Lakeside Volleyball Club is typically not a participating club of Volleyball Canada (VC) Nationals annually due to the enormous expectations from VC for teams from all Provinces outside of Alberta to travel to Alberta year after year. Of note, the last time Nationals were held outside of Alberta for all age groups was 2012. There are various National tournaments held annually depending on the age group, however these “National” tournaments (generally 15U and younger) are held regionally and are not true Nationals. For example, 15U Nationals have been held in Ottawa for the past couple of seasons but only include teams from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.
With that said, Lakeside teams that wish to participate in Nationals can attend Nationals should the members of the team collectively decide that they wish to attend, and the Head Coach for the team is available to attend. All costs associated with attending Nationals are not part of the annual fee, and will be required to be paid to the club prior to December 1st of each season.
Costs per Team for Attending Nationals (Estimate):
Total Estimated Cost: $4,825 per team or $400/player (based on 12 players; does not include any athlete/family travel expenses). The cost per family to attend is typically $4,000-5,000 based on a family of four including the athlete.
The cost to travel to Nationals to play 7 – 10 matches (often against teams from Ontario as well) is not as attractive as travelling to Detroit, MI to participate in the Can-Am event, for example, that is held in early May each year (right after Provincials).
Costs per Team for Attending The Can-Am in Detroit (Estimate):
Total Estimated Cost: $1,920 per team or $160/player (based on 12 players; does not include any athlete/family travel expenses). This tournament is within driving distance so the cost of flights for the family is also removed. There are over 800 teams at this event and most are from the USA which is typically a higher caliber of volleyball than Provincials and Nationals.
We urge players and their families to connect with us for more information regarding National participation. Many of the players want the experience of playing at Nationals, which is understandable. However, if the volleyball experience is what is of most importance, we as a club much prefer a tournament like the Can-Am which has the same, if not more, fanfare and the competition is top notch.