Maverick store from September through June (click the shopping cart icon on our home page).
Learn-to-Play, Recreational, and Camp participants receive a cotton t-shirt with each new program they sign up for.
Everyone who attends tryouts will receive a moisture-wicking tryout t-shirt which doubles as a practice shirt later on. Athletes accepted to a Training Centre will receive an additional practice shirt, one pair of shorts and socks. Provincial- and National-level athletes will have one or two uniforms, two additional practice t-shirts, one pair of shorts and a pack of socks. Starting in September 2024, orders for uniform packages will be completed on the Maverick Store. Players who already have enough Maverick-branded game shorts or black Mizuno socks, do not have to purchase new ones if theirs are in good condition.
UNIFORM SIZING: All players attending September tryouts will be sized for the various uniform options. Being sized does not infer that an athlete has made a team. Sizing is completed at tryouts to allow for quick turnaround of ordering with the hopes of receiving uniforms before November tournaments. Jersey numbers are assigned by the coach when players are rostered.
Uniform packages vary from year to year depending on supplier, availability of items, and team needs (i.e. socks may not be included due to shortage of stock, teams that do not play with a libero may choose to purchase only one jersey while others may opt for two, etc.).
Uniform distribution typically takes place during the Mavs Night annual event, a fun evening for all athletes to come together for games, photos and team building.
The Maverick Volleyball Club would not be what it is today without the many dedicated volunteers that have devoted so much time! There are various volunteer roles to play – something for everyone! For example, at the corporate level, we are seeking support in different areas, such as fundraising, event planning, communications, photography, and so much more. Whereas parents who volunteer with their athlete’s team will support the coaches to allow them to focus on volleyball. Athletes who are looking for volunteer hours can find numerous opportunities do so throughout the year with Maverick Volleyball (watch for notices in TeamSnap messages).
Each National and Provincial-level team needs the following parent volunteers:
Parents volunteering with the team as Team Manager or Team Treasurer must complete the OVA Screening Disclosure form.
We thank each and everyone of our parent volunteers! If you’re also interested in becoming involved at the club level, we’d love to hear from you – please reach out to hr@maverickvolleyball.ca to learn more.
Potential practice locations: Practices will be held at various school gyms throughout the city. The main gyms used are Mer Bleue, Béatrice-Desloges, Garneau, Samuel Genest, Franco-Cité, Colonel By, Canterbury High School, Ridgemont High School, Gloucester High School, Hillcrest High School, Immaculata, St. Patrick’s High School.
Mavs Night: This is a fun evening for all athletes to come together once uniforms are ready. Team pictures will be taken and teams will have a chance to participate in some team building activities.
Year-end Banquet: Mavs holds a year-end banquet each June to close out the season and recognize our graduating athletes. This is for coaches and our 15U and above athletes. Parents of our graduating 18U athletes are also invited to attend.
14U and under Year-end Fun Day: Our 14U and under athletes will have a chance to celebrate their seasons with a year-end fun day at the end of May or early June.
Mavs4Fun: This is a friendly 4v4 fundraiser tournament held during the Winter Holidays and sometimes again in the Spring each year. All age groups and skill levels are invited to join, including parent, siblings and friends.
Alumni Games: “Once a Mav, always a Mav.” Each year our alumni are invited to come back and challenge our 18U teams in a friendly game.
We hope the information in this Parent Handbook helps answer some of the questions you have as you start your journey with the Maverick Volleyball Club. Please reach out with any unanswered questions that may arise. We look forward to getting to know you and watching your athletes grow and excel playing the sport we’re all so passionate about!
