聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 It鈥檚 been six seasons of coaching junior volleyball and each year the teams have been determined and play their hearts out.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When people ask how a team is doing they are typically wondering if they鈥檙e winning games. I love winning, I don鈥檛 know who doesn鈥檛 like winning more than losing; but, winning isn鈥檛 everything. And yes, depending what article you read, I鈥檓 either a Xennial or a whiny Millennial.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, there is so much more to sport than winning and losing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Playing a team sport teaches you dedication, responsibility (here are your jerseys if you don鈥檛 have them with you, you don鈥檛 play 鈥� never once has a kid forgotten a jersey), time management, respect, how to work hard for something, and how to be a team player as well as how to be happy for others.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Someone made a comment to me about how I seem to be everywhere when it comes to volleyball in the area鈥� coaching juniors, going to watch when ladies I鈥檝e coached in the past ask me to a tournament, coaching the club teams in Arcola, volunteering to help with Provincials being hosted in Carlyle this year, ref鈥檌ng, and playing ladies volleyball too.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I often tell kids how important it is to diversify and 鈥渇ill different pockets,鈥� as if you fill one pocket too much you can come to be tired and sick of whatever it is you might be doing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I absolutely love the sport though. I love playing it; but, it鈥檚 also one of the sports I enjoy watching鈥� and it鈥檚 warmer than sitting in the rink. I鈥檝e gotten to know different families and different kids through coaching and ref鈥檌ng over the years, which has actually come to be one of my favourite things is seeing their growth.聽 Whether I鈥檓 coaching them or have coached them or they鈥檙e simply kids I鈥檝e coached against, it鈥檚 fun watching good volleyball and seeing their progression in the sport.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The other day my kids 鈥� every season those I鈥檓 coaching become my kids 鈥� hosted their junior playoffs in Arcola. They played hard and had success throughout the day, finishing first place after the round robin. In one set they won, they had been down by about eight points and managed to turn it around to win that game. It was awesome getting to watch them succeed and use the skills we had been giving them throughout the season.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pass, set, hit, block, dig, chase 鈥� it was epic! They may be in grades seven through nine, but they were playing volleyball and it was so great to watch.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I challenged them fairly early in the season. I told them we were going to run a system and taught them their rotation, the next time on the court was in a game and I gave them the goal of getting their rotations down. I figured it would be a little ugly to start off with, since we had only spent one practice on it, but they were immediately smooth. Just a couple of reminders and they were playing volleyball; no rookie one and over type of ball, real volleyball with the pass, set, hit. All while using something they had just learned. They were determined. They had set a goal and reached it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our goal for playoffs was to win it, but second place is extremely commendable and looking back on the season overall the girls were very successful in bettering themselves.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We had underhand servers become overhand servers, kids that will be jump serving in the very near future at only grade 7, blockers making a difference at the net, setters who鈥檚 opponent parents were complimenting the setters鈥� hands, and we were pretty loud 鈥� I don鈥檛 know if any team is ever loud enough, but they were pretty darn loud.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was another great season and I feel honoured to have gotten to coach such a wonderful group of young ladies again at Arcola School.
