Registration Process, Fees & Refunds
<b>Registration Process</b> Registration will be on-line only at www.volleyball.ca. Teams that have registered on-line as members of their Provincial/Territorial Association (P/TA) will be able to retrieve their information to register for National Championships, in which case, as teams update their roster at the provincial level, the change will be made instantaneously at the national level. Teams within provinces/territories that do not use on-line registration with VC will register the same way as last year, hence, teams will need the provide the following information: ·A minimum of 8 players ·Team staff and player’s personal information (full name, address, phone number, date of birth, height and e-mail) ·Players shirt number and position ·Valid credit card All entries received will be acknowledged with an email confirmation. <b>Fees</b> Registration fees are $600.00 (+ credit card fees) per team and can only be paid online by Visa or Mastercard. <b>Refunds & Withdrawals</b> Refunds will be given (less a $100 administrative fee) on withdrawals made up to 12:00am (EST) on the entry deadline for your event. After this time, no refunds will be given.

Eligibility
<b>Team Eligibility</b> All teams must: 1) be registered and in good standing within their own P/TA and with Volleyball Canada (refer to the "VC Indoor Competition Guide" which can be accessible via http://www.volleyball.ca/index.asp?page=98 as well as your P/TA for complete registration details). Out of country teams must also be registered and in good standing within their own region. 2) participate in the Provincial Championship (any Tier) held in their own Province or Territory, if one exists (team roster must be the same at provincials and nationals). 3) meet all the registration requirements. <b>Player Eligibility</b> 15 & under: Players must have been born in 1989 or later (no exceptions) 16 & under: Players must have been born in 1988 or later (no exceptions) <b>Roster</b> The team roster may consist of a maximum of 15 players and 3 coaching staff (Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Manager). Only 12 of those 15 players can be registered on the scoresheet during competition and will be permitted to play any given match. These 12 athletes may vary from one match to another.

Team Check-In
Team check-in will take place on Friday evening at the Olympic Oval between 12 pm and 8 pm. At check-in, coaches will be asked to verify their team roster, provide the coaches’ NCCP proof, and pick-up player/coaches packages. Teams will not be permitted to begin play without having verified their roster. Head coaches must also present their NCCP passport or equivalent documentation at the meeting and prior to every match (to ensure they have met the minimum requirement of Technical Level 1). A $100 fee will be taken from the team performance bond to those who do not meet the requirement. It is the responsibility of the coach to produce the documentation throughout the event.

Transportation
Each team will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to, from and during the championships.

Accommodations
The Alberta Volleyball Association has arranged special tournament rates at a number of local hotels. To book your rooms, <B>please contact each hotel directly</B>. Don't forget to state that you are booking for the 2004 Canadian Open in order to receive the best possible rates! Please be aware that availability is limited so please book early to avoid disappointment! - rates do not include Alberta's 5% Provincial Room Tax and 7% GST. - please request non-smoking rooms at the time of booking. - please request the Alberta Volleyball Association room rate. -REMEMBER TO BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL OF YOUR CHOICE! <U><B>2004 Canadian Open Hotels</B></U> <B>Best Western Village Park Inn</B> 1804 Crowchild Trail N.W. Calgary, AB. T2M 3Y7 Phone: (403) 289-0241 Fax: (403) 289-4645 Toll Free: 1-888-774-7716 <B>Rates:</B> $89.00 - Single to Quad Occupancy <B>Services:</B> Indoor pool, whirlpool, coffeemakers and complimentary underground parking. <B>Website:</B> www.villageparkinn.com <B>Four Points Sheraton</B> 8220 Bowridge Cres. N.W. Calgary, AB. T3B 2V1 Phone: (403) 288-4441 Fax: (403) 288-4442 Toll Free: 1-877-288-4441 <B>Rates:</B> $89.00 - Single to Quad Occupancy $109.00 Suite – accommodates 6 <B>Services:</B> Indoor pool, whirlpool, waterslide, spa, and fitness center. All guestrooms have microwaves, fridges and coffeemakers. <B>Website:</B> www.fourpoints.com <B>Sandman Hotel</B> 888 - 7th Ave. S.W. Calgary, AB. T2P 3J3 Phone: (403) 237-8626 Fax: (403) 290-1238 Toll Free: 1-800-726-3626 <B>Rates:</B> $74.75 - Single to Quad Occupancy <B>Services:</B> Indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness facilities, and on-site Moxie’s restaurant. <B>Website:</B> www.sandmanhotels.com <B>Holiday Inn Express University</B> 2227 Banff Trail N.W. Calgary, AB. T2M 4L2 Phone: (403) 289-6600 Fax: (403) 289-6767 Toll Free: 1-800-Holiday <B>Rates:</B> $86.00 - Single to Quad Occupancy <B>Services:</B> Complimentary Breakfast Bar, Indoor pool, and fitness facilities. <B>Website:</B>www.holiday-inn.com <B>Radisson Hotel</B> 2120 16th Ave. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2E 1L4 Phone: (403) 291-4666 Fax: (403) 291-6498 Toll Free: 1-800-333-3333 <B>Rates:</B> $89.00 - Single to Quad Occupancy <B>Services:</B> Pool, high speed internet, fitness center, pets allowed and airport shuttle <B>Website:</B> www.radisson.com <B>Coast Plaza</B> 1316 – 33 St. N.E. Calgary, Alberta T2A 6B6 Phone: (403) 248-8888 Fax: (403) 248-0749 Toll Free: 1-800-663-1144 <B>Rates:</B> $79.00 - Single to Quad Occupancy <B>Services:</B> Health club with indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna and complimentary in-room coffee, tea and hot chocolate services <B>Website:</B> www.coasthotels.com <B>University of Calgary Residence</B> Next to the Olympic Oval 2500 University Dr. N.W. Phone: (403) 220 - 3203 <B>Rates:</B> Please call for the current rates per person

Coaches Meeting
There will be a mandatory coaches meeting at 9:00 PM Friday evening in the Olympic Oval. A team representative must attend this meeting, as any last minute schedule adjustments or concerns will be dealt with at this time.

Technical Matters
<b>Playing Rules</b> The Official Volleyball Canada 2003-2004 Indoor Rule Book shall govern play at the National Championships. <b>Official Ball</b> The Tachikara SV-5WI ball will be used for all match play. <b>Draw</b> No schedules will be distributed until the coaches meeting on Friday, May 21 at 9:00 PM in the Olympic Oval. The format will consist of a series of seeding pools, followed by either single or double elimination play-offs, depending on the number of tournament entries. However, the following information will be available on-site: - which division teams are seeded in (TBA) - which shift (AM or PM) each team will be playing in (TBA) <b>Seeding and Divisional Play</b> Full regulations on seeding and divisional play (Rule 13.0) can be found in VC Indoor Competitions Guide via www.volleyball.ca (VC Competitions/ Indoor/Championships). 13.2 Entry for Western Championships (Division 1) 1) All western Provincial champions (BC, AB, SK, and MB), 2) 5 other teams from the following 4 provinces BC, AB, SK, and MB; (provided all teams finish in the top 8 at their provincials), 3) The remaining spots are determined by the Host Committee in consultation with the DCC. 13.5 Divisional Play - The preferred size for a division is 32 teams - Minimum size for a division: 16 teams - Maximum size for a division: 32 teams - Seeding within the divisions will be the mandate of the DCC. 13.6 Provinces who were not represented in a specific age category at the previous year’s Open Championships will automatically be placed in the second division of that event. <b>Warm-Up</b> A minimum of 10 minutes (5-5 for hitting) will be available for warm-up prior the start of each match. Teams will be able to warm up with volleyballs in designated ball warm-up areas before each match.

Referees & Minor Officials
<b>Referees</b> Volleyball Canada certified officials will be assigned to each match. Officials’ coordination will be done through consultation with the Province or Territory Officials Chair and the National Officials Chair. The Tournament Organizing Committee will provide 1 scorekeeper per match but teams are responsible for providing 1 minor official (linesperson) each.

Practices
Practice times in the Olympic Oval will be available from 10 am - 6 pm on Friday, May 21. Teams will be allowed to book one hour of practice time on a first come first served basis. Final practice times will be posted two weeks prior on the Open website. Email [email protected] with your practice time request.

Services
<b>Medical</b> There will be medical attention provided for the athletes by Emergency Medical Services personnal. There will also be a team of attendants located in the Athletic Therapy room for medical attention. <b>Merchandise</b> A Volleyball Canada merchandise boutique will be on-site selling VC clothing and much more. An Alberta Volleyball Assoiation merchandise boutique will be on-site selling clothing and much more. <b>Tournament T-shirts</b> There will be a wide variety of tournament clothing and other tournament memorabilia available

Ceremonies
<b>Feature Match</b> Team Canada vs Team Japan Date: Friday May 21, 2004. Time: 5:45 pm (warm up) 6:30 pm (match starts) Venue: Jack Simpson Gym - U of Calgary Price: All Canadian Open Participants - $2.00 Student - $5.00 General Public - $10.00 6 and Under - Free <b>Prizes & Awards</b> Championship banners will be awarded to the winning team in each of the Divisions. Volleyball Canada medals will be given to gold, silver, bronze placed teams in Division 1. Canadian Open medals will be given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed teams in each tier for all Divisions.

Tournament Jury
The tournament jury is composed of a Volleyball Canada/Domestic Competition Committee (DCC) representative, Host Committee representative, and the Referee Supervisor.

Performance Bonds
The $400.00 team performance bond remains the responsibility of each Provincial/Territorial Association. Ultimately, teams will be required to forward the bonds amount in the event of any infraction which affect: 1) VC Code of conduct violation, 2) accommodation/facility damaged, 3) uniform regulation, 4) coaches fail to meet coaching certification requirements and/or 5) if a team does not fulfill its competitive obligations to an event.

Feedback Needed
VC in partnership with the Host Organization, consistently seeks to provide better services to the participants. Share your comments and/or feedback with your Team Contact as he/she will be asked to complete an electronic evaluation following the event.