Rostering Policies
Our goal at Next Level Sports is to build a deep-rooted community experience by keeping classmates and buddies together. While no system is perfect, we prioritize friendship and community over tryouts and drafts.
Our Approach to Building Teams
Every roster we create reflects our commitment to community over competition. Below you'll find the policies that guide how we form teams across our programs, ensuring kids stay connected with the friends and classmates who make the game more fun.
Priority Registration
Before general sign-ups begin, we offer a two-week Priority Registration window. This is exclusively for players who participated in Next Level Flag Football/Basketball/Volleyball during the previous season at the same location.
Who Qualifies: Returning players from the previous season staying at the same site, who complete enrollment within the first 14 days of registration being live.
Who Does Not Qualify: New players, siblings of returning players who did not play last season, waitlisted players from last year, players from other Next Level sports, or players that were canceled from a program last season.
Location Changes: If you are switching to a new site, you must register during General Registration.
Registration Integrity: Any registrants who do not meet the "Returning Player" criteria during this two-week window will be subject to a refund per our standard policy or held until General Registration opens before receiving a team assignment.
How Teams are Built
We do not hold tryouts or drafts. Instead, we use a tiered logic to assemble rosters:
Teammate Requests: We prioritize specific "buddy" requests.
Classmates: We group players by school and grade.
Registration Date: If a team hits its cap (10–12 players, depending on the location), the earliest registrant get priority. Late registrants may be assigned to a different team.
Key Roster Rules
Grade-Based Play: We roster by grade, not age. Players may "play up" with Next Level approval, but older players are never permitted to play down in a younger grade level.
Returning Programs: Priority is first given to players returning to the same site. Players transitioning from a different Next Level location are placed next, followed by new participants.
Registration Timestamp: If teammate or school requests are identical and space is limited, the Registration Date/Time serves as the final tiebreaker.
Disclaimer: To ensure the highest quality experience, Next Level reserves the right to make final determinations regarding team assignments and program structure. This includes, but is not limited to, adjusting rosters or consolidating divisions based on enrollment.
Full Team Guarantee Note
While it is highly likely your child will play with their friends, we cannot guarantee placement with all requested teammates due to roster caps, registration dates, and the need for league balance. Next Level is committed to making every effort to accommodate our families within our rostering guidelines to ensure a memorable season for every athlete.
New Next Level Programs
For our inaugural programs, registration is strictly first-come, first-served based on the timestamp of enrollment. We build our rosters by prioritizing specific teammate requests to keep friends together. In the absence of specific requests, we strive to group players with their classmates from the same school to foster a deep-rooted community experience. As new sites without a returning player history, early registration is essential to securing a spot before a division hits its capacity.
Priority Registration
A two-week Priority Registration window is offered prior to the launch of General Registration.
For Core programs, Priority Registration applies to returning players who participated in Next Level Volleyball during the previous season at the same location.Please note that for Advanced programs, Priority Registration applies to returning players who participated in NL Advanced Volleyball during the previous season, AND athletes that participated in the previous Core Season at the same location.
Who Qualifies: Players meeting the above requirements who enroll within the first 14 days.
Who Does Not Qualify: New players, siblings of returning players who did not play last season, or players switching from other Next Level sports/locations.
Registration Integrity: Any registrants who do not meet "Returning Player" criteria during this window will be subject to a refund per our standard policy or held until General Registration opens.
Core Volleyball: How Teams are Built
Our foundational program focuses on a positive introduction to the sport with an emphasis on skills first, and game-play later in the season.
Grade-Based Roster: Participants are grouped by grade level.
Balanced Groups: We aim to split participants evenly to ensure optimal ratios.
Friendship & Community: We honor teammate/friend requests whenever possible with the understanding that players are assigned on a first come, first serve basis.
Advanced Volleyball: Competitive Balance & Structure
The Advanced program is designed for a higher level of play with head to head game play each week. To maintain the integrity of the program and ensure maximum development, the following strict rostering policies are applied:
Session Capacity: Each group session (5th/6th Grade & 7th/8th Grade) is strictly limited to 4 teams with a maximum of 12 participants per team.
The 50/50 Split Rule: To maximize competitiveness, we aim for an equitable roster split—ideally 50% younger grade and 50% older grade players per team.
School & Grade Caps: Our objective is to maintain a maximum of 6 participants from the same school and grade level per team.
Teammate Requests: Players may enter up to three teammate requests. While we make every effort to accommodate one of the three requested teammates, no placements are guaranteed.
Annual Reshuffle: To ensure a fair environment, we do not carry over full teams from year to year in both the Core and Advanced program.
Key Roster Rules & Disclaimers
Grade-Based Play: We roster by grade, not age. Older players are never permitted to "play down" in a younger grade level.
Registration Timestamp: If teammate requests are identical and space is limited, the Registration Date/Time serves as the final tiebreaker.
Program Adjustments: Next Level reserves the right to make final determinations regarding team assignments and program structure. This includes adjusting rosters or consolidating divisions based on enrollment to ensure a viable learning environment.
Accommodations: Next Level is committed to making every effort to accommodate our families within these guidelines to ensure an exceptional season for every athlete.
New Next Level Programs
For our inaugural programs, registration is strictly first-come, first-served based on the timestamp of enrollment. We build our rosters by prioritizing specific teammate requests to keep friends together. In the absence of specific requests, we strive to group players with their classmates from the same school to foster a deep-rooted community experience. As new sites without a returning player history, early registration is essential to securing a spot before a division hits its capacity.