2025-26 Planning for 2026-27

Planning for 2026-27

We’d like to hear your views on the following plans…

Summer 2026 (May to August)

Weekly outdoor play for fun at Lydiard Park Events Field:

• Mondays 6:45pm or 7pm as daylight lengthens.  Start mid-May.
• For members age 15+ plus invited guests and prospective members.
• No provision for ages 9-14 (our junior coaches need a break!).
• No formal training or coach supervision (our coaches need a break) so play at own risk.
• Volunteer Andrew to judge weather and safety each week, and communicate go/no-go with players.

Outdoor competitions: Members self-organise to participate, eg Wilts; Whitefield (Bristol); Salisbury; others.

Women (Year 11+)

Train:    Thursdays 8:15pm – 10pm.  Whole hall, 2 courts, max capacity 25-30 players, requires 2+ coaches.

              Plus one Friday per month dedicated for SWL squad – subject to Gary Burton’s new commitments.

Enter competitions, depending on player availability:

• SW League; Wilts Ladies & Junior League; SW Youth; Volleyball England Junior Grand Prix.
• Plan to enter TWO SWL teams to develop and retain our large cohort of promising young players (teens and twenties).  The extra SWL team will require: manager and DBS-checked/registered game-coach (Kat and Marketa have volunteered); hall hire costs for home games; others to support our Sunday junior club.

Open (Year 11+)

Train:    Sundays 6:15-8pm.  One court (end of hall not available), ideally 2 coaches.

Maximum capacity 20 players: minimum 17 men, maximum 3 women.

Enter competitions, depending on player availability:

• Wilts Open League (2 teams); Dave Kinder Cup (2 teams); SW Youth and Volleyball England Junior events.
• All league players are responsible for taking their turn to officiate at home league games.
• Warriors play home games on Thursdays, Barbarians on Sundays.

Juniors U12-U15

Train:    Sundays 4:30-6:00pm.  Whole hall, long net, max capacity c32 players, requires 4 coaches per session.

Enter competitions, depending on player availability:

• South West JuVoTo (3v3) U12, U13, U14, U15 (Saturdays).
• Play 6v6 when ready (usually U14 or U15): SW Youth; Volleyball England junior; Wilts Ladies & Juniors.
• Host national and regional junior age-group events when possible (requires post-padding).

Capacity management

Club Coach consult team coaches about standards, team needs and capacities:

1. Existing members have priority, including Year 10 juniors graduating to adult (Year 11+) groups.
2. Fill any vacancies by inviting returning and new players from waiting lists. Women and Junior already full!
3. Maintain waiting lists as necessary.