Anyone’s daughters play volleyball: school, club level or College?

[URY914]

Anyone’s daughters play volleyball: school, club level or College?

Our daughter just turned 11 and has been playing for two years. She played at the local city rec. league to start, than her school’s team and last season was her first club level team. She’s attended about six skills camps put on by the local university team’s coach. This week was her school’s first game of the season and she’s the only one serving overhand. I know I sound like a Little League dad, but she loves the game, she good at it and we enjoy it. She played soccer was good at it, but doesn’t want to continue. We want her involved in a sport and think volleyball is the best for her. Basketball and softball are too, well, rough. Last year was our first exposure to private club play and it was a real eye opener as to the dedication, intensity, and skill level that it required of the players.

I was just wondering if anyone else has had positive/negative experiences.

[wludavid]

Volleyball, IMO, is one of the best spectator sports out there. Lots of action due to the small court and easy to follow the gameplay because of the big ball.

Encourage her to keep at it. She probably won't get a scholarship for it (though she might, Title IX means women are more likely to get money for a non-marquis sport than men) but it'll be a great experience as she grows with it.

However, watch closely for burnout. If she seems to get tired of it, talk to her and see if she wants to take a season off. Kids are so dedicated to these things, and don't understand it's not the end of the world to take a short hiatus. Often it's what a kid needs to realize how much she loves it.

[Cdnone1]

I volunteer and coach the Varsity teams (girls and boys) at my sons middle school. It's a CYO league and can get very competitive
wludavid is right, watch for burnout. Parents have kids playing only one sport at a very young age and playing it all year. If she stops having fun try mixing in a different sport or activity to give her a break
steve

[Noah930]

If your daughter really has aspirations of playing in HS and college (and beyond?), then it's understandable that she join a club-level team. Childhood classmates of mine that played on the highschool volleyball team (some of whom went on to play in college) started out that way.

That being said, I also temper it with what I saw when I worked in a large orthopedic office a couple years ago. They dealt with a lot of highly athletic kids. One odd thing I found was when the parents seemed to be more interested in their kids' sporting endeavors than the kids themselves. I'm completely not saying that's true in your case, and I understand the total family commitment it takes for a kid to play high-level competitive sports; but I also thought it was a bit sad to see that role reversal of sporting interest going on. In the end, it's a game. And I say that as someone who did have the fortune to participate in collegiate-level athletics when I was in school. It's great if your parents are willing and able to support you; but the kid should be the one who most wants to participate. I thought a lot of families seemed to lose sight of that somewhere along the way.

[masraum]

Yeah, and if anyone has pictures..... probably best if they are college level. j/k

[URY914]

Originally posted by masraum
Yeah, and if anyone has pictures..... probably best if they are college level. j/k

This is a STUPID comment. I would guess you don't have a daughter. And if you do, I hope you get some help.

[cmccuist]

Couple of things to consider. Volleyball players - both men and women - are great athletes. Stamina, leaping ability, height, hand-eye coordination are important - even more so than other sports like soccer and softball. Is your daughter tall or can she get up to spike? If not, she needs to be a great leader where she can be the setter/quarterback. When you get to high school and college, there is usually one setter and five hitters. It's a totally different game than the "serve and volley" type volleyball that is played at the age group level.

So if your daughter doesn't have a both a great vertical leap and physical height, she could still be the playmaker, which is challenging both mentally and physically.

Bottom line, I would assess your daughter's physical and mental skills for long term participation in volleyball.

My son was a great springboard diver in high school (fourth in TX as a sophomore). But he grew taller and put on weight (muscle mass). Consequently, he wasn't able to rotate enough to do the more difficult twisting and triple somersaults that the smaller divers could do and ultimately probably wasn't suited to be a springboard diver. I should have kept him in baseball as well as diving.

Good luck! It is always gratifying to see a parent take such an interest in a child's athletic career. It makes the coach's job that much easier! Except of course when it comes to crazy little league dad and Texas high school cheerleader mom, which is the subject of another thread.

Oh, and easy on masraum. I don't think he meant any disrespect or for (note the just kidding backed up with a smiley). He just wanted to see some volleyball babes.

[craigster59]

[masraum]

Originally posted by URY914
This is a STUPID comment. I would guess you don't have a daughter. And if you do, I hope you get some help.

THanks, she's 21. It was just a joke and, IMO, not nearly as near/over the line as many comments made around here. like I said, j/k.

PS All of the pictures of lovely young ladies that end up posted here on the board, and commented about, are all someone's daughters. Anytime a young women is ogled at the beach, or the mall, or where ever, she's someone's daughter.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally posted by URY914
This is a STUPID comment. I would guess you don't have a daughter. And if you do, I hope you get some help.

I hear ya, try posting a question concerning being a Cub Scout Den leader and see how many guys throw suggestive comments at it. Happened to me - having a pretty 19yr old Daughter with suggestive comments is one thing, suggesting stuff about a guys Son is why out of order.

They mean nothing by it.

[URY914]

Originally posted by cmccuist
Couple of things to consider. Volleyball players - both men and women - are great athletes. Stamina, leaping ability, height, hand-eye coordination are important - even more so than other sports like soccer and softball. Is your daughter tall or can she get up to spike? If not, she needs to be a great leader where she can be the setter/quarterback. When you get to high school and college, there is usually one setter and five hitters. It's a totally different game than the "serve and volley" type volleyball that is played at the age group level.

So if your daughter doesn't have a both a great vertical leap and physical height, she could still be the playmaker, which is challenging both mentally and physically.

Bottom line, I would assess your daughter's physical and mental skills for long term participation in volleyball.

She'll have the size. I'm 6'-3" and she is 4'-10" at age 11 and the tallest in her class. She eats the right food and is in good shape.

[cmccuist]

Originally posted by URY914
She'll have the size. I'm 6'-3" and she is 4'-10" at age 11 and the tallest in her class. She eats the right food and is in good shape.

I really like her chances! Volleyball is a great sport. As you probably know already, there's a lot more strategy to it than just serve and keep it going until someone can't return it.

I would have her work on her vertical if she's going to be a spiker. What you do is hang a board from a tree and then jump up and try and touch it. Then you raise the board incrementally and repeat. This works better than just jumping up with no target.

Come to find out, you really can improve leaing ability with training. Volleyball players have some of the best verticals in sport.

[wludavid]

Originally posted by cmccuist
I really like her chances! Volleyball is a great sport. As you probably know already, there's a lot more strategy to it than just serve and keep it going until someone can't return it.

I would have her work on her vertical if she's going to be a spiker. What you do is hang a board from a tree and then jump up and try and touch it. Then you raise the board incrementally and repeat. This works better than just jumping up with no target.

Come to find out, you really can improve leaing ability with training. Volleyball players have some of the best verticals in sport.

Weight training when she gets older is good for vertical leap too. While not the girliest exercise, dead lift is good for that. Squat, too, but personally I don't trust that lift to not destroy my knees. (And that coming from a runner!) Box jump is good too. Put an 18-inch platform out. Jump on with both feet, then back off again. 40 second intervals.

[URY914]

Craig,

I'm working on adding a net to the yard. Right now she can serve the ball on the roof of the garage and it will role back to her. I credit this with her recent overhand serve performance.

We've also become fans of the local university's women team and she is on a first name basis with the head coach and players. They have really provided her good role models. She sees them working hard and she knows that good results take time and practice.

When we first got in the club aspect of the sport we learned that the clubs play a bigger role sometimes than high school's teams. Clubs can draw the best from all over and have better experienced coaches. Membership isn't cheap but it is much and higher and consistent level of competition.

[cegerer]

>>>>One odd thing I found was when the parents seemed to be more interested in their kids' sporting endeavors than the kids themselves ....... I thought a lot of families seemed to lose sight of that somewhere along the way.<<<<<<

Well said! My daughter has been playing HS volleyball for a few years (senior this year). It's really fun to watch them improve from year to year and all that, but some of these parents are so over the top it's tough to enjoy the games (screaming at the umpires or the other team, etc. ) HS sports today is over-organized and taken WAY TOO seriously. Practice and/or games 7 days a week - give me a friggin break. And it's not enough to just play in the regular school league. No. There's a travel 'Tournament' every weekend as well. The Tournaments generally start early in the morning and go until 6-7 at night!!!!!!!!

What I find hilarious is when I give some of the girls a ride home at the end of one of these tournaments and they have no idea what the score of their games were or where they even placed - and they've got a top team! These are just little kids out there having fun with their friends. Many parents mistake this for semi-professional sports.

[Cdnone1]

I am amazed at some of the coments I get from parents. We are running a 6-2 offence on my team. I didn't learn a 6-2 offence till I was playing in College yet most of my seventh and eight graders know it from Club Ball.
Some parents expect their children to play at, and be coached at, an Olympic level when they are still just kids. I've had parents tell me I am ruining there child's serve for the College game when she's twelve years old!
No wonder it gets harder to get volunteers every year
Steve

[cmccuist]

Originally posted by URY914
Craig,

I'm working on adding a net to the yard. Right now she can serve the ball on the roof of the garage and it will role back to her. I credit this with her recent overhand serve performance.

We've also become fans of the local university's women team and she is on a first name basis with the head coach and players. They have really provided her good role models. She sees them working hard and she knows that good results take time and practice.

A net will pay huge dividends. If she gets her serve working, she can literally serve the match out or set her team up for some easy points. Exposing her to the NCAA players will also give her an idea of the commitment involved with taking it to the next level.

Cegerer, +1. Sports are a great character builder as long as the parents don't get too crazy and start second guessing the coaches. I was president of the high school booster club for a couple of years. The kids were great. It was the parents who drove me crazy

The parents whose expectations were realistic and were there for their children's benefit (like URY914) were a joy to have around. The parents who lobbied for playing time and who constantly criticized the coaches were actually turning their children against the very sport the kids were trying to excell at.

[cegerer]

You guys who coach have a LOT more patience then me, that's for sure. All it would take would be 1 parent in my face about something and it would be all over! Luckily for guys like me, there are guys like you who are willing to do this so our kids can have some fun.

[cmccuist]

I was coaching my son's little league team one year and he was tanking it - missing grounders, not running out a pop-up, bad attitude. I yanked him after a couple of innings.

My wife was immediately on the dug out fence yelling at me - "why did you take Robert out of the game!!" My reply - "I'm not taking any coaching advice from the parents today. And get the hell off my fence!"

I think that set a nice tone for the rest of the game - and the rest of the night for that matter.

[M.D. Holloway]

Craig - I'm sure that went over like a fart during sex... which I bet you didn't get for a week!

Good for you though!