If you haven’t been to a club volleyball tournament, you are in for quite an experience. They are exciting and fun for players, parents, and coaches. Tournaments also present some challenges. Experienced volleyball parents and coaches know how difficult it can be to remain cool and calm when they disagree with judgment calls during tight matches, or when they detect possible scorekeeping errors. It’s a true test of self-control.
All fans are bound by a code of conduct at volleyball matches. The range of acceptable fan behavior is more restrictive in juniors volleyball than in most sports because:
A team can be penalized for misbehavior by a fan, and the fan can be ejected. This happens every season in North Carolina. Depending on the severity of the infraction, the Carolina Region/USAV can extend that sanction for the remainder of the season or longer. CHAVC fans have a good reputation around the state. No CHAVC parent has ever been ejected, but a few incidents over the years have resulted in warnings. Let’s keep the Club’s reputation intact and avoid embarrassing our players.
Examples of behavior that can result in fans or their teams being sanctioned:
a) Making inappropriate comments to officials (adult or junior) over faults called or not called.
b) Making inappropriate comments to line judges about calls made.
c) Making inappropriate remarks to participants on the court.
d) Approaching the scorer’s table or referee stand during play to complain about what is shown on the scoreboard or faults called or not called.
e) Expressing extensive disagreements with Tournament Directors or Officials concerning tournament procedures, formats, playoff seeding, or any tournament matter. Ideally, only the Head Coach should approach the Tournament Director to discuss tournament administration matters during an event.
From the Carolina Region USAV website: carolinaregionvb.org
CHAVC further asks fans to refrain from yelling instructions to our players or talking to workers from other teams. Do say “good job” after a match if you are so inclined. Please, no flash photos during matches.
Tournament days are exciting but long. Make the commitment for your student athlete to stay with her team all day. If you leave with her without notifying the coach in advance and obtaining her/his permission, CHAVC will place the athlete on suspension pending evaluation by the Club Director. (Unexpected departures have happened, putting those teams in difficult situations. Otherwise we wouldn’t mention it).
So You Want to be a Better Spectator?
John Kessel, USA Volleyball Director of Sport Development
Far more than the winning and losing are the lessons learned in the process of tournament play. To quote Socrates, “I believe that we cannot live better than in seeking to become still better than we are.” The sport of volleyball is unique in its core cooperative nature and its strength in building character. The ability to cooperate is far more important to human survival than the ability to compete. Success is a journey, not a destination. “Winning and losing are temporary, but friendships last forever” is a Chinese proverb of great truth. We ask that your role from the sidelines and stands match that which we are developing through our coaching education programs and training. Thanks for working as part of this Junior Olympic Volleyball program by conducting yourself within these guidelines.
Rule Number 1. Keep positive support, encouragement, cheerleading and general hollering and yelling to a maximum on the sidelines.
When players are working hard, they need and deserve everyone’s best positive encouragement and support. They need to know you are there. Most teams have a tough enough time developing a sense of teamwork and achievement as they are also developing their own individual experience and skill. They do not need to hear your anxiety piled on top of their own when the game is going poorly.
Rule Number 2. Just one word on criticizing players, coaches or referees: DON’T.
Publicly criticizing players on your team can really hurt morale. They will already have an excellent idea, from all the practicing they have already done, as to their errors. They do not need reminders from their families, friends and other spectators. The players for the other team are also doing their best and are probably no more aggressive than the players on your team. Criticism is simply poor sportsmanship and leads to unnecessarily bad feelings on and off the playing area. The spectacle of an adult shouting insults at a child or another adult is disgusting. Volleyball is a game, not a war.
When the opponents make a great play, give them positive encouragement too.
The referees are making judgment calls on each and every contact and will err at times, though usually far less than the best player on the team you are cheering for. Referees may make mistakes, but they never make a bad call in their heart. The referee might ignore you, but also has the right to ask you to leave the playing area. Either situation is at best distracting from the most important thing going on, the players’ competition.
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