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Friday, April 4
2008 Team Rosters
18 Power Adrianne Sist Devanee Cloud Holli Dawson Carly Ledbetter Nysa Hicks Shay Peterson Taylor Trew Haley Sulka 17 Club Alanna Gillis Alyssa Gillis Suzy Snyder Brittany Graves Ella Wyman Emma Maines Katherine Jans Megan Nastoff Mindy Morris 15 Club Andrea Mewhinny Breen Weir Brittney DiTullio Colleen Clark Elaine Natoli Elizabeth Buterbaugh Kelly Ryan Madison Conner Maggie Elliott Maraia Tremarelli Morgan Simmons
Monday, February 18
2008 Tournament Schedule
| 6-Jan | Friendship Tournament | Savannah, GA | | Jan 26-27 | AAU Volleyball Classic | Orlando, FL | | Feb 2-3 | Tampa United Kickoff Classic | Tampa, FL | | Feb 16th | Plex Invitational | Columbia | | Mar 1-2 | Southern Classic | Upstate SC | | Mar 8-9 | Peachtree Classic | Atlanta, GA | | Mar 21-23 | Big South Nat'l Qualifier | Atlanta, GA | | Mar 29-30 | Jr. Hi Neighbor | Asheville, NC | | Apr 11-13 | Palmetto Region Championships | Charlotte, NC | | Apr 19-20 | JJVA Showcase | Jacksonville |
Friday, November 2
Player/Parent Handbook 2007-2008
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CLUB VOLLEYBALL AND THE LOW COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL CLUB (LCVC)
WHAT IS CLUB VOLLEYBALL?
USA Junior Olympic (JO) Volleyball or Club Volleyball offers athletes the opportunity to play volleyball after their high school season. Club Volleyball is an avenue for girls 10 to 18 to play in competitive tournaments and get advanced training. The number of girls playing club has more than tripled in the last five years in the Palmetto Region (South Carolina, plus Savannah and Augusta, GA). The number of girls who are playing club ball in the United States is over 100,000. Our JO Club season runs from November until April. A few clubs continue training with their top teams until the National Championships, held in July.
Club volleyball provides additional training, knowledge, and tournament play. Players will be placed on a team based on their age and skill level. Most tournaments offer 6 age group divisions (18's, 17's, 16's, 15's, 14’s and 13's; and sometimes even 12's). This allows girls to compete against each other in their same age group. Younger players may play up in an older age group, but players are not allowed to play in a younger age group.
Each player has a different experience as a club member. Naturally, some players are more successful than are others. Players who put more effort into the program get more out of it. The following are some of the benefits of the JO program:
FITNESS & IMPROVEMENT
You will get better! That is a guarantee. Every time you touch the volleyball makes you better than your competition.
NEW FRIENDSHIPS
Bringing girls together with similar goals from various schools makes friendships. The relationships that have been formed through practice and team play will be friendships that last a lifetime.
EXPOSURE TO COLLEGE RECRUITERS
College coaches regularly attend JO tournaments. The majority of colleges now recruit directly from club programs. Last year over 98% of the high school girls nationwide who received college volleyball scholarships played club. Remember, if you want to play in college, plan to play club!
INVESTMENT IN YOUR ATHLETE
The training, knowledge, self-esteem and experience your daughter will receive will be priceless. You will not find an alternative where players can receive equal training and experience compared to participating in a JO program. For a college bound player, club is becoming a must. Consider this -- very few high school players get to compete for a state championship. Two LCVBC teams have already competed for national championships.
TOURNAMENT PLAY
JO Tournaments are where the hard practice pays off and many favorable memories are made. Understand that practice and training is where you receive the most instruction and experience. Tournament play is only a supplement to participating in Club. Club tournaments are usually far more competitive and more physically demanding than high school matches.
WHY PLAY JUNIOR OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL?
JO volleyball programs have exploded all across the country. Only 20 years ago, the first National tournament was held, and only 20 teams made the trip. Today, in contrast, the National Tournament held in 2005 hosted over 750 teams, was played on over 40 courts, and lasted 12 days.
So successful are JO programs that most college coaches recruit exclusively from the JO program ranks. The fact is that if you plan to play in college, club is a MUST!
We find that most girls have several goals.
• Some players want to learn more about the sport, improve their skill level, and get playing time in tournaments.
• For others, it's simply to extend their high school season by 6 months.
• For others, it may be to challenge starters on their school team for playing time next season.
• For a few, it will be the exposure needed to compete for future college scholarship opportunities.
Today you will find that literally all athletes who play in college participated in club volleyball during high school. All participants enjoy competitive tournament play. Many successful high school coaches are encouraging their athletes to play club volleyball for the experience, instruction, and additional training time. Also, where you find successful high school programs, you will find players who participate in club volleyball. That is a fact!
Is JO volleyball only for the college bound athlete? Certainly not! We are interested in building teams in the younger age divisions, as young as 12 and under (ages 10 and 11 are encouraged), athletes who are just beginning their volleyball experience. For most players, JO volleyball is simply another challenging experience that should lead to a lot more fun on the court as playing skills improve. Many girls find that club ball is “their volleyball season” due to the fact that they experience little playing time during their high school season and find that tournament play is very rewarding.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR COMMITMENT?
Clubs vary in goals, philosophy, cost, coaching, intensity, and tournament travel.
Low Country Volleyball Club will hold practices four times per week when we do not have a tournament. That is Sunday afternoons (non-tournament weekends) at Bluffton HS and Bluffton Rec. Center, and three weeknights (Monday at Island Rec. Center and Tuesday and Thursday at Bluffton Boys & Girls Club). We may also have additional locations for Sunday practices and weekday practices. Each player has to attend one of the three weekday practices and the Sunday practices are every week that we do not play in a tournament.
Just showing up for practice isn’t enough. We want players who are punctual (be ready to play BEFORE the announced start time), who stay for the entire practice, who are in the proper frame of mind to work hard, and who are willing to cooperate with the coaches and their teammates. If you are a lazy player or a player who does not enjoy the grind of hard practices, Club is not for you.
Commitment is vital. If you really don’t want to participate, don’t. Our goal and philosophy is to have a serious, competitive and intense Club, and still have fun. We want the player who has the desire to be the best she can be. Player discipline is absolutely essential. Attitude and mental toughness are critical ingredients to success in Club volleyball. Every player will be required to sign and abide by the Player Code of Ethics. Violations of this Code will result in the player being suspended for a game, match, tournament, or the season, depending on the frequency and seriousness of the offense(s).
If you miss a practice and are excused by your coach PRIOR to the practice, expect to sit on the bench for one game in the next tournament. If you miss a practice without being excused by your coach prior to practice, but your reason for missing practice is valid (e.g., school commitment, sick), expect to sit on the bench for one match in the next tournament. If you miss a practice and your coach does not accept your excuse as valid, expect to sit on the bench for two matches in the next tournament. This may seem harsh, but club volleyball is for serious players and if you miss practice you are penalizing your teammates and for that there is a price to pay.
Our season will run from November through April with tournament play beginning in January. The 2008 tournament schedule is included below. Most tournaments are Saturday only. However, all of the major tournaments are either two or three days long. Only our strongest teams, referred to as “power” teams, enter the major tournaments.
All players are expected to play in every tournament. Any player that misses more than one tournament will be subject to being dropped from the club. Just as with practice, missing tournaments penalizes your teammates and if you cannot commit to being a full team participant you should reconsider playing club.
Tryouts for everyone will be conducted on Sunday afternoons, November 11 and 18 (1-4pm) at Bluffton HS; Tuesday evening November 13 (6-8pm) for girls who played on their middle school team or their high school’s JV team this season; and Thursday evening November 15 (6-8pm) for girls who played on their school’s varsity team this season. The Tuesday and Thursday tryouts will be at the Bluffton Boys & Girls Club. More details about tryouts will be provided at the organizational meeting on November 7.
All players must pay $25 on or before November 11 to attend the tryouts, and whether they stay for the season or not they get a Low Country Club T-shirt to keep.
ALL PLAYERS MUST BE REGISTERED WITH USAV BEFORE THEY CAN ATTEND TRYOUTS. If they are not registered until after November 11 they must pay a $10 late fee. In order to register with USAV go to: http://www.palmettovb.com/Registration.asp
PARENTS
Parents are an essential part of a JO program, from support to transportation. We desire to offer athletes this opportunity at the lowest cost possible. Fund-raising and sponsorships are always needed to keep fees to a minimum. Parents play a big part in helping.
You will need a “Tournament Survival Kit”: chairs for gyms with too little seating; bleacher seats for buns; food, food, and more food for constant hungry athletes; a bunch of the “Gatorade Sport Bottles”; walkman or books for killing time between matches; a good map; and nerve pills for those close matches!
At the beginning of the season, all parents will be required to sign a Parent's Code of Ethics. This Code simply requires proper behavior in order to ensure that everyone sets the best example possible for players, coaches, and officials. Violations of this Code by a parent will result in the parent being ordered from the gym and repeated violations could result in their daughter being suspended from LCVC. Additionally, repeated violations will result in a fine by Palmetto Region.
When our teams travel and stay overnight, ALL players must stay at the same motel as the rest of their team. Parents are encouraged to stay there too. There are many reasons for this policy but team bonding is the most important.
For major tournaments (power teams only) all players will travel together in a 15-passanger van. Complete implementation of this policy will be dependent on sponsors offsetting the additional expenses of rental vans.
LOW COUNTRY’S TEAMS
This season we will once again have teams in two categories – power and club. Power teams will attend most Palmetto Region tournaments and at least three major tournaments. Club teams will attend all Palmetto Region tournaments.
For Palmetto Region’s tournaments, we will enter teams in the club or power division based on their skill and record. For example, if we enter a team in the club division and they win consistently, they will move up to power. So the bottom line is this – teams that should be playing at the club level will play there, but teams that have earned the right to play at a higher level (power) will do so based on performance rather than just a name.
All of our teams will normally have nine (9) players but there could be exceptions to this rule.
CLUB FEES
Club fees include entry in every Palmetto Region tournament; one uniform; and fees for coach’s travel, equipment, gym rentals, etc. The fees do NOT cover player or parent’s travel. Power fees include entry in Palmetto Region tournaments, Peachtree and the Big South National Qualifier plus one additional major tournament as well as a second uniform shirt. If a team qualifies for post-season play there will be additional entry fees as well as additional travel expenses.
Like everything else, the cost of club volleyball is increasing, primarily because gyms that used to be donated free for practices and tournaments are now charging rental fees. And those fees may go up every year as the cost of utilities goes up. So this season our two-tier fee structure will be as follows (same as 2007):
Power teams - $900
Club teams - $600
Club teams wishing to purchase a second uniform can do so at their own expense. They must be the same model as the primary uniform but they can be any color desired. This season we will be purchasing tailored shirts from Asics.
Fees will be payable in two (2) installments for club players:
• 50% by November 25, 2007
• 50% by January 27, 2008
Fees will be payable in three (3) installments for power players:
• 40% by November 25, 2007
• 30% by January 27, 2008
• 30% by February 17, 2008
ANYONE WHO PAYS 100% OF THEIR CLUB DUES ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER 25 WILL RECEIVE A $50 DISCOUNT ON THEIR DUES.
Any player who is delinquent in their club fees will not be allowed to practice or play in tournaments!
HOW TO REDUCE CLUB FEES
Several fund-raising projects will be offered to help players cover their Club fees. Someone who is aggressive could pay for her entire season through fund raising. Last season a number of girls did just that. Examples of fundraising will be talked about at the organizational meeting.
Additionally, each team will have an adult (parent) team representative who will be responsible for coordinating food and drinks for the players at all tournaments, ensuring that everyone on the team has transportation to and from tournaments (plus practices if necessary) and that motel rooms are obtained for the team for overnight trips. The Team Representatives will get a 25% discount off their daughter’s fees. Team Representatives MUST have email. To be a team representative contact your team’s coach.
Additionally, any family that has more than one daughter playing with the club will receive a 33% discount for the daughter with the lowest or equal dues.
If you have any questions, call Coach Stern at 705-5293, Email Spiker149@hargray.com Also see our web site at www.eteamz.com/LowcountryVBC.
2008 Low Country Volleyball Club Tournament Schedule (this schedule includes all available tournaments – we will NOT enter all)
Date Tournament Location
Jan 19-21 All ages, club & power Orlando, FL
Jan 19-21 All ages, club & power Richmond, VA
Jan 26 14s, 15s, 16s Club only Multiple upstate
Feb 2 All ages, club & power Columbia
Feb 2-3 All ages, club & power Tampa, FL
Feb 9-10 14s,16s,18s Power only Upstate
Feb 16 All ages, club & power Columbia
Feb 23 ? Aiken/Augusta
Mar 1-2 All ages, club & power Southern Classic
Mar 8 All ages, club & power Aiken/Augusta
Mar 8-9 All ages, club & power Peachtree - Atlanta
Mar 15 All ages, club & power Aiken/Augusta
Mar 21-23 All ages, club & power Big South - Atlanta
Mar 29-30 All ages, club & power Disney - Orlando, FL
Apr 11-13 All ages, club & power Regionals – Charlotte, NC
Players' Code of Ethics
I hereby pledge to provide positive support and encouragement for my teammates by following this Players’ Code of Ethics:
1. I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every tournament, match, game, and practice.
2. I will place the emotional and physical well being of my teammates ahead of my personal desire to win.
3. I will treat other players, coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed or ability.
4. I will encourage my teammates at all times and this encouragement will always be positive in nature, whether I am playing or on the bench.
5. I will not criticize my teammates or coaches to anyone at anytime.
6. I will arrive at practice on time (or early) and will not leave early; if I must miss practice I will call my coach in advance to be excused.
7. I will observe all training rules, curfews when traveling, and other directions that I may receive from my coaches.
8. I will do everything I can to foster a playing and practice atmosphere that makes volleyball fun for everyone.
9. I will be prepared to play positions that are not my usual position because I know that when asked to do so it is for the good of the team.
____________________________
Player's Signature
Parents' Code of Ethics
I hereby pledge to provide positive support, care, and encouragement for my daughter's participation in Volleyball by following this Parents’ Code of Ethics:
1. I will encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches, and officials at every tournament and in every match and game.
2. I will place the emotional and physical well being of my daughter ahead of my personal desire to win.
3. I will insist that my daughter play in a safe and healthy environment.
4. I will require that my daughter’s coach be fully knowledgeable of the responsibilities of being a youth sports coach.
5. I will support coaches and officials working with my daughter in order to encourage a positive and enjoyable experience for all.
6. I will demand a sports environment for my daughter that is free from drugs, tobacco, and alcohol and will refrain from their use at all volleyball events.
7. I will remember that the game is for youth - not adults.
8. I will do my very best to make Volleyball fun for my daughter.
9. I will require that my daughter treat other players, coaches, fans and officials with respect regardless of race, sex, creed or ability.
10. I will not question my daughter’s coach about playing time or what positions my daughter plays during a tournament.
_________________________ __________________________
Father's Signature Mother's Signature
An Essay Worth Reading
Below is a wonderful essay written by a young lady who played with Low Country Volleyball Club and is currently a freshman playing volleyball at Belmont Abbey College. Her words set the bar exactly where it should be.
I Play Volleyball by Priscilla Kelly
I am not the greatest nor am I the worst volleyball player out there, but I have played enough and I know myself. I have heart, spirit, and a practice ethic like no other player. Whether I am playing on the floor or watching from the bench, I am focused on the game and the ball. No matter what position I am playing, I can see the picture of an ongoing game in my head.
Set me the ball when I am at the net. I may not be the hardest hitter, but you can be sure the ball will go to an empty spot on the defending team's floor, and it will be in. Let the ball come to me from across the net. I may not have the highest jump, but my timing is good and I will get a piece of that block if anyone can.
I am versatile. I have played every position on a volleyball team, and I play some better than others. I can cover for an injured player or one out of position because of the previous play. I am a smart player. I know when to kill the ball or when to dink it. I know the angles; I can set away from the block. I can keep the ball in play and set up plays. I am big and I look imposing from across the net.
I love volleyball because it is a team sport. I am at my best when I am part of a group. I have a gentle nature along with a will to win. I am a good friend, and I get along very well with others. I listen well, and I am coachable. I rarely complain, and I bring a positive, supportive nature to both play and practice. I am not the quickest or the fastest player on the floor, but as a member of a team, I contribute my best qualities and skills to the group. I make up for the weaknesses of other players, while they make up for my weaknesses.
I bring experience to the team. I have played volleyball as my game of preference since I was 12. I have played other sports, all team sports, including basketball and soccer, but I know volleyball is my game. I played two years in middle school, one year of junior varsity, and three years of varsity volleyball. But, best of all, I played three years of Junior Olympic Club Volleyball. Take a group of girls who play good volleyball and who love the game, put them together and although they don't know each other, in one month you will have something great. I know I am a part of what makes that happen. I love meeting and making new friends especially when we share the love of volleyball.
I have played volleyball in some incredibly competitive tournaments including the Orlando Tournament during Presidents Day Weekend, the Peachtree Classic in Atlanta, the Northeast Qualifier in Baltimore, and Hi-Neighbor in Asheville. I know the intricacies of travel and play. I know the sacrifices of missed social activities at home, loss of sleep, meals on the road, late night homework assignments, family choices, and hard financial choices for love of the game.
I play volleyball.
To Be Part of a Team
The purpose of this paper is to pass along my feelings about what it means to be part of a team, not just volleyball, not just in the Low Country Volleyball Club, but any team. I say this not so much as a club director and coach, but rather from the perspective of someone who has played competitive team sports at every level for over 45 years, including 5 world championship volleyball tournaments and many more USVA National Volleyball Championships.
I hope that the words that follow help you become a better team player in every sport, as well as in life in general, for the rest of your life. Notice my emphasis on the word TEAM because that’s what this is all about. Many of you know exactly what I’m talking about because you have experience as a team player in school and/or club. But some of you have less experience in team competition and others, although they have the experience, may not have learned their lessons well. Please do not take this as criticism of individuals because believe me, 45 years ago, I started a learning experience that has continued to this day. I think that the rest of this paper can be called, “the way we should do things around here.”
Some foolproof rules to follow:
• Only the coach can critique a player individually - players are only allowed to encourage their teammates. If you can’t say something positive, say nothing. It is the coach’s job to always ask for more from the players. As players it is your job to always be positive.
• You can’t be a good teammate if your primary concern is playing time, getting sets, or any other individual desires that distract from the accomplishments of the team. Your sole purpose in tournaments is to be a member of a winning team, and by the way, a winning team is one that may or may not win a lot of games, but rather one that fights so hard that every team they play against thinks they just survived an encounter with a very angry pit bull.
• The time to try playing new positions, get more sets, try new things, etc., is called practice. Practices are where skills are learned and that’s why we do lots of drills and less scrimmaging. Practice is where you tell the coach I want to try being a ........... or whatever. Practice is where you can hit the ball out all day long and no one cares, as long as you are trying to improve your skills. Practice is individual time, but that also means 4 things:
- If you are going to miss practice, call your coach before practice - the coach always plans drills around how many people will be at practice so it would help if the coach knows in advance what to expect. It’s also called common courtesy.
- Arrive at practice a minimum of 15 minutes early and be ready to warm up at least 5 minutes before scheduled practice start time. That means getting your “socializing” out of the way and finishing dressing before the scheduled practice time. Our practices are short enough as it is and we need every minute we can get, and everyone - even the pros - can always use more practice time.
- When you arrive at practice, plan on staying the entire practice to include a short team meeting after practice. If you can’t devote a few hours a week to your team, you have a problem. More importantly, the team has a problem.
- People have legitimate reasons for missing practice, but if you miss practice there is no way the team can gel as a unit. Volleyball is a team sport and games are won and lost as a team. In many ways, making practice is more important than making a tournament and there is no way a team can be a winner if the team does not practice as a team.
Now let’s talk about tournaments.
• If you sign on to be part of a team, you must make a commitment to that team. People will miss tournaments due to illness, injury, family emergencies, school, and possibly some other valid reason. However, if you can’t say up front that you will never turn down the opportunity to play in a tournament because “you have something better to do”, then you should reconsider whether you want to be part of a team. The season is short, less than 5 months, and you always know weeks in advance when tournaments are scheduled, so unless you are willing to place the team at the highest priority you, not the team, have a problem (the same goes for making practice).
• Tournaments are where you are expected to “play smart”. Remember, we practice things because you are expected to use them in tournaments. That’s why we practice the dink, for example. Think about this - if you dink or hit a roll spike against a good block or off of a poor set you make the other team play the ball which gives your teammates a chance to win the point. If, however, you try to be a hero and hit the ball into the middle of the net, that’s all she wrote. Smart players play within themselves and make the other team work very hard for every point. That’s the way teams win tournaments.
• People can argue over how important it is to win. Here is my philosophy – if you are not playing to win, don’t set foot on the court. Now, having said that, we have to face the issue of playing time. In a perfect world we could put any 6 players on the court and win because every player on the team is equally good. But we don’t live in a perfect world. So here’s the general philosophy we’ll follow:
- Everyone will get to play a lot during pool play. Not equal playing time for everyone but everyone will generally play more than they will sit (unless you’ve missed practice unexcused). That may mean playing positions that are not your “normal” position, but even so you can (and are expected to) contribute to your team’s success. The fastest way to find yourself on the bench is to cop an attitude when you are put in a position other than where you want to be. And the sure-fire way to stay on the bench is to not support your teammates (like pouting) while they are playing. But the bottom line is that we want to make it out of pool play and into the playoffs, preferably in the gold division.
- The playoffs are elimination play so obviously it’s play to win. And play to win is exactly what we will do. Now playing time is no longer a consideration. But if you want to play in the playoffs there is a very simple way to make that happen – take advantage of every practice and tournament opportunity to improve your game so that the coach will play you because it is obvious you can contribute to the team’s winning. And equally important is your attitude at practice and during tournaments, whether or not you are on the court. That can include seeking opportunities to play different positions in order to fill a void or strengthen a weakness in the lineup.
• Finally, when we hold tryouts we are looking for teams that are balanced by position, age, and skill. Rarely are we able to form the “perfect” team. So now it becomes the coach’s job to maximize the potential of the team. To do that we must maximize the potential of every single player to contribute to the team’s success. And to do that requires the key ingredient – you the player. And without a doubt, if your team is successful you can look in the mirror and say, “I’m an integral part of that success.” But if the team is not successful, “I’m an integral part of that lack of success” will be equally true.
Coach Stern
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