Prospective Players and Parents,

You are reading this because you have shown an interest in trying out for the 2016-17 FBHS
Volleyball Team. All rising 8-12 grade girls, who are academically eligible, and attend FBHS or
DMS may try out for a spot on the team. We want to make sure that everyone at least has a
chance to find out what they are getting into before try outs. Here are the rules and
expectations that ALL members of the FBHS Volleyball Program will be required to adhere to:

Practices and matches are TEAM time, not friends and family time. ALL team
members will stay together at ALL times in practice and competition venues.
The ONLY exceptions are bathroom breaks (use the buddy system). Parents and
friends are asked to respect this rule, as it is meant to build team unity.
Spandex are to be covered outside of the practice and competition sites at ALL
times. Have a pair of shorts in your bag to use as a cover-up.
All members of the team should have all proper attire and equipment for
practices and competitions. This includes, but is not limited to, volleyball shoes,
knee pads, ankle braces (if necessary), cover-ups, jerseys, and a water bottle
(with the athletes name on it).
We will conduct ourselves in an orderly fashion. At practice all book bags and
water bottles will be lined up against the wall or in the bleachers in some
predetermined order. At competition sites we will enter the gym in a
predetermined order and all book bags and water bottles will again be lined up
in some predetermined order.
The use of electronic devices during practices or at the competition venues is
strictly forbidden unless permission to do so has been given by Coach ________. If
a parent needs to get in touch with a player for some emergency they should
call Coach _______ (coach cell #).
Practice time is equal Playing time is NOT. Playing time is earned in practice.
Any missed practice time will equal missed playing time. This is not meant as a
negative consequence to the athlete who missed, but as a positive consequence
to those who were working. Coach _______ will NOT discuss playing time with a
parent at any time. If an athlete wishes to discuss playing time, she should
make an appointment to do so with Coach _______. This will NOT happen the date
of any competition.
Any absence from practice or competition needs to be communicated to Coach
_______, prior to the absence NO EXCEPTIONS. (coach email address and cell #)
Motivations will be employed for lack of hustle or effort, lack of
communication, and rules infractions. Athletes exhibiting a disrespectful
attitude will simply be asked to leave the gym (see note about missed practice
time).
Every member of the team will be in every drill and every match 100% - even if
you are not currently on the court, you still have a job to do!!
There is only ONE coach of this team. Coach _______ WILL NOT speak to parents
regarding their opinions about how the team should be coached. Although you
have the right to your opinion, please keep it to yourself.

These are NOT up for discussion, nor will they be changed. They have been cleared by the
administration of Flowery Branch High School. EVERY player and a parent/guardian will sign a
copy of the Player/Parent Contract before she is allowed to play in a match (this is not the official

contract this is a copy of what is on the contract; players will receive an official contract when
they make the team).

Checklist Items:
o

Academic Eligibility Try outs are in May this year, so in order to try out, you must be
academically eligible in regard to your first semester grades (you must have passed 70%
of your classes first semester). If there are doubts to this, please see one of the coaches.
Following are the GHSA Academic Eligibility requirements:
1.50 - SCHOLASTIC STANDING / SCHOLARSHIP 1.51 To be eligible to participate,
practice, and/or try out in interscholastic activities, a student must be
academically eligible. A student is required to pass classes that carry at least
2.5 Units counting toward graduation the semester immediately preceding
participation. Exception 1: First semester ninth grade students. Exception 2: A
cheerleader who is academically ineligible for the spring semester may try out if
she is passing ALL classes at the time of the tryout. The window of opportunity
to try out under these conditions is available only during the ten (10)
consecutive school days set aside for tryouts that the school chooses. (a)
Passing in all GHSA member schools is a grade of seventy (70). (b) Students
participating in junior varsity or B team competition must meet all scholastic
requirements. (c) If an eligible student transfers from a school that uses a
block-schedule format to a school using a traditional format (or vice versa) and
that student cannot get a full schedule of classes with equivalent credit in the
semester of the transfer, the school may petition the Executive Director for a
waiver of this rule for the first semester after the transfer occurs. (d) For
schools offering courses with yearlong grading, eligibility must be computed for
each semester. (1) At the end of the first semester, the school must determine
that the student has a grade of 70% or higher in classes carrying at least 2.5
Units. (2) The second semester grade will be the grade given for the entire
course and shall include the end-of-course test grade. (3) Remediation programs
designed to bring the students first semester grade up to 70% or higher may be
used (in accordance with GHSA guidelines) if the school allows such programs
for all students. 1.52 Students gain or lose eligibility on the first day of the
subsequent semester. The first day of the Fall semester shall be interpreted as
the first date of practice for the first sport. (a) Exception: Students who
successfully complete summer school to maintain eligibility become eligible the
last day of summer school. GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 17 (1) Summer
school is an extension of the previous semester and courses may be: a. remedial
in nature where a previously-taken course is repeated in its entirety with a new
grade being given. b. enrichment in nature where a new course is taken that
results in new credit being earned. (2) A maximum of two (2) unit credits earned
in summer school may be counted for eligibility purposes. NOTE: Additional
credits may be earned in credit recovery programs or make-up programs after
the start of the new semester. (3) Summer school credits earned in non-

o
o

accredited home study programs or non-accredited private schools may not be

used to gain eligibility. Accreditation recognized under the rule shall be from
the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC) or a regional accreditation agency
(such as SACS) or the Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GAPSAC).
(4) An independent study course taken in summer school must be regionally
accredited and accepted by the school system for graduation credit. (b) Courses
completed after the beginning of a new semester may not be used to gain
eligibility for that semester. Example: night school classes, correspondence
courses, etc. (c) Independent study courses taken during the school year must
meet the criteria of 1.52 (a) 4. 1.53 Students must accumulate units towards
graduation according to the following criteria: (a) First-year students (entering
9th grade) are eligible academically. Second semester first-year students must
have passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units the previous semester in order
to participate. (b) Second-year students must have accumulated five (5) total
units in the first year, AND passed courses carrying at least 2.5 units in the
previous semester. (c) Third-year students must have accumulated eleven (11)
units in the first and second years, AND passed courses carrying at least 2.5
units in the previous semester. (d) Fourth-year students must have accumulated
seventeen (17) units in the first three years, AND passed courses carrying at
least 2.5 units in the previous semester. (e) Students may accumulate the
required units for participation during the school year and eligibility will be
reinstated at the beginning of the next semester.
Current Athletic Physical on file in order to participate in ANYTHING volleyball-related,
you MUST have an Athletic Physical on file with FBHS. Physicals are good for 12 months
from the date they are taken. Check the date of your most recent physical and plan
accordingly. The Hall County Physical Form can be found on the Hall County website
www.hallco.org under Forms.
School Insurance Waiver/Proof of Insurance Form on file before an athlete can TRY OUT
for a team, she must have this insurance form on file. This must be done EVERY school
year. The form can be found on the Hall County website www.hallco.org under Forms.
Social Media if you have access to Facebook and Twitter, please include/follow these: our
Facebook Group is Flowery Branch High School Volleyball and the current Twitter
account to follow is FBHS Volleyball @BryanFbhs (there is an FBHS Volleyball
@FBHSVolleyball, but I dont have access to this). All summer schedules will appear on
these and any changes that have to be made will be sent out in this manner.
Web-site We also have an FB Volleyball web-site up and running. It may be found at
flowerybranchvolleyball.weebly.com.
Email Notifications If you want to receive information via email, please send an email
from the address where you wish to receive the information to Coach Mavis at
bryan.mavis@hallco.org
We are planning on attending UGA Team Camp again this summer. If you make a team,
you will have the chance to go. The dates for the camp this year are July 15-17 and the
cost is $370 per athlete. We will have an Initial Interest sign-up sheet putting your
name and contact information on this sheet does not obligate you to go, but will ensure
that you receive any pertinent information about the camp as time approaches.
Proper attire proper shoes are IMPORTANT! Running shoes are made specifically to
support the foot in a back to front manner. Athletes should look for shoes that support the
foot in a lateral (side to side) manner. Ankle injuries are common in volleyball, and

anything that can help to prevent these should be thought of as important. (That doesnt
mean you need to go out and buy the most expensive volleyball shoes out there)
We are still finalizing the Summer schedule, but for planning purposes, Open Gyms will be
scheduled Tues-Thurs, June 16-July 29 (with the exception of the GHSA mandated
Deadweek, July 3-9). Times will be posted on social media when we have them finalized, as
will any changes to days of the week.
Try outs are currently scheduled for May 10-13 and callbacks will be May 14. The purpose of
the first couple of days will be to introduce the athletes to the format of the tryouts. Following
this introduction, we will take the next couple of days to assess individual skills and get an idea
where each player might fit. The players who make the cut-off will come back for the final day,
where the coaches will assess how each player does in certain positions WITH other players..
Anyone who does not make a team can apply to become a manager. (Managers will learn the
ins and outs of the program this may very well help them during try outs next year.)
Our sport is different, in that spectators (usually parents) are asked to become part of the
officiating crew. This is mandatory. Referees will not allow a match to start without the proper
number of officials. For each match, each team needs to have: ONE scorebook keeper, ONE
libero tracker, ONE scoreboard keeper, and ONE line judge. (Oftentimes the HOME team takes
care of one of the table officials scorebook or libero tracker, but even when we are the
visiting team, we still HAVE to provide people to fill the other spots. If your daughter makes a
team, you will be asked to do your part.)
Our program does have a GREAT Booster Club. Every member of the FBHS Volleyball Program
has the option to become a member of this awesome group.