FAQ’s
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Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about our programs, tryouts, schedules, or teams? We've compiled the most common inquiries to help you get quick answers. If you don’t find what you're looking for, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help!
What is Odyssey Volleyball Academy (OVA)?
Category: About Odyssey
Odyssey Volleyball Academy (OVA) was founded in 2026 to bring high-level volleyball training and athlete development to the North Shore community. Odyssey focuses on long-term development through a technique-first, process-driven coaching philosophy that helps athletes grow both as volleyball players and as people.
What does "Odyssey" mean?
Category: About Odyssey
The name Odyssey is inspired by Odysseus and his journey in Homer's The Odyssey, representing growth, resilience, adaptability, perseverance, and problem-solving — qualities Odyssey believes are essential in volleyball and life.
What is Odyssey's mission?
Category: About Odyssey
Odyssey exists to develop athletes not only as volleyball players, but as confident, thoughtful, and resilient people through quality coaching, accountability, communication, teamwork, and pursuit of excellence.
What ages does Odyssey serve?
Category: Programs
Odyssey serves athletes from Kindergarten to 12th grade through two pathways: Jr. Academy (K–6) and The Academy (7–12).
What is Jr. Academy?
Category: Programs
Jr. Academy introduces younger athletes to volleyball through age-appropriate instruction focused on movement, coordination, confidence, and foundational volleyball skills. Programs are seasonal, offered year-round.
What is The Academy?
Category: Programs
The Academy provides middle school and high school athletes with structured training and competitive team opportunities through National and Regional programs.
What additional training opportunities are offered?
Category: Programs
Odyssey offers summer camps/clinics and private/group lessons. Strength & Conditioning and Mental Performance training are included for National teams. Our partners for each of these programs can also offer ad-hoc services for other athletes who are interested.
What is the National Program?
Category: National Program
The National Program is designed for athletes seeking a high-level competitive experience with greater training and travel commitments. This is the ideal program for players that have collegiate aspirations.
What is the National season length?
Category: National Program
November through mid-to-late June.
How often do National teams practice?
Category: National Program
Three practices per week, including strength & conditioning and mental performance components.
- Tuesday and Thursday practices will be 2–2.5 hours.
- Strength and Conditioning will occur on these days and will be ~45 minutes either before (late practice slot) or after (early practice slot) their team's practice slot.
- The third practice each week will be more positional-based and will run for 1–2 hours on Sundays when the team is not competing.
What tournaments do National teams attend?
Category: National Program
Windy City Power League, approximately five additional Midwest tournaments, and AAU National Championships in Orlando, Florida. If a team qualifies for USAV Nationals — either through Power League or a Qualifier — they can decide which year-end competition they would like to participate in.
Can multi-sport athletes participate?
Category: National Program
Yes. Multi-sport athletes are welcome; however, families are asked to discuss potential conflicts upfront.
What is the Regional Program?
Category: Regional Program
The Regional program offers a competitive and developmental experience with a more balanced time commitment at a lower cost.
What is the Regional season length?
Category: Regional Program
November through April.
How often do Regional teams practice?
Category: Regional Program
Two practices per week. Each session is 2 hours.
What tournaments do Regional teams attend?
Category: Regional Program
Chicago Volleyball League (CVL) and approximately 3–4 local Midwest-based tournaments.
When are tryouts?
Category: Tryouts & Team Selection
Tryouts for the 2026–2027 season will be on July 11th and July 12th. Please refer to the National and Regional pages for more information.
How are athletes evaluated?
Category: Tryouts & Team Selection
Athletes will be initially evaluated for program selection (National or Regional) during their tryout in July. They will be assessed on their attitude, commitment, skill expertise, and athletic potential. Program placement will also take into account positional needs for their age group.
Team placement will ideally take place in late November or early December. Athletes will be evaluated during practice sessions on similar criteria as above. They will be placed on a team based on what will give each team the best chance of success, while also providing the right opportunity for the player at that stage of their development.
How are team offers made?
Category: Tryouts & Team Selection
Offers will be sent out to the listed email address within 24 hours of their tryout ending.
Can athletes play up an age division?
Category: Tryouts & Team Selection
It is possible to do so, however, it needs to be in the best interest of the player and not to the detriment of the team they would be moving up to. This is especially relevant for 6th graders who would like to play in a team-based environment within The Academy as opposed to seasonal Train & Play. If you would like to discuss the possibility of your athlete playing up, you are encouraged to reach out to Jimmy to discuss.
Can athletes be evaluated after tryouts?
Category: Tryouts & Team Selection
Make-Up tryout dates will be released on the website and via Social Media accounts. Private/Group lessons could also be leveraged at times for evaluations to occur as a make-up after the initial tryout date has passed, depending on program needs. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis, so please reach out to Jimmy to discuss.
What is Odyssey's development philosophy?
Category: Playing Time & Development
Odyssey emphasizes strong fundamentals, technical growth, volleyball IQ, confidence, teamwork, and long-term development. We believe that mastering the process behind how to execute a skill ultimately leads to creating the product that you want to achieve. As a result, we aim to break skills down and teach them from the most fundamental aspects up to the most advanced techniques.
How is playing time determined?
Category: Playing Time & Development
In volleyball, playing time is never equal. Different positions are on the court longer, you cannot foresee how many points a rotation will last, etc. However, we do have general expectations for how playing time is handled. These vary by program, tournament type, and situation, so please reference the parent/player handbook for specifics. Generally speaking, our goal is to create opportunities for all players to develop their skills, communication, mindset, and leadership ability throughout the course of the season.
Will athletes receive position training?
Category: Playing Time & Development
This varies based on program.
- The Academy: Yes. Odyssey emphasizes technical and positional development. Position training will be a consistent throughline in our practice structure within The Academy.
- Jr. Academy: In most scenarios, we will not assign positions to players at these ages. Instead, we want to focus on total development without putting a label on a player too early in their development. This will benefit them later in their playing career.
Does Odyssey offer recruiting assistance?
Category: Recruiting
Yes. All Odyssey athletes can leverage the staff — including Directors and their coaches — for any recruiting-related questions. Our staff has extensive experience working with athletes throughout this process and have made close relationships with collegiate programs across all divisions. We will also provide ad-hoc resources and sessions to any of those interested throughout the season. Please feel free to reach out to Jimmy with any specific questions.
What recruiting services are included?
Category: Recruiting
Details coming soon — please contact Jimmy directly for the most up-to-date information about included recruiting services.
What are attendance expectations?
Category: Attendance & Expectations
Athletes are expected to attend all activities including practices, tournaments, meetings, team events, etc. as we believe that you are making a commitment to the program when signing up. To get the most out of the training, and to create a connection with your team or clubmates, consistency and regular attendance are key. However, we understand that things come up in life and there will occasionally be reasons to miss. Please communicate these conflicts as early as possible with club staff and coaches.
What happens if an athlete misses practice?
Category: Attendance & Expectations
The most significant thing that happens is that the athlete misses out on opportunities to get better and to create connections with their teammates. While missing practice does not disqualify you from playing in a tournament, it could result in those who were able to attend having taken advantage of those opportunities and earning more playing time as a result. However, this is not a punishment, but instead a coaching decision to put the team in the best situation at that point in time. The number of practices missed, the timing of the missed practice in the season, etc. will all come into play and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
What happens if an athlete misses a tournament?
Category: Attendance & Expectations
Similar to missing practice, missing a tournament means missing opportunities to grow. There is no punishment for missing a tournament. However, attendance is an expectation and missing should be avoided whenever possible. Our hope is that the athlete wants to attend all possible events given their commitment to the program and to their teammates.
If an athlete is unable to participate due to an injury, there is still an expectation that they will show up to support their teammates — unless the nature of the injury puts the athlete at further risk by attending.
What qualities does Odyssey value?
Category: Attendance & Expectations
Odyssey emphasizes hard work, accountability, attention to detail, quality communication, confidence, leadership, resilience, and love for the game.
What are club dues?
Category: Financial Information
Club dues vary by program and will be updated for each upcoming season. Please refer to the page for your specific program for the most up-to-date information.
What do club dues include?
Category: Financial Information
Club dues include fees for court space, coaches (including travel), tournament entry, additional programs (i.e., Strength & Conditioning, Mental Performance, if applicable), video software, insurance, and the fixed costs associated with running the program. Dues do not include the uniform package or travel costs for tournaments.
Are payment plans available?
Category: Financial Information
Yes, payment plans are available. Please reach out to Jimmy to discuss any needs.
What is the refund policy?
Category: Financial Information
Refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis. However, costs associated with practices or tournaments that have already passed cannot be refunded.
How does travel work for National teams?
Category: Travel
For most tournaments, travel to and from the tournament location, as well as lodging, will be handled by each individual family. The club will secure a block of rooms at a negotiated rate. However, families will be responsible for booking.
Occasional tournaments will be noted as "team travel," where the team will travel to and from the tournament with their coaches and stay with their teammates. In these scenarios, the club will book all team-related travel and will invoice the families separately for their share. Parents are welcome to attend but are not required to. This will likely only apply to tournaments where air travel is required.
Where does Odyssey train?
Category: Facilities
Odyssey primarily trains at Meyer Sports Complex on the campus of Trinity International University, with additional nearby training facilities used as needed.
How does Odyssey communicate with families?
Category: Communication & Parent Expectations
The website and social media platforms will be updated regularly throughout the season as a reference point. We will also regularly reach out to families via email with any updates, prior to tournaments, etc. Families can always reach out to staff via email or phone/text with any questions.
How should parents communicate concerns?
Category: Communication & Parent Expectations
Prior to teams being made, or when taking part in a program that does not have teams (i.e., camps, clinics, etc.), parents should reach out to club staff directly. After teams have been made, parents should include their coaches and club staff on communications to keep everyone in the loop.
What is expected of parents on the sidelines?
Category: Communication & Parent Expectations
Parents are expected to support their athlete and their athlete's teammates in a respectful manner. Parents are also expected to be a positive reflection of Odyssey at all times. Parents should never disrespect officials (adults or players), members of their team (including coaches or other parents), members of opposing teams, or tournament officials.
Can I talk to my team's coaches about playing time for my athlete?
Category: Communication & Parent Expectations
Communication about playing time should always be first addressed in a respectful manner by the athlete directly with their coaches. We firmly believe that this is the athlete's commitment and these conversations provide opportunities to have tough conversations, advocate for yourself, and discuss their role on the team.
If a parent feels the need to escalate the conversation after the player meets with their coach, they can do so with club staff. However, we require that a 24-hour rule be observed to allow time for natural emotions to subside and cooler heads to prevail, allowing for a more productive conversation between both parties.
What if my athlete is injured or sick?
Category: Health & Safety
If an athlete is contagious, it is best to keep them away from other athletes to minimize the possibility of spreading. Injuries will be handled on a case-by-case basis depending on the severity. In both scenarios, communication should be sent to team coaches and club staff to decide on the best next steps.
What is the inclement weather policy?
Category: Health & Safety
It is best to assume that practice will continue until hearing otherwise. However, we are aware that, in many scenarios, we have young drivers in our programs and do not want to put them at risk. We will assess each situation individually and communicate decisions to families if there are any changes to the schedule as a result.