USA Volleyball Statements on COVID-19

May 20, 2020 Update

It is with a heavy heart that USA Volleyball must announce the cancellation of the remaining USA Volleyball Indoor National Championships for the 2020 season. This includes the Girls 18s Junior National Championship, Girls Junior National Championship, Boys Junior National Championship and High Performance Championship. With safety as our top priority and upon further evaluation of the current and projected status of the COVID-19 virus in each of our respective cities, we cannot be assured of each venue’s ability to host safe and restriction-free environments for our events in June and July. We want to thank Dallas, Reno and Pittsburgh for their partnership and wonderful support as we navigated through this difficult decision. Most importantly, we want to thank our athletes, coaches, club directors and officials for their passion and patience throughout. We miss you already.

USAV will be issuing refunds immediately to all teams that have submitted a payment for each event, but please understand that these could take a few weeks to process. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to [email protected]. All hotel cancellations will be handled by Team Travel Source. Please do not reach out to the hotels directly to cancel as this will cause more confusion and might cause you to have to pay a cancellation fee. Team Travel Source will make sure that there are no cancellation fees for our participants as long as the communication is through them. Please reach out to Team Travel Source if you have any questions about your hotel reservations at [email protected].

Although the Championship events will no longer be taking place this year, USAV will continue to provide wonderful online resources for our members and clubs through digital media channels. Please utilize our family and club resources page and follow us on social media for exclusive tips, drills, conditioning and other content created for you by the National Team athletes, coaches and training staff. New content is being produced and uploaded on a regular basis and is available free of charge.

Thank you again to all our members for your patience in this unprecedented time. We hope everyone stays safe and we can get back into the gym soon. We cannot wait to see you all again in the 2021 season.

May 13, 2020 Update – Return to Play Guidelines

USA Volleyball (USAV) has prepared Return to Play Guidelines for region leaders, club directors, event promoters, venue operators, members and families to provide guidance as volleyball activities begin to recommence across the United States.

The following recommendations are not intended or implied to be mandates. Many of these recommendations are based upon current guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Federal government agencies. The knowledge surrounding COVID-19 is constantly changing and circumstances are different based on geographic region. Therefore, region leaders, club directors, event promoters and venue operators should adhere to their state and local guidelines when determining their own re-opening policies and procedures.

USAV will be resuming sanctioning of activities on May 15, 2020. All USAV sanctioned activities will be required to adhere to the most stringent federal, state or local guideline for their respective areas. USAV insurance coverage will only be provided for activities that are allowed under such government directives.

Until COVID-19 is either eradicated, a vaccine is developed, or a cure is found, there is no way to completely eliminate the risk of infection and as a result USAV strongly encourages all participants to follow these recommendations as safety precautions. The information in this document is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does USAV or its forty (40) Regional Volleyball Associations (Region(s)) assume any liability or responsibility for the recommendations provided herein.

Read the complete Return to Play Guidelines (pdf)

May 5, 2020 Update

As referenced in our communication on April 24, a “return to play” task force was established by USA Volleyball to create a comprehensive roadmap to safely restart USAV’s sanctioning of activities when it is appropriate. The task force has been meeting diligently and gathering information from United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), medical experts, government entities, volleyball clubs and other national governing bodies to help pave our course of action. At this point, the group believes that it is premature to safely commence play and thus USA Volleyball is extending the elimination of sanctions for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, team activities, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) through May 22, 2020.

Virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings are permitted during this period of sanction suspension. Any virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings involving minors are subject to requirements of MAAPP, specifically the regulations on electronic communications and one-on-one interactions. These requirements include the following:

All virtual trainings/coaching/meetings must be “observable and interruptible,” able to be ended at any time, and have at least two applicable adults on each session, i.e., coach and assistant, coach and club director, etc.
All parents/guardians must be provided the code or link to join the virtual session.
All parents/guardians must sign a waiver in advance as these sessions could be viewed as individual training. A record of which clubs/coaches have been approved to conduct these sessions should be kept. USAV has created a standardized waiver form if you care to use it.
If a minor athlete ends up emailing a video to a coach for feedback or additional coaching, the coach needs to copy the parent/guardian and/or other applicable adult on all correspondences.

To be clear, virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings will only be considered sanctioned so long as the above requirements are followed.

USA Volleyball has been asked by local clubs whether such ban applies to club activities covered under the club’s own (non-USA Volleyball) insurance. In these situations, USA Volleyball strongly encourages all member clubs and coaches to adhere to USA Volleyball’s policies. However, should a club decide to voluntarily disregard those policies and assume all risks associated therewith, we recommend that the club adhere to CDC; local, state and federal guidelines and recommendations when deciding whether or not to host practices or individual training sessions. If a club does host practice or individual training sessions, those activities would be considered a non-sanctioned activity by USA Volleyball and thus NOT covered by USA Volleyball insurance.

The health and welfare of our membership, volleyball families and fellow citizens is our primary concern in all decisions we are making during these uncharted times.

USA Volleyball is monitoring the situation daily and will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

April 24, 2020 Update

Dear USA Volleyball Membership,

As parts of our nation have commenced plans for reopening, USA Volleyball CEO Jamie Davis and Board Chair Cecile Reynaud have established a task force to create a comprehensive roadmap to safely restart USAV’s sanctioning of activities when it is appropriate. The team is comprised of the following members:

Jamie Davis: USAV Chief Executive Officer
Chris Vadala: USAV Chief of Membership Services
Stacie Kearns: USAV Chief Financial Officer
Rachael Stafford: USAV General Counsel
Cecile Reynaud: USAV Board Chair, Member of USAV Coaching Education CAP cadre
Steve Bishop: USAV Board Member, President of the Florida Region of USA Volleyball, Member of the RVA insurance committee and the USAV Beach Assembly member
Dave Peixoto: USAV Board Member, Commissioner of the New England Region Volleyball Association, Member of the RVA Assembly
Steve Kenyon: USAV Board Member, Member of the RVA and Officials Assemblies
Dave Gentile: USAV Board Member, Chair of the Junior Assembly
Dr. Bill Briner: Chair of USA Volleyball Medical Commission

We believe that this joint staff and board task force provides for a broad representation of USAV’s membership constituency and is also comprised of members from regions with varying stages of COVID-19 severity and recovery.

This group will be collaborating with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, medical experts, government entities, volleyball clubs and other national governing bodies to adopt a phased reopening plan in accordance with federal, state and local guidelines and with the foremost goal of safeguarding USAV members and spectators. We will not be removing the suspension of USAV sanctioning activities until it is safe to do so.

Thank you in advance for your patience as we develop our roadmap forward.

Jamie Davis

Cecile Reynaud

April 22, 2020 Update – 3 p.m. Mountain

USA Volleyball is extending the elimination of sanctions for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, team activities, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) through May 8, 2020.

Following several communications with the USOPC, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and our insurance providers, USA Volleyball has received permission to sanction virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings during this period of sanction suspension. Any virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings involving minors are subject to requirements of MAAPP, specifically the regulations on electronic communications and one-on-one interactions. These requirements include the following:

All virtual trainings/coaching/meetings must be “observable and interruptible,” able to be ended at any time, and have at least two applicable adults on each session, i.e., coach and assistant, coach and club director, etc.
All parents/guardians must be provided the code or link to join the virtual session.
All parents/guardians must sign a waiver in advance as these sessions could be viewed as individual training. A record of which clubs/coaches have been approved to conduct these sessions should be kept. USAV has created a standardized waiver form if you care to use it.
If a minor athlete ends up emailing a video to a coach for feedback or additional coaching, the coach needs to copy the parent/guardian and/or other applicable adult on all correspondences.

To be clear, virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings will only be considered sanctioned so long as the above requirements are followed.

The health and welfare of our membership, volleyball families and fellow citizens is our primary concern in all decisions we are making during these uncharted times.

USA Volleyball is monitoring the situation daily and will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

April 22, 2020 Update – 8 a.m. Mountain

Dear USA Volleyball Members and Clubs,

First and foremost, I hope that you are staying safe and healthy as our nation and the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like you, we are eager to be back competing on the court and playing the game we love. That said, the safety of our members, spectators and staff is our top priority and thus we have been forced to make many decisions which have impacted the 2020 USA Volleyball tournament calendar. Regular real time event specific updates are available on our website.

As you are aware, a few of our qualifiers have been canceled with the majority of them being postponed. We are furthermore monitoring the feasibility of our championship events and exploring the postponement to later dates should the conditions not be safe to stage them as planned. It would be far easier for us to simply cancel all of these events, but the overwhelming feedback that we have received from you has been in favor of trying to salvage the season. You want to play and we want to provide you the competitions to do so. I am hopeful that we will be able to accomplish this common goal.

Again, safety is paramount and we are closely monitoring city, state and federal social distancing guidelines and recommendations. We are furthermore developing new processes, procedures and regulations that will be put in place to further enhance the safety of the events. Final decisions on whether to proceed will only be made once factoring in all of these factors.

Thank you for your patience as we work through this ever-changing situation.

April 17, 2020 Update

Following several communications with the USOPC, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and our insurance providers, USA Volleyball has received permission to sanction virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings during this period of sanction suspension. We are extending this sanctioning immediately, however, any virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings involving minors are subject to requirements of MAAPP, specifically the regulations on electronic communications and one-on-one interactions. These requirements include the following:

All virtual trainings/coaching/meetings must be “observable and interruptible,” able to be ended at any time, and have at least two applicable adults on each session, i.e., coach and assistant, coach and club director, etc.
All parents/guardians must be provided the code or link to join the virtual session.
All parents/guardians must sign a waiver in advance as these sessions could be viewed as individual training. A record of which clubs/coaches have been approved to conduct these sessions should be kept. USAV has created a standardized waiver form if you care to use it.
If a minor athlete ends up emailing a video to a coach for feedback or additional coaching, the coach needs to copy the parent/guardian and/or other applicable adult on all correspondences.

To be clear, virtual training/coaching/instruction/meetings will only be considered sanctioned so long as the above requirements are followed.

We are confident you will find this update to be good news in these unprecedented times.

Stay safe, stay healthy and GO USA!

March 31, 2020 Update

USA Volleyball is extending the elimination of sanctions for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, team activities, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) through April 30, 2020. USA Volleyball is monitoring the situation daily and will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

The health and welfare of our membership, volleyball families and fellow citizens is our primary concern in all decisions we are making during these uncharted times.

March 26, 2020 Update – 6 p.m. Mountain

Dear Volleyball Club Directors,

As we all navigate the momentous impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives and the lives of our loved ones, we are also faced with the reality that in addition to the impact we are facing at USA Volleyball, we know that volleyball clubs across the country have been impacted significantly as well.

We at USA Volleyball want to keep you informed of potential resources available to help small businesses during this difficult time. Know that USA Volleyball is not affiliated or involved with operating any of these programs, and this information is being provided simply as a service to you. Please direct any and all questions to the organizations responsible for offering and managing these initiatives.

Sincerely,

Jamie Davis

USA Volleyball CEO

Facebook Grants

Facebook is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in more than 30 countries. This program is intended to help keep your workforce going strong, cover rent and operational costs and connect with customers. Many volleyball clubs could be eligible for said grants.

This program will begin accepting applications in the coming weeks. You can sign up for updates by visiting the Facebook grants page.

Universal Deductions and Expanded Loans for Nonprofits

This program is expected to clear congress Friday as part of a $2 trillion coronavirus bailout legislation. It would allow nonitemizers to deduct up to $300 in cash giving for the 2020 tax year, and would make smaller nonprofits eligible for loans of up $10 million each.

The bill would lift the cap on annual giving from 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent, and nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees would be eligible for guaranteed loans of up to $10 million (up from $1 million) or a third of their annual operating expenses. Nonprofits that keep their employees on the payroll from February 15 to June 30 could have their loans forgiven, turning the loan into a grant.

To read more about the potential of this program, visit philanthropy.com.

Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Loans

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is working with state governors to offer Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19). Most states are now opening Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs which are intended to aid small businesses directly affected by COVID-19. The program provides working capital loans that may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had this disaster not occurred.

Please review the information below thoroughly and consult with the SBA to determine if this program is right for you. Questions about eligibility, loan amounts or other details should be directed to your local SBA office. For more information and to apply, visit the SBA Disaster Loan website.

SBA Disaster Assistance Loans Specifics

Eligible Entities

Applicants must meet the SBA requirements of a small business subject to revenue and employee limits
Businesses directly affected by COVID-19

Ineligible Entities

Agricultural Enterprises: If the primary activity of the business (including its affiliates) is as defined in Section 18(b)(1) of the Small Business Act, neither the business nor its affiliates are eligible
Religious Organizations
Gambling Concerns (Ex: Concerns that derive more that 1/3 of their annual gross revenue from legal gambling activities)
Casinos & Racetracks (Ex: Businesses whose purpose for being is gambling (e.g., casinos, racetracks, poker parlors, etc.) are not eligible regardless of 1/3 criteria above.
Cannabis Industry

Loan Approval Criteria

Credit History: Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to SBA
Repayment: SBA must determine that the applicant business has the ability to repay the SBA loan

How Much You Can Borrow

Eligible entities may qualify for loans up to $2 million
The interest rates for this disaster are 3.75 percent for small businesses and 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years
Eligibility for these working capital loans are based on the size (must be a small business) and type of business and its financial resources

How the Funds Can Be Used

These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred
The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits or for expansion
Funds cannot be used to pay down long-term debt

What is Needed to Apply

Completed SBA loan application (SBA Form 5)
Tax Information Authorization (IRS Form 4506T) for the applicant, principals and affiliates
Complete copies of the most recent Federal Income Tax Return
Schedule of Liabilities (SBA Form 2202)
Personal Financial Statement (SBA Form 413)
Income, balance sheet, and cash flow documents
Other Information may also be requested

Other Information That May Be Requested

Complete copy, including all schedules, of the most recent Federal income tax return for principals, general partners or managing member, and affiliates (see filing requirements for more information)
If the most recent Federal income tax return has not been filed, a year-end profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet for that tax year
A current year-to-date profit-and-loss statement
Additional Filing Requirements (SBA Form 1368) providing monthly sales figures

How Soon Will Businesses Receive Money?

Eligible businesses that submit complete loan packages could receive money within three (3) weeks
Incomplete information and verification of collateral will delay approval process

How to Apply

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela
Paper loan applications can be downloaded from www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155
Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to [email protected]

March 19, 2020 Update – 3:30 p.m. Mountain

USA Volleyball is announcing the elimination of sanctions for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, team activities, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) through April 15, 2020. USA Volleyball is monitoring the situation daily and will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

The health and welfare of our membership, volleyball families and fellow citizens is our primary concern in all decisions we are making during these uncharted times.

March 18, 2020 Update – 6:00 p.m. Mountain

Local volleyball clubs and/or facilities:

The Small Business Administration is offering disaster assistance loans related to the coronavirus/COVID-19. The link takes the user to a page with an additional COVID Aid link at the top of the page. The user should follow the link.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the SBA has defined “Small Business” as (see page 8):

organized for profit;
has a place of business in the United States;
operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor;
is independently owned and operated;
is not dominant in its field on a national basis;
does not exceed size standards established, and updated periodically, by the SBA

We are providing this information as you may wish to see if you qualify and take advantage of the program.

March 18, 2020 Update

USA Volleyball announced on March 13 the elimination of sanctions for all USA Volleyball activities (including but not limited to events, practices, team activities, individual training sessions or anything covered by USA Volleyball insurance) through March 31. USA Volleyball is monitoring the situation daily and will continue to provide updates on a regular basis.

The health and welfare of our membership, volleyball families and fellow citizens is our primary concern in all decisions we are making during these uncharted times.

March 13, 2020 Update

We are continuing to monitor the status of COVID-19 coronavirus as it relates to the welfare and safety of our athletes, spectators and staff. USA Volleyball is extending its recommendation that all USAV sanctioned events be postponed or cancelled through March 31st. We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and will provide periodic updates as information becomes more apparent. Please refer to this page for the latest updated information on USA Volleyball events.

March 11, 2020 Update – 11 a.m. Mountain

The safety of our members, spectators and staff is our paramount concern.

USA Volleyball has this page dedicated to this situation where we will be posting the latest information on the outbreak, USAV event updates, recommended health precautionary measures and any event-specific protocols that will be adjusted as a result of the virus. Given the fluidity of this matter, decisions regarding each event will be determined independently as factors affecting one may not affect another and we are working with each of the local authorities and event venues to increase safety measures.

Finally, we have established a mailbox at [email protected] where you can send any inquiries related to this issue.