SCHOOL

YEARS 7-8

MIDDLES

Our middle volleyball competition is a league serving to most as a first foray into structured volleyball. With an impressive participation level of over 40 teams (and growing), we offer both social and competitive grades, with boys, girls, and mixed divisions. The action takes place on Friday afternoons after school, with a vibrant culture of fun, enjoyment, and positive competition. Games are kept to a 30-minute duration, with rules tailored to match the skill and ability of our youngest players. The relaxed, yet competitive structure encourages a fun-filled atmosphere where kids can truly appreciate and enjoy our game. The middle volleyball competitions are an opportunity for children, parents, and supporters alike to have fun while gaining valuable experience and exposure to organised volleyball. If you are eager to participate, schools can enter teams, so make sure to approach your school and get involved or join your schools already existing volleyball programme. It is a fantastic way to kickstart a love for the sport and embark on an exciting volleyball journey.

Middles Volleyball for term 4 2023 will run for 8 weeks from Friday 13th October - Friday 1st December.

YEARS 9-10

JUNIORS

When students begin secondary school, junior high school volleyball begins to take shape. Played in school terms one and four, with social, semi-competitive, and competitive volleyball options available, our junior high school programme is the largest of our schools’ volleyball. All grades play on Friday nights with rules adjusted according to the competitive desire of the division, with a relaxed set of rules in social and semi-competitive divisions, promoting a fun and enjoyable atmosphere amongst participants, where on the other hand, competitive divisions strictly adhere to the rule book, promoting a competitive and high-performance competition.

At the junior high school level, teams are required to provide officiating duties for games within their divisions, this officiating covers roles such as lines official, scoring, as well as first and second referee. This approach of officiating responsibility instils a sense of respect amongst players for the officials and fosters a deeper understanding of the game. It also provides valuable learning opportunities for the players as they gain insights into the rules of volleyball.

The junior high school league serves as a crucial steppingstone for young athletes, offering a platform to hone their skills, develop a strong sense of enjoyment, respect, and sportsmanship, within an environment that caters to varying levels of commitment to the game. It is an exciting phase of growth and learning, empowering our younger players to progress further in their volleyball journey with confidence and enthusiasm.

Junior high-school volleyball events:

• Otago Junior High School Championships, a two-day tournament held in November with final placings utilised as seedings for Junior South Island Championships.
• South Island Junior Secondary School Volleyball Championships, a three-day tournament held across varying South Island locations, crowning the junior South Island champions.

Junior Volleyball for term 4 2023 will run from Friday 13th October - Friday 1st December.

YEARS 11-13

SENIORS

From year 11 onwards, students progress to the senior high-school volleyball league, which provides players with various options for participation tailored to their skill, ability, and preference. Be it social, semi-competitive, or competitive, the senior league has volleyball to suit everyone. Volleyball Otago strongly encourages all students to take part in volleyball at this age, promoting a fun, enjoyable and active opportunity for physical activity. It is also common for senior students to be involved with the coaching or officiating of junior and middle league teams, giving back to their schools and their sport, and contributing both on and off the court. Term 1 of the school year has a focus on senior volleyball, due to the New Zealand Secondary Schools Volleyball Championships (NZSSSVC) taking place in late March or early April. This event is the focal point of the competitive volleyball season, providing an opportunity for our region’s best teams to go head-to-head with the country’s best! In addition to the competitive senior division, our social and semi-competitive divisions of volleyball also provide an enjoyable and high level of performance, with teams working towards divisional placings at season's end. All teams within senior high-school divisions are required to provide officiating duties prior to, or after their own games. This provides a form of service and responsibility to our senior students. Term 4 of the school year provides a reduced timetable for our competitive senior teams, with no tournaments, just divisional leagues taking place from September through November. Often, schools will begin the development of their year 11 and 12 students, as a beginning of work towards NZSSSVC in the following school year.

Senior high-school volleyball events:

• Otago Seeding Championships, an Otago-wide tournament hosted to determine rankings for Mainland Championships. This occurs in the first 3 weeks of school term 1.
• Mainland Championships, a South Island-wide tournament providing teams with valuable high-level performance opportunities leading into regional and national championships.
• Otago Senior Secondary School Championships, an Otago-wide tournament hosted to determine the senior secondary school champions of Otago each year!
• New Zealand Senior Secondary School Volleyball Championships, hosted annually in Palmerston North, this event crown the senior secondary school champions of New Zealand.

Senior Premier Volleyball will run from Monday 11th September - Monday 6th November (excluding school holidays).

The remaining senior divisions will run from Monday 9th October - Monday 6th November.