We have two practices scheduled for next week. One from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Monday and another from 7:30 to 9:30 PM on Tuesday to prepare for our tournament in California on December 11-12. Most of the team will be able to make it to the scrimmage we have scheduled at 949 Volleyball Club, 32701 Calle Perfecto, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 on Friday 4:30 to 6:30 PM (PST). Please plan to arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes before the scrimmage to warm up if possible. Expect traffic delays and drive safely!

I plan to check-in our team to the tournament on Friday night immediately after the scrimmage. The tournament is required to verify proof of Covid vaccination OR proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of the event. (That may be a rapid antigen test.) The tournament will offer onsite rapid tests during check-in on Friday and at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday. We will have the option to show physical copies of a vaccination card or negative test OR upload the results to your smartphone using one of the many Health Pass Apps or IOS Wallet. My hope is that everybody can be tested on Thursday before we arrive and have printed results or vaccination records you can copy and give to me on Friday (while keeping the original). That will help me get everybody checked in, but if you’re not able to do that, then you may need to plan for extra time to be tested that Friday night or Saturday morning.

Vaccinated individuals are not required to wear a mask while unvaccinated individuals are required to wear a mask indoors. All spectators are required to purchase tickets through SportsWrench utilizing this link: https://tickets.sportwrench.com/buy/?event=891559264 The weekend pass is $30 or a daily pass is $20. After purchase, spectators will receive a QR code that must be scanned from your mobile device for entry. There are unlimited “in and out” privileges as long as your ticket is registered for that particular day or the entire weekend.

We will be playing at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 with 70 courts in Halls B, C, and D. The spectator entrance will be through Hall C only (adjacent to fountains). Available parking will be in Car Park Lots 1 and 7. Please refer to the attached map. The City of Anaheim sets the parking rates which are typically $20-$30. The Convention Center does not allow folding chairs or outside coolers. My hope is that those of us who are responsible for helping with food on those two days will coordinate and provide a sack lunch for each boy to put in their backpack. Concessions are available too. We will play two rounds of pool play between Saturday and Sunday and then a single-elimination tournament which is supposed to conclude by 4 PM on Sunday. We should know more details about what times and courts by December 8th which will be updated on the schedule and results found online here: https://results.advancedeventsystems.com/event/PTAwMDAwMjY3NTI90/divisions/119838/overview

Depending on what time we finish playing on Saturday, I would like the whole team and their families to plan on a group dinner together. The time and location will be determined. Players should eat a healthy and fulfilling breakfast before coming to the tournament each day which means needing to get to sleep early Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday nights to be able to get up on Saturday and Sunday with enough time to eat, fight traffic, park, enter the Convention Center, and warm up before our matches. Players should pack extra snacks and not leave the venue for food. Please ensure the athletes always have the following: both uniform tops, black athletic shorts, water bottle, athletic shoes, player folder with a pen or pencil, team t-shirts and hoodies. (Optional items to bring are kneepads, sweats, and/or blanket.) All players should expect to help with officiating responsibilities and stay until the end of each day unless they are released to their parents by the coach.

I will be checking the progress each individual has made with their player folders at practice next week. All of their journal entries should be filled-in for every practice day (whether they attended or not), game day notes from all our previous tournaments, AND every assignment must be completed. Every folder should be nearly full by now!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.