Welcome to PHANTOMS VOLLEYBALL!
Phantoms are a regional State League Volleyball club based in Western Victoria. Our oath is to support and grow volleyball pathways in Country Victoria!
Supporting Phantoms through COVID-19
On behalf of the Club, we wish all our members a very Happy Easter as we spend this normally festive time with only our closest family. We ask everyone to respect the Social Distancing measures in place and the travel and movement restrictions that are designed to protect our regional communities and most vulnerable members of society.
In recent conversations, the Committee have considered how members can stay engaged and support the Club and as per the recent email, we hope that many of you will take up the option of purchasing a Club Associate Membership to support the ongoing expenses that we have already incurred for the 2020 season. You can do this by downloading the 2020 ASSOCIATE Membership Form permissions and making a direct debit payment to the Club using the information on the form. Please put your name(s) on the DD transfer and email the completed form to info@phantomsvolleyball.com.au. All members who purchase this will have their playing fees reduced by the equivalent amount should the season eventually commence.
State League Update
On Monday 30th March 2020, Volleyball Victoria issued the following statement in relation to continuing impact of Covid-19 on State League.
“As previously advised, the 2020 State League season is currently facing considerable uncertainty. With the recent restrictions put in place Volleyball Victoria has determined to postpone the commencement of the State League season until at least the Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday on Monday 8 June.
Please note we are currently exploring all options including the possibility of a September-December season, however, the season structure is obviously dependent on government advice regarding restrictions on non-essential gatherings.We understand that many of you will have other priorities at this time so we will only convene a Delegates’ Meeting, either in person or online, once more information has been received.
Volleyball Victoria wish you all continued good health during this unique time.”
The Club are currently surveying all members to see what their intentions might be moving forward so the more responses to this survey we receive, the better information we will have to plan moving forward. You can complete the survey here
2020 Volleyball Victoria Country Championships CANCELLED
In accordance with the current Government advice regarding COVID-19 many regional association competitions have been suspended indefinitely. As a result, the Country Championships Commission have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Country Championships. The Commission are in discussion regarding the 2021 and 2022 events with a decision to be made on the host of those events soon.
Impact on Phantoms
For Phantoms, the Committee have discussed the various options available to the Club and identified an unacceptable level of risk associated with any form of club gathering. This will include any scheduled training sessions. It is a particularly challenging scenario for Phantoms as we draw from such a wide geographical region and diverse sections of the community spread across the state, so the risk of transmission into different towns and communities is heightened.
This is an unprecedented situation which is rapidly evolving by the day and is affecting every facet of life for our communities. We encourage everyone to follow the directives from the government and health services, be kind to those around you and monitor your own physical and mental health and that of your families and friends. There will be impacts beyond the initial shutdown of stadiums, leagues and potentially schools and workplaces. For many, these may be economic as well as health so we encourage you to continue to communicate with us over the coming weeks if you require any form of support.
At some stage the season will begin and it is the responsibility of each of you to present (where health factors permit) in a fit and ready state to compete as well as you can at the level you have been selected. It might be that you cannot train on a court or with a ball or in a gym, but that will not prevent you from running, cross training or exercising outdoors to keep or get in shape.
We will keep you posted here and on social media as more information comes to hand.
A reminder of useful resources on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
:
Australian Institute of Sport
Department of Health & Human Services
World health Organisation
2020 SEASIDE TOURNAMENT RESULTS
The Warrnambool Seaside tournament is a crucial pillar of the Clubs preseason and this year there were some great performances from teams and individuals. In particular we would like to acknowledge the Division 1 Men who went through the tournament undefeated and our players who were recognised in the Most Valuable Player Awards:
Michael Mayes (Premier Men Joint Winner)
Kade Zrna (Division 1 Men Runner Up)
Gabby Lougheed (Division 2 Women Winner – playing for Warrnambool)
Hilary Hannagan (Division 3 Women Joint Winner)
For all the results, match reports and photos, check out the TEAMS page.
2020 MEMBERSHIPS
Our Full 2020 Membership forms are now available to download from our ATHLETE RESOURCES page. Please note that these must be completed and returned to the Club with payment prior to any commencement of the State League season or you will be ineligible to play. Any players who have purchased the Associate membership to help the Club in the interim will have their playing membership reduced by the equivalent amount.
There are also a number of other documents on this page that all players must familiarise themselves with, especially the Player Expectations. Our coaches are currently reviewing the 2019 version of these and an updated 2020 version will be uploaded shortly.
MEDICAL INFORMATION
Phantoms utilises the online Care Monkey system which also come with a phone app for collecting and storing all members medical details. This ensures that coaches and responsible persons have immediate access to important information in the case of an emergency. if you are already on Care Monkey and connected to the club, please ensure your details are up to date and correct. If you are new to the club or haven’t completed the process, then you will receive an email invitation during the month of February. Please ensure you activate this as NO players will be permitted to take the court either at Warrnambool or during the VVL season if we do not have this information.
UNIFORMS
The Club will be purchasing new sets of playing tops over the coming season that will then belong to the club rather than individual wearing them. This will be phased in over time beginning with our lower division teams that have largest influx of new players. If you have been named in a Premier / Reserves squad and you do not have a playing uniform from either of the last 2 seasons, please email us and we will find you one.
All players going forward will need to purchase their own playing shorts, club polo and club hoodie. Our expectation is that members will attend games in club attire and do duty in non playing club uniform. Details, pricing and order forms will be posted on our UNIFORMS page in the coming days.
PHANTOMS SCHOLARSHIPS
Phantoms offer scholarship opportunities designed to assist athletes who have potential to achieve highly with the club but the cost of playing maybe a prohibitive factor. Anyone attending trials that considers costs associated with VVL a barrier to participation can apply for financial support through this program. Details of the application and assessment process can be downloaded here Phantoms Scholarship Fund. There is currently no template form so an application in the form or a written letter or email addressing the key criteria will be accepted.
TEAMS, RESULTS AND FIXTURES
All weekly information will be available throughout the season on the website by clicking on the appropriate tab in the header or footer menu.
