Latest News

Volleyball: 2020 MGVB Season Pulled Back to the FALL!

9/21/20 – Today the Minnesota High School League approved Volleyball to return for the Fall season!

There are still many pieces being nailed down but here are the current season details:

     -- The season will begin NEXT WEEK on Monday, September 28^th with tryouts and practices and will run into mid-December.
     -- Competition will begin as of October 8^th and programs will be limited to 14 matches in regular season with no multi-team tournaments.
     -- Post-season details are being finalized but have built in two weeks for the equivalent of Sectional play.

Action Needed – Register and Get a Current Physical On File!

     -- The updated Fall season registration is live on the district portal - SmartSchoolK12. Log in to your account to register and pay the District Activities Fee.  (If you have previously registered for the Fall season extension, you will need to register again and pay the District Activities fee.)

     -- Make sure your athlete has a current physical on file with the Activities Office.

Both of these have to be completed before an athlete can step on the court next week for tryouts!

We will be sending out additional details out in the coming day or two!

Please reach out with any questions or concerns!

Jamison Gray
Maple Grove Crimson Volleyball Head Coach
763-218-9108
jamison.gray@mnselect.com

Volleyball: 2020 Fall Q&A Session Follow-ups

8/20/20 – On the evening of August 20^th from 7-8PM Head Volleyball Coach Jamison Gray held a meeting for any families wanting to attend an open forum to discuss the status of the 2020 MG Crimson Girls Volleyball High School season and impacts to volleyball opportunities for athletes. The goal was to give the latest information garnered from the MSHSL, District 279, Local JO Programs, and NCAA Programs and then answer any outstanding questions or concerns. I have tried to capture the main points below but you can also watch the video of the meeting on our Program YouTube Channel HERE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUHO0cdR56I.

High School Season Fall Detail / Questions:
The MSHSL pushed the HS Volleyball Season out from the Fall to the Spring in an attempt to protect athletes and families from the impact of the current pandemic. As part of their board meeting, they also voted to provide a shortened Fall extension of the 2020-21 season that would allow for limited “practices” to be held. A result of the delay in the Fall season has been the establishment of alternate Fall Seasons being held by volleyball clubs for HS age players.

Volleyball Fall Training Season:
   Season window: September 14^th – October 3^rd
   Maximum number of sessions: 12

   MSHSL requirements/guidance (Multiple ongoing updates):https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/volleyball-fall-approved-training-season-guidance-update-8_20_20_0.pdf

   District 279 requirements:
    -All MSHSL requirements met and VB Program safety plan received / approved by the school district.
     -Athletes will have to register through the district (registration will open after first week of Sept with $0 fee) and will be required to have a current sports physical on file.

   Program Plan:
     -We are still working on the details but are planning to offer six “open gym” style sessions at the high school to be run during the provided window. These sessions will be held at the HS and likely later (possibly 5-7PM) rather than right after school to help families with the Hybrid school schedule and the fact that we do not have the Jr High transfer busses currently.
     -Athletes that complete the District registration will be required to pre-register via link on Crimsonvb.com website for each session to allow for POD planning and to sign-off on health waiver / safety expectations.
     -Sessions will have limited available slots to maintain PODS and align with safety requirements.

   CLARIFICATION FROM MSHSL ON FALL CLUB SEASONS – The MSHSL has provided and exception to bylaw 208 and clarified that athletes can participate in both Club and HS events as long as they meet the stated requirements - https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/fall-practice-season-clarification-8_20_20.pdf

   Questions / Answers:

     Q: What will the Fall season look like (when, where, kind of practice)

     A: (Covered Above)

High School Season Spring Detail / Questions:
With the decision by the MSHSL to delay the HS Volleyball Season, it has now been classified as a “SPRING” sport for the 2020-21 school year. There are still MANY details needing to be worked out but one thing that is clear is that there is a potential conflict between the new HS timing and the traditional Club/JO seasons.

Volleyball Spring Season:

   Season window placeholder: March 15^th – May 15^th

   Questions / Answers:

     Q: Will the Spring Season be shortened or limited?

     A: The MSHSL has not ruled on Spring sports yet so we are hopeful to have a full schedule but limitations could be imposed such as a “conference only schedule” or removal of tournaments.

     Q: Will their still be Sections / State Tournaments?

     A: The MSHSL has not ruled out the year end tournaments so we are hopeful that these year-end tournaments will take place.

     Q: Will spectators be allowed? If not, will there be a way for families to watch the events?

     A: The District will likely use data from the Fall and Winter sports to rule on the spectator question for Spring. It is possible that they will limit the number of spectators per family in the event that spectators are allowed. In either event, we will be live streaming all of our matches to make sure families can watch their athletes play.

     Q: When will tryouts take place? Will there be a pre-season?

     A: If the placeholder times stay in place, it would be likely that tryouts would be held 3/15-3/17. We do not have details yet letting us know if we will be allowed to have pre-season open gyms or captains’ practices.

     Q: Do we anticipate any conflict (try-outs, practices, matches) for the District 279 Spring Break scheduled for 3/29-4/2?

     A: We do not anticipate and conflict with the scheduled Spring Break and encourage families to continue with plans for this window of time.

     Q: What happens to traditional Spring Sports like Track?

     A: Traditional Spring sports are being pushed out to a new “Summer” season making a hole for Football and Volleyball in the Spring.

     Q: Are there enough coaches based on having dueling HS / Club programs?

     A: This is a challenge for sure and we are hopeful that there will be exceptions given that will make sure coaches are able to continue to take care of athletes for both style of programs. We are currently set that even if such exceptions are not given – MGVB will be staffed.

     Q: Are there enough Referees?

     A: This is definitely an issue for the sport in the current COVID environment as many of the current refs are older and fall into the higher risk category. There is a big push to try to get new people interested in being officials and we would love to promote anyone with interest to definitely look at becoming certified as an official!

     Q: Will there be a conflict between the Spring HS program and the traditional Club/JO seasons and what does it mean for the girls?

     A: Currently the MSHSL has not given a waiver at this point that would allow athletes to partake in both programs during the SPRING. There are currently options being discussed and I am optimistic that there will be decisions in advance of the Club season tryouts that will allow families to make the decisions that are needed and are right for our athletes.

I would ask that if you have any remaining questions or concerns that you reach out to me so we can make sure all your families’ needs are taken care of!

Thanks!

-Jamison

Volleyball: 2020 Fall Q&A Session

Good Afternoon Crimson Volleyball Family,

We invite you to join us for a question and answer session regarding the upcoming fall and spring seasons for Maple Grove Volleyball at Maple Grove Senior High Auditorium from 7-8pm on August 20^th. Given our current environment we ask that you pre-register to attend the meeting in person and that you submit questions ahead of time as well through the registration link. We will be recording the event for those who are not comfortable or unable to attend the meeting in person. Given that we are trying to answer questions of both those in person and those virtually, it is imperative for questions to be submitted by Wednesday 3pm via the registration link to guarantee that all questions can be answered. We ask that we only have one family member (including the athletes) at the meeting in person to keep our crowd size to a minimum.

Location: Maple Grove Senior High Auditorium

Time: August 20^th, 7-8pm

Register and Submit questions here: https://form.jotform.com/202256369187159

Meeting Attendance Restrictions:

   -  Only one family member allowed in person at the meeting
   -  Please enter and exit through the main doors of the high school only. We will be screening and checking families in at this location. We will have two screeners at the doors so please maintain a distance of 6 feet apart while waiting.
   -  Health Screening Questions will be required for attendance of the meeting. Please see posted document for reference to those questions.
   -  Masks are required
   -  Hand Sanitizer will be provided
   -  Social distance will be required
   -  We ask that once you are cleared for screening that you immediately enter into the Auditorium and find a seat in the designated rows and sit with 4 seats between households to properly social distance.

Thank you for your cooperation and consideration! We look forward to seeing those of you who are able to make it and answer questions about the next volleyball season.

Volleyball: 2020 Volleyball Season Update 

8/6/20 – I wanted to get an update out with the latest details for our 2020-21 volleyball season to keep families in the know.

Volleyball has been re-designated as a SPRING sport for this school year (specific dates are TBD but would likely be mid-March to mid-May)

What does this mean in the short term?

• -We will be cancelling and rescheduling the Captains’ Practices from next week to the Spring (dates TBD)
• -We will be cancelling and rescheduling the Tryouts from 8/17-8/19 to the Spring (dates TBD)
• -Families will NOT need to register for Volleyball until Spring registration opens
• -I would like to KEEP the planned kickoff meeting night (8/20) and use it as an open forum for any families that would like more information or to have a voice (details will be coming out shortly)

What about the timeframe between now and the Spring season?

• -We will be adding optional Fall programming in the form of POD / Open Gym style format (pending MSHSL approved constraints) after Labor Day
• -Most local clubs are now opening their Fall programming to 9-12 grade athletes – these could be options if they are a fit for your family
• -There is nothing that prohibits athletes from doing both if they like and if it fits with family plans
• -I still highly recommend getting your sports physical taken care of with the free physicals being offered locally this fall as it will make sure you are ready when VB rolls around!

What about the clash between Club and HS Volleyball in the Spring?

• -This one still has a lot of unknowns but is being worked on every day by leaders in our volleyball community
• -We are trying to get options in place with clubs and the MSHSL to allow the athletes options to do both – still a lot of work to see what that would look like
• -Give this one a little time for more details to be fleshed out – I will continue to share what I know.

Contact me (Head Coach Jamison Gray) with any questions or needs at jamison.gray@mnselect.com or 763-218-9108.

Volleyball: 2020 Volleyball Season Update

8/4/20 - We all heard today after the MSHLS Board of Directors vote that the high school volleyball season will be pushed out to the Spring. I know that this information is causing our community frustration, confusion, and grief as we try to digest the impact on the athletes we hold so close to our heart!

Here is what I know:

     -  Our fall season has been postponed to be rescheduled as a spring sport (mid-March to mid-May)
     -  The MSHSL has approved for volleyball to move forward with practices in the fall if it fits within our program direction for the spring season.

Here is what I don’t know yet:
     -  DETAILS – the “what” and “how” of the forward path is now starting to be worked out and there are many moving parts and minutia – I will share with our families all the details as I have them.

What I need from each of our Crimson Volleyball Families:
     -  Take a deep breath and remember that while the decisions made may not be something we like or want, they were done with the best interest of our athletes and community at heart.
     -  Be understanding and empathic to those in our community around you as people react differently to the feelings they are having.
     -  Talk to your athletes and let them voice how they feel and let them know how you feel about the situation.
     -  Stay calm and be prepared to FLEX – These may be strange times but this is a Volleyball region and I know that the leadership of our volleyball community is already working to lay foundations to support our athletes.

Last of all (and most importantly from my perspective) – Reach Out. I will share everything I know via our media outlets but if you are still questioning or struggling with where things are I want to hear from you.

Contact me (Head Coach Jamison Gray) at jamison.gray@mnselect.com or 763-218-9108.