2027 Club Season FAQ

Everything families need to know before registering for the 2027 Elevate club season.

What is Elevate Volleyball?

Elevate is a privately owned, year round volleyball development program based in the Lakeland, with a pathway into competitive club volleyball.

We train athletes from their early years in the game through high school and university level training. Club is an extension of that programming, with the same focus on technical development, game understanding and the whole athlete.

We intentionally keep our club small so we can know our athletes, coach them well and provide a high level training and team experience.

Who owns and runs Elevate?

Elevate is owned and operated by Alley Theroux, a Cold Lake local and Cold Lake High School graduate.

Alley was a 3A Provincial Champion before playing four seasons of NAIA university volleyball in the United States. She finished her senior season as a First Team All Conference outside hitter while earning Dean's List recognition academically.

After more than 20 years in the game, she still actively plays and trains. Alley runs the club, develops the programming and remains directly involved in coaching and athlete development across Elevate.

What does being a private club mean?

Elevate is independently owned and professionally coached rather than operated as a nonprofit or parent run organization.

For families, the main difference is a coaching fee. The rest of our team budget includes the same types of expenses associated with competitive club volleyball.

That fee supports coaching, season and practice planning, programming, film and athlete development. Families receive a projected team budget before accepting a roster spot so they understand the commitment before making it.

Is Elevate competitive?

Yes.

In our first club season, our 14U Women competed in Division 1 all year and finished Provincials 18th out of 129 teams.

We want to compete and we want to win. We also believe strong results come from developing athletes properly, teaching the game well and creating an environment where athletes can perform with confidence.

For us, competitive volleyball, long term development and a great athlete experience belong together.

What teams are planned for 2027?

15U Women
17U/18U Men
17U or 17U/18U Women, depending on the final roster

We will only run teams we believe we can coach and develop at the standard we expect from Elevate.

Who will be coaching?

Coach Alley will head coach 15U Women and our senior women’s program. She will also continue supporting the mens program throughout the season when needed.

Coach Val will return with our 18U Men and will also assist with the women’s teams.

Additional assistant coaches will be announced soon.

Elevate is intentionally connected across age groups. Our teams see each other, train alongside each other at times and share the same overall programming and standards. Coaches work across groups and athletes get to know more than just the people on their own roster.

We want athletes to feel like they are part of one club and one community, not separate teams operating on their own.

Where are tryouts and practices?

All 2027 tryouts will be held at the Cold Lake Energy Centre.

15U Women have one tryout session. Athletes registering for 17U/18U should attend both scheduled sessions whenever possible. If there is a conflict, please contact us beforehand.

Regular season practices will take place in the Cold Lake and Ardmore area depending on gym availability and scheduling.

Do I need to already train with Elevate?

No.

Camps, clinics and private training are separate from club selection. Athletes do not need to participate in other Elevate programming to be considered for a roster.

We are also not pre signing athletes for 2027. Returning athletes are not guaranteed their previous roster spot.

New or returning, every athlete earns their spot.

What are you looking for at tryouts?

We evaluate the whole athlete and how their game fits into the team we are building.

Technical ability, movement, first contact, positional skill, decision making and volleyball IQ all matter. We also watch how athletes compete, communicate, take feedback and respond when things don't go their way.

At 15U, development potential and the ability to learn carry a lot of weight. With senior athletes, we expect more consistency, positional understanding and impact within their role.

We're building a team, not simply ranking individual tryouts.

What do you expect from Elevate athletes?

Be responsible. Be respectful.

Those are our core expectations.

We want athletes who work hard, communicate, take ownership, accept coaching and contribute positively to their team. We love competitive athletes and want them to play with confidence. We also expect them to understand that how they treat teammates, coaches, officials and opponents matters.

Talent never outweighs being a good teammate.

What will the 2027 season include?

Along with regular practices and competition, new for 2027 will be designated film review and team connection time throughout the season.

Film gives us time to slow the game down and work through systems, positioning, patterns and decision making. We want athletes to understand why things are happening on the court, not just memorize where they're supposed to stand.

We are also setting aside intentional time for teams to connect away from regular training. Communication, leadership and trust are part of building a great team too.

How do team budgets work?

Families receive a projected team budget before accepting a roster spot, including expected club expenses, coaching fees and tournament costs.

If there is an opportunity to add an additional tournament or experience during the season, it will be discussed with families before being added.

We want families to understand where their money is going and have a voice in additional team expenses.

Is playing time guaranteed?

No.

Club fees cover coaching, training and participation in the program. They do not purchase a starting position or equal playing time.

Elevate runs competitive teams. Roles and opportunities are earned through preparation, performance, consistency, coachability and what the team needs.

We also believe athletes deserve honest coaching. They should understand where they stand, what we're seeing and what they can work on.

What if my athlete doesn't make a team?

It means they didn't make this roster this year. It does not define where they can go in volleyball.

Elevate operates year round, so athletes can continue developing through technical training, clinics, camps and other programming.

Sometimes an athlete needs more time. Sometimes the roster or position simply isn't the right fit. If an athlete wants to keep working, there is still a pathway forward.

What should families know before choosing Elevate?

We care a lot about the volleyball, and we care just as much about the athlete experiencing it.

Training is detailed. Expectations are high. Athletes will be coached honestly, challenged to think and expected to take responsibility for their development.

They should also love coming to the gym.

We want athletes to compete, grow in confidence, build great relationships and leave our program with more than just a better volleyball game.

We aren't trying to be the biggest club in the area. We want to know our athletes, coach them well and build teams and an experience we're proud to put the Elevate name on.