FAQs

Q: How old does my daughter have to be to tryout for Northern Impact?

A: There is not a set age your daughter has to be. Our youngest players have been 9 year old. The youngest team designation we have is for a 12 and under team (12U) which means players were born on, or after, July 1, 2012.  If your daughter is age 9-12 she would, most likely, play on this team.

Q: How many teams will Northern Impact have for each age group?
A: We are planning on two teams for ages 13-17 and one team for 12s and 18s.

Q: Is Northern Impact limited to players in the Mounds View School District?
A: No. Northern Impact is not a "closed" club and welcomes players from all across the metro area. This past year we had representation from more than 12 different high school districts.

Q: How do I register?
A: You can pre-register for tryouts online. Day of registrations are also accepted but pre-registration really helps us plan ahead.

Q: How much does it cost to tryout?
A: 2024-2025 winter tryout fee is $40 .

Q: What sort of a down payment is required if my daughter makes a team?
A: There will be a non-refundable down payment due the day of tryouts for $500 to secure your commitment to the club. You will have the option to pay for the rest of the season in full or set up automatic monthly payments.

Q: What do I need to bring to tryouts?
A: Your player needs to come ready for play with shorts, t-shirt, and court shoes. Knee pads and a water bottle are encouraged, but not required. Every player will get a tryout t-shirt to wear.

Q: Can I watch tryouts?
A: We ask that parents stay in the lobby area during tryouts. There is some limited window space to see the players, but we ask that no parents are present in the gym during tryouts.

Q: How are players evaluated? How are teams formed?
A: There will be dedicated evaluators on each court for tryouts. The players will be evaluated in each of the primary skills of passing, setting, serving and hitting. There will be a significant amount of practice time dedicated to seeing the players in game like situations where evaluators will be able to get a feel for their court sense, leadership, aggressiveness, and defensive capabilities. Teams will be chosen by the coaches at that age level based primarily upon the scoring done by the evaluators.  Offers to selected players will be announced and they will return for a secondary evaluation day to determine final team placements.

Q: Can I request my child play up?
A: When you register we ask for your player’s birthdate, but allow parents to determine which tryout the player will attend.  We strongly encourage playing at their own age level, but there may be exceptions.  The coaching staff will make thorough evaluations of each player’s abilities and take into account the need at other age levels when they're making their evaluations. Any offer to advance a player to a higher age level is at the club's discretion and will only be made after consulting with The Director and player's parent(s).

Q: Is there an opportunity to practice or meet Northern Impact staff before tryouts?
A: Northern Impact hosts multiple Open Gym and information sessions.  Our Club Director and/or coaches will be on-hand to assist, but these are true open gyms and will not include organized drills or games, unless staff are asked by players to assist.

Visit https://nivb.org/opengym for dates and times.

Q: My child plays other sports or participates in other activities. Is a practice schedule available?
A: Practice times are not assigned until after tryouts when we know how many teams we have at each age level.  Each team will practice twice a week for 90 minutes, or two hours depending upon age group and court availability. Practices are held Mon-Fri starting as early as 4:30 p.m. and finishing as late as 10:00 p.m.

Q: Where are practices held?

Practices are held at The New Brighton Community Center except in rare cases where that is unavailable.

Q: Where are games played?

Northern Impact plays most matches within 1-hour of New Brighton, MN, but will travel to at least one multi-day event outside of that distance.  Rochester, MN and Duluth, MN are currently planned in 2025.

Q: What age group is my child in for the 2024-25 season?
A: Use this link to determine the proper age group classification: https://usavolleyball.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-25-Age-Definition-Chart-Only061124.pdf