4/5: 

Dear Parents,

These past few weeks have transformed our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Our commitment is to continue to communicate with you regularly on the actions we are taking during this very difficult time, until we are able to get our players back on the court and resume doing what we love. We want to take a moment to share where we are at as a small business struggling to survive, in full possession of the knowledge that many of our Empire families are in that very same boat.

We know our athletes, parents, and coaches are deeply disappointed and concerned by the large-scale event cancellations. We are facing unique challenges, as is our national governing body, our region, and the administrators of the campuses where we train. Effectively overnight, youth sports have come to a standstill.

Financially we are facing tremendous uncertainty. We pay for all of our expenses up front at the beginning of the season and do not hold significant liquid cash reserves as part of our commitment to keep club costs down. We do not know if or when refunds will be coming in. Our best-case scenario is facing significant time delays in recouping funds.

We are also exploring government stimulus programs for small businesses in the hopes that one may fit our needs. We have been on several conference calls with the AVCA, the JVA, and with other club directors across the country in an effort to identify best practices for dealing with the magnitude of the Covid-19 impact.

Doing the right thing is a value we try to instill in our players and we hold that same value in our club administration. We want to ensure that we provide the services that folks invested in. That may mean significant refunds if we are able, credit for future programs, and whatever make-up time we can get in when we get to the other side of this pandemic. We are exploring every avenue. One thing that we have discovered is that it is going to be a long process and we can't tell with any level of certainty what it may look like in the end.   

We look forward to the time we can come together again and experience the joy of seeing our kids on the court, with gratitude and a renewed sense of appreciation. Thank you for the patience and trust you have shown so far.

Empire Volleyball Club

3/25:

Hello Empire Families,

Our Hearts go out to all those impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our fervent hope is that everyone is healthy and continues to stay safe. We thank you so much for your patience as we continue doing our best to navigate through these challenging circumstances.

Empire Volleyball Club staff is working on a daily basis to determine our next steps, based on the government and health experts, decisions by our governing body, and our region as this health crisis unfolds. Our optimistic goal, at this point, is to resume all competitions when and if possible, but we are also developing contingency plans should this not come to pass.

We encourage everyone to continue to take every precaution, and we look forward to the time when we can get our athletes in the gym again. We will be in touch with more specific information as soon as we get directives from USAV, our regional office, and the facilities folks at our practice sites.

Thank you very much, and stay safe. Empire Volleyball Club

3/21: Click here for the latest NCVA updates for March and April.

3/19: Click here for a message from the NCVA regarding the rescheduling of Far Westerns JNQ.

3/15: The following is a message from USA Volleyball CEO Jamie Davis, "We are continuing to monitor the status of COVID-19 coronavirus. In the interest of welfare and safety of our membership, USA Volleyball is eliminating the sanctioning for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) effective 11:59 p.m., Friday, March 13. This ban on all USA Volleyball sanctioned activities extends through March 31. We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and will provide periodic updates as information becomes more apparent."

Based on these guidelines, we are suspending Empire events through the end of the month. When we know more about the rescheduling of tournaments, etc., we will update our community. Stay safe!

3/12:  We are closely monitoring the California Department of Public Health recommendations and aligning with the Sonoma County Office of Education guidelines. In anticipation that we have some families who will opt to keep their kids at home over the next few days and beyond, we are reducing our practice schedule to sessions on Tuesday, March 17th and Thursday, March 19th for the upcoming week from 6-8 pm at SSU (pending any new developments). We are postponing practices for tonight and Sunday.

The Spring Season program will run as scheduled.

Click here for the latest information from the regional office.

If you are interested in receiving information about upcoming Empire programs and events, please enter your name and email address to get on the club mailing list.

Want to know more about Empire? Email us at administrator@empirevolleyball.com

Spring Season: The Empire Spring Season is a low-cost program to get Sonoma County athletes from 4th-8th grades more opportunities to play and practice volleyball.

Program begins on March 6th.

Click here for additional information and registration

Empire Juniors: Empire Juniors is a program for girls and boys ages 7-13 who are interested in an introduction to volleyball. Level I (beginner) and Level II (satisfactory proficiency of Level I skills) are offered.

Click here for more information and to register:

Empire Juniors Santa Rosa start date Friday, February 1st (Sold out)

Empire Juniors Novato Start date Monday, March 16th (Sold out)

FOR ALL SUMMER EMPIRE JUNIORS PROGRAMS CLICK HERE!

Setting Sessions:

Sunday's  from 5-6 PM at Santa Rosa Junior College

Dates:   ( March 8th, and March 22nd)

 One hour session will focus on the fundamentals of setting for all age groups. The focus will be on basic fundamentals of setting, including footwork and hand positioning, along with decision making tactics. The cost per session is $25.00

Hitting Sessions:

Tuesday's from 6-7 PM 

Dates:   March 10th, March 17th, March 24th, March 31st @ SRJC

Hitting sessions:  One hour session will focus on the fundamentals of hitting for all age groups. They will be geared to focus on footwork and arm swing, to create better jumping mechanics and more power.

Libero Training: 

Monday nights  6:00 PM-7:00 PM at SSU

Dates:   March 9th, March 16th, March 23rd, March 30th

One hour session will focus on the fundamentals of defense and serve receive passing.  

Each session is $25.00]

(These sessions are only open to current Empire Volleyball Club Members. Clinics for non-Empire VBC members are available over the summer and fall.)

MORE DATES COMING SOON!