Sunday, November 20, 2011
Club Volleyball: Tryout Weekend Blues
I'm sitting here at 9:30 on Sunday night and remembering back to a year ago when we got the call from ITVC and had to withdraw our commitment to Blaze and how exhilarated and stressed we all were...and I know many of you are going through that same thing. How do I know? Because I've heard from alot of you! I know a few girls who are going back to ITVC as U-17's and I'm so jealous of the dads! I've been kind of moping around all weekend, and not just because my Rams got killed by the hated Seahawks. I kept thinking Maddie would change her mind even at this late stage, but to her credit, she is firm in her decision. On the other hand, I heard from another dad that one of the nearby clubs told the U-17 candidates that the cost would be $4200 and that they would only go to tournaments where they would be seen by college coaches... qualifiers and other tourneys. No power league. Now THAT got me thinking. Even if Maddie had decided she wanted to play in college but only wanted to play at a school in the Northwest, I'd have to question playing for that club. And if she had said she only wanted to play club because she loved it and wanted to stay in shape, etc. etc. I would have completely balked at paying that kind of money. On the other hand, if she was trying to land a D2 scholarship and was not limited to WHERE, them maybe that kind of club would be worth it. Tough choices when you hit U-17....all you parents with younger girls, just enjoy the next few years! But I also think that unless you have height AND talent, it's an uphill battle to play in college. You can make it if you live and breathe volleyball because I really think it would take a total commitment to succeed....and that's what Maddie always struggled with. She LOVES volleyball, but I also think she doesn't love VB to the extent that she wanted to give up as much as you have to give up to play club. Still, as I got the word tonight that the DD's of my 2 favorite dads will be back at IT next year, I feel like the dad on the outside. I hope what she chooses to do as a replacement for Club benefits her as much as Club benefited her. Whether it's grades, or her writing, or her art....I just hope that she looks back in 10 years and still believes she made the right decision. I guess being a dad who trusts his daughter has to respect decisions, even if he thinks those decisions are not the ones he hoped she would make. But I trust her. I'm just sad.
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Club tryouts are excrutiating at best. You can be happy you didn't have to endure the drama this year, although it is sad to miss the end product; club volleyball.
ReplyDeleteIRO the team not playing PL, this appealed to many players, our daughter included. Once in PL, even with shifting up and down of teams, primarily the same teams play each other once a month. You state the high cost, but in the scheme of things it is probably not much different than what you ultimately paid to IT last year after adding in all the separate travel bills (PL itself is expensive). This could be many players' last year of club volleyball, so why not make it competitive and fun? Perhaps the experience will spur them to want to pursue volleyball at a different level. Not all players are D1 prospects and there are lots of successful college programs out there looking for talented players. This experience could introduce a player to a school or path they had not previously considered.
We are looking forward to the upcoming season and visiting some new places.
We will miss your review of all the local pubs and eateries. BTW, we enjoyed the Snoqualmie Brewery which we had never visited before even with our many trips to Mt. Si.
Looking forward to your continued banter once HS starts up again next year. Tell Maddie to have a great rest of her junior year.
Good points... I was reminded that ITVC is approx. $4400 this year so your point is well taken. And you won't have to go to Highline! Glad you liked Snoqualmie Brewing! Maddie will be doing some peer coaching with her old Junior High next spring, and rumor has it that she's interested in the Javelin! Always feel free to email or use comments to bring up interesting stuff that happens during Club this year. I'm sure I'll make it to some tournaments too!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is playing for IT 18's and now starts her 7th year of club. Safe to say, we have been to the rodeo. What a great ride it has been. 3 trips to JO's, Qualifiers all over the country, and my favorite, the ECC for one more memory this spring. It started with aspirations to play in the Pac 12 and she will land playing Division 3 volleyball in a nationally recognized program in Southern CA next fall. She has found the right fit for her college goals and Club has been a gift on that journey. Countless friends have been made and memories galore. I'll never forget the celebration in Spokane when her IT 16's team won an Open Bid to Miami. Also, there was the big match with WVBA 15 at BCC where the team secured a trip to Dallas for JO's in the PrimeTime Championship for the Region.. That one got the whole ball rolling for her that she could really do something in this sport and helped launch some incredible friendships she carries with her today. She always has played up a year so was able to watch her teammates from the last few years of Club go there separate ways for college this Fall and follow there experiences as FR on there D1 and D2 teams. Mixed experiences from them with one making the NCAA Tournament (at Yale) and one leading her team in blocks as FR.. Most didn't see the floor much but are learning what big time college volleyball is about. She shared the other night that her decision to play D3 volleyball just feels right.
ReplyDeleteCVD, please come out and watch some PL matches as the 17's and 18's play together. Also, hope to see you on a Javelin runway this Spring. Maddie will really enjoy it. My daughter took to it as a Jr and found her way to the State Championships with some great kids and memories.
It will be a busy spring balancing 2 sports, SR stuff, etc but can't imagine running through the finish line any other way.
Thanks for the comment! Your DD's experience mirrors what I really thought Maddie's would be, but she is locked in to WWU education-wise and realized (I think) that playing there would have been a longshot. She still loves VB and is looking forward to not only her senior year at Lake Washington, but at doing some peer coaching, etc. with the Rose Hill and Kirkland middle school girls this spring. Still in touch with several dads with DD's on IT17's and will definitely be at some tourney's in 2012 to live the dream vicariously. Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteWow! LW dropping to 2A? Wasn't it just a few years ago that they were a 4A program? This is what happens when homes don't turnover so we see what is happening at LW and Juanita - no growth and enrollment down acrosss the board in Lirkland schools. Hopefully, they don't realign KingCo again. We will see.
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