CLUB TRYOUTS @ SMBC BOYS

Each location has its own specific tryout dates and times. Click the location boxes above to access each location's specific tryouts page, or follow the following links:

>> Tryouts @ SMBC West (Thousand Oaks)
>> Tryouts @ SMBC South (Encino)
>> Tryouts @ SMBC VC (Camarillo)
>> Tryouts @ SMBC North (Santa Clarita)
>> Tryouts @ SMBC Shack (West LA)

The following age definitions for age divisions are mandated by USA Volleyball. 95% of athletes in a given age division will be with players from the same grade in school.

However, a percentage will be 'young for their grade' and a percentage will be 'old for their grade' and thus fall outside the normal age range.

Please contact our staff if you fall outside the normal age range for your grade, which are as follow: (18's) 12th graders, (17's) 11th graders, (16's) 10th graders, (15's) 9th graders, (14's) 8th graders, (13's) 7th graders, and (12's) 5th/6th graders.

Here are the age ranges by date of birth as mandated by USA Volleyball guidelines:

18's - Born After 7/1/01
17's - Born After 7/1/03
16's - Born After 7/1/04
15's - Born After 7/1/05
14's - Born After 7/1/06
13's - Born After 7/1/07
12's - Born After 7/1/08

We strongly recommend attending Primary Tryouts. Space on our teams is not guaranteed to remain past the primary tryout session.

*I can only attend make-ups, help!

If you have a conflict with primary tryouts and cannot attend, it is important to contact the Director of your preferred location to let our staff know you cannot attend the Primary Tryouts, but will be there for Makeups. Here is our Director contact info again:

Matt Diaz - Director, SMBC West (Thousand Oaks)
(cell) 818-395-4495  (email) matthew.diaz@me.com

Steve Yoshimoto - Director, SMBC VC (Camarillo)
(cell) 805-340-9978  (email) yosh@venturacountyvbc.com

Nabil Mardini - Director, SMBC South (Encino)
(cell) 310-433-2623  (email) n.mardini@att.net

Adam Burger - Director, SMBC North (Santa Clarita)
(cell) 661-803-4446  (email) adam.burger@yahoo.com

Catarina Marbach - Director, SMBC Shack (West LA)
(cell) 818-667-5871  (email) catarina.emerson2@gmail.com

Yes. We recommend arriving 15 minutes in advance of tryouts. There can sometimes be a line that forms as athletes complete their sign in process.

*Pandemic update: there will be space limitations. We will also be temp testing and health screening at the door. We highly recommend arriving 15 minutes early.

Our tryout process is very structured. There is a warm-up portion, followed by skills repetitions to show the athletes' grasp of fundamental techniques, followed by organized game-like scenarios.

At the end of tryouts, the Director will address the group of athletes and their parents, and after tryouts, the Director and coaches will be available for further conversation and discussion.

It depends on the age group, but the short answer is often "No".

Unfortunately, we do have space constraints. In some age divisions we might only have one team, while in others we might have as many as three. It is possible all athletes in a given division will be able to find a home on one of our teams or in our program, but it is also possible we will have to make cuts.

Most players will receive a phone call from the Director within 24 hours of primary tryouts. The Director and coaches will talk to some players on-site during tryouts, as well as in the gym right after tryouts are over, but most players will receive a phone call. Please try to be patient as we work through phone calls for multiple age divisions and multiple teams.

You choose to accept or decline the offer. Hopefully, attending tryouts means you have already discussed with your parents exactly what it means to play club volleyball - it can be a significant time and monetary commitment.

If your family is on board and you want to accept the offer, you give your verbal commitment to play. The verbal commitment is very important to us; it is you giving us your word that you commit to play on our team and it is us giving you our word that we will hold a spot for you.

Welcome to SMBC!

On the Monday following tryouts, you are allowed to sign your official Commitment Letter. You download the document, sign it and submit it to our SMBC administration. The link to visit the Commit Letter Download/Submission is lavacademy.com/commit-letter-boys.