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CLUB DIRECTORS

About Madtown Volleyball

This is a momentous time for volleyball. It is the most popular high school sport for girls, college volleyball is exploding and professional volleyball is coming to Madison! Wherever you are on your volleyball journey, club volleyball can play a major role in your development as a person and a player. Thriving in the right club is a joy, while conversely it can be a long season if you are not aligned with the club philosophy or don’t fully understand the expectations of what you are committing to.

 

There are many choices of clubs - but how do I determine the right one for me?

 

Start your journey with understanding the ‘why’ of a club. Why they choose to serve the next generation of female leaders through the sport of volleyball.  Understand their mission and values and how that influences their approach to teaching. 

 

This Madtown Manifesto seeks to share all of that information with you before you commit to being a valued member of the Madtown community.

About

A Note from the Club Director

My vision for Madtown is a community where athletes, coaches, and families - find their greatness. I am inspired by a strong belief that people are better as a part of a community and that our potential for greatness cannot be truly reached in isolation. Volleyball is the ultimate team sport where ironically, your greatness as a player, is dependent on your greatness as a teammate. My “why” as a club director of Madtown is because I see a Madison community where the seeds for success are in place. I already see so much talent, passion and support here, that I am grateful for the opportunity to help nurture each athlete, their families and our community through a sport we all love.

 

For Madtown to be successful, this vision needs to be shared and contagious. From coaches to players to our families. Coaches are vital role models for our community. All of our club directors have been fortunate to have taken this journey ourselves from youth volleyball player through college and pro. Our coaches have the foresight and mental image on what the athlete can develop into, and will hold their players to a high expectation without demeaning them.  I believe that the best teams are player-led teams - equipped and enabled by strong leadership and instruction, but ultimately it should be the players who maintain the values and standards and hold each other accountable. 

 

My ask for families is to be supportive, understand their role, and model appropriate behavior. It truly takes a village and while families should be the strongest advocate for their child, volleyball is a team sport and there are lessons regarding sacrifice. I hope for a Madtown community that values each individual athlete, but also considers the team and club at large.

 

Failure is a critical part of the road to success. Athletes need to be in an environment where they are stretched and need to struggle at times in order to achieve their fullest potential. In challenging situations, we choose to learn how to respond, and we will praise the growth and successes along the way.  We will cultivate an environment where our athletes are leaders that serve, that expect the highest level of effort at all times from themselves and their teammates, and who will push through failures and celebrate successes.

Why be a Part of LOVB

In 4 short years, League One Volleyball is the largest club organization in the US. LOVB is currently an ecosystem of over 50 clubs and 6 pro teams across the nation - that support and learn from each other in order to provide the very best for our athletes. LOVB is often described as a holistic community - that while our parts are unique, we are aligned in a mission to grow people through the sport volleyball and as a result, we are stronger as a whole.  Madtown is the anchor club to LOVB Madison - one of the first 6 LOVB Pro teams. Some may be concerned that this will detract from our club focus. I can unequivocally say that having pro in our facility is absolutely a positive. These positives are based on the concept of “You can’t be what you can’t see” -  and we will literally be having LOVB Pro role models in the next court. 1. By having LOVB Pro athletes and coaches train in our facility we will have continual access to elite training techniques.  We will host Pro-Academy trainings where the athletes and coaches train our club athletes.  We will also be able to watch them practice and play, which is one of the best ways to learn the game. 2. 94% of female executives played sports when they were younger. And while few women will have the opportunity to play professional volleyball, the vast majority of players will go pro in something other than sports.  I think many would agree that it is pretty amazing to be able to combine work with your passions.  Another benefit of the LOVB Madison ecosystem, is exposure to opportunities in all facets of volleyball and business. Our athletes can personally see all the roles firsthand that go into running a professional league - seeing what it entails to be a successful professional athlete, coach, social media director, marketing and community relations professional, etc… What a great advantage to have all of these things right at their fingertips!

Why be a Part of Madtown

Madtown was the first LOVB created club in the nation built from the ground up!  LOVB recognized the passion for volleyball in Madison and wanted to grow and energize this community and fanbase.  With the combination of this excitement around volleyball and the incredible resources LOVB provides, Madtown has grown immensely in its first 3 seasons and will continue to serve as the premier volleyball club in Wisconsin. Madtown has a vast network that benefits our athletes in recruiting, training, and development.  Whether you are looking to find the right fit to continue playing at the collegiate level, or trying to make your HS team, Madtown provides the tools to help you get to the next level. For those looking to play collegiately, Madtown athletes are guided by our club recruiting coordinators, as well as a LOVB national recruiting coordinator. Recruiting can be a daunting process, but having advocates that are connected at all levels unlock opportunities for Madtown athletes! Madtown provides a home court advantage with a 10 court facility dedicated wholly to volleyball. 2 courts feature TaraFlex - the official court surface for the Olympics since 1976. Our home also has a full strength and conditioning space, film room, video playback on every court , athletic training room, pro-shop, and concessions.  Madtown attracts great coaches that understand the importance of building our athletes as both humans and volleyball players.  Like our athletes, our coaches are curious and always in the process of learning in order to grow their skills as teachers.  Our coaches bring years of coaching experience and many as high level players themselves. They are continually educated in various and contemporary training techniques and all are Safe Sport certified. We also incorporate WAT (Whole Athlete Training) nights where we focus on the mental training side of competition, film breakdown, and recovery.  Madtown is a place for athletes to find their greatness by training and competing at the highest level by committing themselves to integrity, positivity, and grit.​​

MADTOWN VALUES: the best of Midwestern values

Work Hard: We will give full effort and be both physically and mentally committed during training and competition. We will be present in the task at hand whether we are training, competition, or on the bench.

 

Humility: We will be coachable, and open to feedback.

 

Family and Community: We will love all and serve all. Celebrate each other’s successes, support during struggles, and serve each other at all times.

 

Friendliness: We will be optimistic and constructive in building each other up.

 

Do what is right : We will be ambassadors for Madtown and build a legacy of greatness for those in our community as well as for those to come after us.

Team Division Explanation

We are offering 3 levels of teams at Madtown which vary in level of play, time commitment, and financial commitment. It is important to understand these differences to find the right fit for you and to have the most positive experience with aligned teammates.

Playing at the right team division for you is more important than ‘playing up’. Please do not strive to be on a National team without understanding the level of commitment required behind the word “National”.  This is why we also offer two other levels: Select and Regional, to make sure we are creating training spaces for all levels of volleyball players within our gym.

Team Divisions

National Teams

  • 7-month season ( 111N will be 6 months long)

  • 3 practices a week (2 for 121N & 111N, 2.5 for 131N & 132N)

  • 2  Strength & Conditioning sessions per week

  • Number of Tournaments:

    • 18s (4 Qualifiers, 2 Other Multi-Day Tournaments)

    • 14s-17s (3 Qualifiers, 5 Other Multi-Day Tournaments)

    • 12s-13s (2 Qualifiers, 5 Other Multi-Day Tournaments)

    • 11s (1 Qualifier, 5 or 6 Other Multi-Day Tournaments)

  • 10-12 athletes per team

  • Balltime (A program to review game film and create recruiting highlights)

  • SportsRecruits account

  • 3 uniforms, 2 tights (long or short), 3 practice shirts, knee pads, socks, and a warm-up top and bottom

  • Recruiting Coordinator (Helps with every step of the recruiting process as well as networking on your behalf with college coaches.)

  • WAT (Whole Athlete Training) which addresses topics such as mental training, nutrition, recovery, and game analysis

  • All National teams attend either USAV Nationals (if qualified) or AAU Nationals in Orlando, FL as the final tournament of the season

National Level Athletes

National level athletes typically aspire to play at the collegiate level. These teams are designed for athletes and families that prioritize volleyball above other extracurricular activities. It is important that both athletes AND families are on the same page because National teams require more practice time, travel time, as well as both a higher financial and emotional investment. These athletes acknowledge these commitments and welcome them because they understand they are imperative to help them meet their goals of competing at the highest level. When members of a team do not prioritize volleyball it negatively affects team performance and culture. We recognize there can be tremendous value to athletes who engage in a variety of sports. Prioritizing volleyball does not mean you cannot participate in other activities. National Level athletes can participate in sanctioned sports/activities if you can maintain the commitment to Madtown as follows. Practice commitment: Athletes are expected to attend all practices unless currently training or competing in another approved activity. As long as you are currently at one of those events then it will be considered an “excused” absence. Once that event is over, athletes are expected to attend ongoing Madtown events even if it is on the same day. Any conflict needs to be communicated a week ahead of time for coaches to plan practices accordingly. Injured athletes are still expected to attend practices unless your injury prevents you from doing so. Tournament commitment: National athletes will attend all Qualifier tournaments. National athletes are also expected to attend all other tournaments unless a conflict is submitted by email , discussed, and approved at the start of their secondary sport season and a month in advance of the volleyball tournament. Proactive communication and approved absences. National athletes playing another sport need to submit their season schedule to Madtown as soon as they receive it from their secondary activity. Requested absences should be addressed to the coach and approved in advance. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification.

National Teams Playing Time

It is important to understand that your club dues are covering a variety of expenses, but playing time is not one of them and is not guaranteed.  Our commitment to athletes at the National level is that every athlete will be given the tools and instruction during training in order to compete for playing time.  We also commit that each athlete will have meaningful playing time at some point during the day at every tournament with the exception of bracket play where the strongest line up will be used to be as competitive as possible.

National Teams Club Dues

Age Group
Annual Fee
11s
$2,650
12s-13s
$3,400
14s
$3,850
15s-17s
$4,250
18s
$3,600

Club dues cover practice/training, court time, strength and conditioning, coach stipend and travel, and registration fees for tournaments. Families are committing to additional costs including travel to all tournaments shown on your team schedule and uniform package. 

Select Teams 

  • 5-month season

  • 2 practices a week

  • 1 strength and conditioning session per week

  • 6-8 Two-Day Tournaments within 2 hours, one that may be a 4 hour drive

  • 10-11 athletes per team

  • 2 uniforms, 2 tights (long or short, 2 practice shirts, knee pads, socks, and warm-up top and bottom

  • Recruiting Coordinator help upon request for 16-18s

  • Balltime/Sports Recruits account optional upon request with additional fee

  • WAT (Whole Athlete Training) which addresses topics such as mental training, nutrition, recovery, and game analysis.

  • Team can opt in to Balltime and/or SportsRecruits at an additional cost

Select Level Athletes

Select level athletes typically play and compete in volleyball for their schools. These teams are designed for athletes that want to play high-level volleyball but also participate in other extracurricular activities. These teams will be registered in competitive tournaments, but not necessarily ones that college recruiters will be at. There will be an expectation for athletes to be at all Madtown events when not currently participating in another activity even on the same day. Any practice conflicts are “excused” if it is due to currently being involved in another activity and they are communicated and approved with your coach a week or more in advance. Any schedule conflicts for volleyball tournaments need to be submitted by email at least a month beforehand to both the coach and club director so that plans for practices, line-ups, and subs can be made appropriately. We are really encouraging proactive communication between athletes and coaches. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification. These athletes acknowledge these commitments and welcome them because they understand they are imperative to help them meet their goals of competing at the highest level. When members of a team do not prioritize volleyball it negatively affects team performance and culture. We recognize there can be tremendous value to athletes who engage in a variety of sports. Prioritizing volleyball does not mean you cannot participate in other activities. National Level athletes can participate in sanctioned sports/activities if you can maintain the commitment to Madtown as follows. Practice commitment: Athletes are expected to attend all practices unless currently training or competing in another approved activity. As long as you are currently at one of those events then it will be considered an “excused” absence. Once that event is over, athletes are expected to attend ongoing Madtown events even if it is on the same day. Any conflict needs to be communicated a week ahead of time for coaches to plan practices accordingly. Injured athletes are still expected to attend practices unless your injury prevents you from doing so. Tournament commitment: National athletes will attend all Qualifier tournaments. National athletes are also expected to attend all other tournaments unless a conflict is submitted by email , discussed, and approved at the start of their secondary sport season and a month in advance of the volleyball tournament. Proactive communication and approved absences. National athletes playing another sport need to submit their season schedule to Madtown as soon as they receive it from their secondary activity. Requested absences should be addressed to the coach and approved in advance. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification.

Select Teams Playing Time

It is important to understand that your club dues are covering a variety of expenses, but playing time is not one of them and is not guaranteed.  Our commitment to athletes at the Select level is that every athlete will be given the tools and instruction during training in order to compete for playing time.  We also commit that each athlete will have meaningful playing time at some point during the day at every tournament with the exception of the last day of play if only one match is played.

Select Teams Club Dues

Age Group
Annual Fee
10s-11s
$1,850
12s-13s
$2,650
14s-18s
$2,950

Club dues cover practice/training, court time, strength and conditioning, coach stipend and travel, and registration fees for tournaments. Families are committing to additional costs including travel to all tournaments shown on your team schedule as well the Select uniform package. 

Regional Teams 

  • 4-5 month season

  • 2 practices a week

  • 1 strength and conditioning session per week

  • 5 One-Day Tournaments and 1 Two-Day Tournaments (within about a 2-hour radius)

  • Majority of tourney days are Sundays

  • 11-12 athletes per team

  • 2 uniforms, 2 tights (long or short, 2 practice shirts, knee pads, socks, and sweatshirt

  • WAT (Whole Athlete Training) which addresses topics such as mental training, nutrition, recovery, and game analysis.

Regional Level Athletes

These teams are designed for athletes that want to develop their skills in volleyball. These athletes may be new to the sport or may have a variety of other activities that they want to pursue so they practice less frequently, don’t travel further than 2 hours to play, and have a shorter season. There will be an expectation for athletes to be at all Madtown events when not currently participating in another activity even on the same day. Any practice conflicts are “excused” if it is due to currently being involved in another activity and they are communicated and approved with your coach a week or more in advance. Any schedule conflicts for tournaments need to be submitted by email at least a month beforehand to both the coach and club director so that plans for practices, line-ups, and subs can be made appropriately. We are really encouraging proactive communication between athletes and coaches. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification. There will be an expectation for athletes to be at all Madtown events when not currently participating in another activity even on the same day. Any practice conflicts are “excused” if it is due to currently being involved in another activity and they are communicated and approved with your coach a week or more in advance. Any schedule conflicts for volleyball tournaments need to be submitted by email at least a month beforehand to both the coach and club director so that plans for practices, line-ups, and subs can be made appropriately. We are really encouraging proactive communication between athletes and coaches. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification. These athletes acknowledge these commitments and welcome them because they understand they are imperative to help them meet their goals of competing at the highest level. When members of a team do not prioritize volleyball it negatively affects team performance and culture. We recognize there can be tremendous value to athletes who engage in a variety of sports. Prioritizing volleyball does not mean you cannot participate in other activities. National Level athletes can participate in sanctioned sports/activities if you can maintain the commitment to Madtown as follows. Practice commitment: Athletes are expected to attend all practices unless currently training or competing in another approved activity. As long as you are currently at one of those events then it will be considered an “excused” absence. Once that event is over, athletes are expected to attend ongoing Madtown events even if it is on the same day. Any conflict needs to be communicated a week ahead of time for coaches to plan practices accordingly. Injured athletes are still expected to attend practices unless your injury prevents you from doing so. Tournament commitment: National athletes will attend all Qualifier tournaments. National athletes are also expected to attend all other tournaments unless a conflict is submitted by email , discussed, and approved at the start of their secondary sport season and a month in advance of the volleyball tournament. Proactive communication and approved absences. National athletes playing another sport need to submit their season schedule to Madtown as soon as they receive it from their secondary activity. Requested absences should be addressed to the coach and approved in advance. *Please read through “excused” vs “unexcused” absences section below for clarification.

Regional Teams Playing Time

It is important to understand that your club dues are covering a variety of expenses, but playing time is not one of them and is not guaranteed.  Our commitment to athletes at the Regional level is that every athlete will be given the tools and instruction during training in order to compete for playing time.  We also commit that each athlete will have meaningful playing time at some point during each match. 

Regional Teams Club Dues

$1,500 for the season. Club dues cover practice/training, court time, strength and conditioning, coach stipend and travel, and registration fees for tournaments. Families are committing to additional costs including travel to all tournaments shown on your team schedule as well the Regional uniform package. 

Excused vs Unexcused Practices for All Levels

We will refer to absences as either “excused” or “unexcused”. Absences are “excused” when they are approved by submitting conflicts in email form to your coach and club director by the given date listed in the National, Select, and Regional level definition and below for sickness. For “excused” absences there will be no direct impact to playing time. The only reason there would be a reduction of playing time is if the missed training time has allowed another athlete to beat you out for the position you were starting in since they have been training. For “unexcused” absences there will be an impact on playing time regardless of where you are by skill on the depth chart. Athletes that have an “unexcused” absence before any event will not be allowed to start the first set at the next tournament. The more “unexcused” absences an athlete has, the more playing time will be reduced. This rule is simply to create a competitive, positive culture within a team. When athletes miss practice they are not contributing to the team or earning playing time. If an athlete gets to play all of the time even when they are not prioritizing their team it creates frustration amongst the players. We want to support each other and that only happens when athletes work for their playing time. In order to create competition, all athletes need to be present. Sickness is always “excused”. Please communicate immediately and directly with the coach when sickness affects attendance. Injured athletes are still expected to attend practices unless your injury prevents you from doing so. 2 “excused’ Personal Days. Each athlete has two “excused” days throughout the season called “Personal days”. These can be used for practice only, and not for tournaments. Players can elect to use them for any reason, including studying, so use them wisely! Missing officiating duties at a tournament, even at the end of the day, is considered an “unexcused” absence. Practice and tournament conflicts may be considered “excused” or “unexcused” as explained in level expectations. Prom. We know this will be a unforgettable moment, but you will need to fulfill your volleyball duties prior to leaving. Family time is important so breaks are worked into the schedule and posted at tryouts so that families can plan family time around volleyball. Missing Madtown events for vacation and/or parties during non-break times will be considered “unexcused” absences. (Spring Break will be considered “excused” vacation time that lines up with your school district’s spring break week.)

2024/25 Tryouts

There are new regulations as set forth by Badger Region regarding tryouts, and as a result, Madtown tryouts is a new procedure for this season. Key changes are that tryouts will take place in the Summer (July 20-Aug 1) as well as Winter (Oct 5 or Nov 9), and the acceptance of offers is different.

Madtown Summer Tryouts

Madtown summer tryouts run from July 20-Aug 1st. Badger Region stipulates that players do not have to commit until Aug 1st, however Madtown can extend offers as teams are formed as early as July 20th and players can immediately accept to secure their spot.

 

We will offer multiple tryout sessions by age group. Players should plan on attending at least one tryout session but can attend as many as they want. You only need to register once and indicate which session(s) you will be attending.  The dates and times are listed below.

 

For players unable to attend tryouts: Madtown accepts video submissions from players, however please note that this isn’t optimal and doesn’t allow for the best evaluation.

Madtown Winter Tryouts

Madtown winter tryouts are on Oct 5th or Nov 9th. Please note that most of the Madtown teams will be formed by then, but this is still an opportunity for athletes that just moved to town, are recently interested in volleyball, were injured or couldn’t tryout, etc... We may have a spot for you! Please reach out to us and we can have that discussion.

Summer Tryout Dates and Times

Winter Tryout Dates and Times

Check-In: 30 minutes prior to the tryout time

Location:  Madtown Juniors - 2950 Innovation Way, Suite 100, Sun Prairie, WI

 

U10-U14 Tryouts - Saturday, October 5th TIMES:

​

10:00am-12:00pm U10-U14s - ALL

​​

U15-U18 Tryouts- Saturday, November 9th TIMES:

​​

10:00am-11:30am U15-U18s - ALL​

Offers

When registering for tryouts, players will also need to indicate which Program Level they would like to play and commit to - National, Select or Regional. It is important that you decide the Program level prior to tryouts, and we will evaluate based on that commitment in order to form teams.  Click here for our Program Level Explanations.

 

  • If you receive an offer for the level you indicated, congratulations!

  • If you don’t receive an offer for your Program Level, you may still receive an offer for the level below, but not for the level above.

    •  For example, if you indicated National and you don’t received an offer for a National team,  you could receive an offer for a Select or Regional team.

    • Or if you indicated Select, you could receive a Regional offer, but will not be considered for National.

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