The season begins in January and runs through May. Some teams begin limited practices in mid-December. Tryouts are held in November and dates are typically posted on the club web page by September.
Push The Rock uses a variety of practice locations for club teams including East Side Youth Center in Allentown, East Hills Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Bethel Church in Emmaus, and Lehigh Valley Christian High School in Catasauqua. Practices are typically held twice per week: one weeknight and one weekend slot, or two weeknight slots. During a tournament week, teams will generally have two weekday practices. Weekday practices are normally held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Mondays also possible.
Regional tournament schedules are first announced by the Keystone Region Volleyball Association in December. Push The Rock coaches evaluate tournament options and discuss the options with their teams. Final tournament decisions are made by early January, though not all tournament options may be known by then. Dates for National Qualifying tournaments are usually posted before the beginning of the club season. Travel and Elite level teams will discuss out of state options at their kickoff team meeting. Teams will play in approximately 8-10 tournaments. Regional teams will usually play within a 100 mile radius of Allentown. Traveling teams will play within the region, but also will play in some out of region tournaments such as National Qualifiers or in other region multi-day tournaments.
Uniforms will be ordered in early December after teams are finalized. Uniforms consist of one or two jerseys and a pair of volleyball spandex. Additional pairs of spandex can be ordered. Uniforms are not included in the base club cost because they are used in multiple years.
Club costs are based many factors including practice facility rental, tournament entry fees, Keystone Region registration fees, equipment costs, uniform costs, and coaches expenses/compensation. Push The Rock works hard to hold the line on costs. Additional costs may be incurred during a season if a team decides to attend tournaments that were not included in the original team budget
During the club season (January-May), athletes are required to stay with their current club. In rare cases, players may transfer to another club during the club season but this requires a written release from the the athlete’s current club. Transfer cannot occur without a release. However, parents may contact Push The Rock staff at any time to discuss future club options. Please contact Club Director Howard Vernick at 610-730-6484 or email juniorsusa@aol.com.