Year one is in the books and it was quite a journey. It literally seems like yesterday that Kate was attending tryouts and deciding what position she wanted to play. In a way, we were lucky to get an offer from our club but even luckier that we had some parents and a coach who was willing to join Power League and sign up for some additional tournaments that they had not historically signed up for. It was a team a bit short on talent but long on enthusiasm and heart. That made for some frustrating matches, and after not winning a single match during day one of the Regionals, things looked bleak. But just like they have done several times this year, they stepped it up, won their Sunday rematch with High Velocity and played Bainbridge to win the Sunday pool. They lost that one but ended up 32nd in Regionals which I'd say was something to be proud of for this club. Some ups and downs from our first year in club volleyball:
Downs: The club does not have strong management. It seemed to be a struggle all year to get us registered for tournaments and there seemed to be a lack of communication on a club level throughout. The website is rarely updated (maybe the same folks that manage our website manage the Puget Sound Region site!) and there was never any news we could follow about the other age groups, etc. There was never a time when the U16 coaches payed attention to the U15 club nor did they come over and say they hoped the girls tried out next year, etc. I really felt like our U15's were on an island within the club. They won't ever be an elite club until they get their act together.
The Club scene: As much as I want Kate to be on a great team and play in college, I'm starting to wonder if the costs outweigh the benefits. We live on the East Side and so our choice of clubs is limited. As good as Kate is, she's not a 6'2" hitter or a left handed setter that puts everything on the hitter's hands. As both of us parents work, we're not going to run her to Kent or Seattle or Everett 3 times a week just to be on a better team. Unless you are on Capital Ice or SI and routinely compete at national tournaments, will your child really stand out to coaches? If Kate wants to play college locally, what is the benefit for spending thousands of dollars to go with a team that plays in Phoenix or Anaheim in June? (These are rhetorical questions; chime in with opinions!) I guess I want Kate to just enjoy her club volleyball experience without the pressure of having to maneuver and scheme and sacrifice everything to get a chance to play at some place like Fresno State. If your DD is elite, she will be recruited.
Ups: What a great bunch of girls this region has produced. For the most part, I saw happy girls and parents at all the tournaments. There will always be some idiot parents, but for the most part, people were polite, the girls and teams exhibited good sportsmanship and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Our club: Like I said, a little short on talent, but a nicer group of girls and parents you will never find. The tourneys were well attended, the food plentiful, communication was solid...now if we only had some hitters and defense!
Kate's summer is filled with camps (UW, Western HP- if she makes it, High School, Beach and some skills tuneup prior to high school tryouts.) Add in some camping, a week in LA with dad, Oregon with grandma... and the calendar is full!
It's been fun writing in the blog this season and I'll add to it periodically throughout the summer. I hope all your DD's had a fulfilling season.
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I am a club volleyball mom of a daughter on a younger elite team. We started a journey much like you, but a little younger. My DD absolutely loves the game and so do I. We selected our team based on locale, primarily, reputation, secondly. The reputation is what will keep us there. I enjoyed your blog, and especially your learning with the team's schedule. Many families select a team much like your DDs as their entry into the club scene without the obligations of an elite team. Remember that. If you want to travel, you need to go to a team who says that up front so all are on the same page. We jumped right into elite, and I'm afraid it will be a let down for my DD to play anything else. School volleyball has already been a let down as DD is playing at a level far above her school peers. What to do if she does not make her club team at U-15 or higher? I don't know....A DI player DD is not. If she chooses a DI school, it will be for academics. I'm not even sure she wants to play in college. Are we wasting our money on an elite team? No. DD has experienced discipline, conditioning, teamwork, learning how to make choices, responsibility, etc. more than anything. That has been priceless.
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