My boys volleyball team is 1-4. Veteran coaches tell me that already having a win under our belt at this point in the season for a first year team is great. In these first 5 matches we have only seen 3 different opponents and both coaches we have played twice say that my boys have shown good improvement. For all of this I am grateful.
And while I do appreciate the win we got over Lawrence North and the set we managed to take from Zionsville in our home opener, what has struck me the most over our first 5 matches has little to do with wins and losses. It has to do with the boys themselves. I have two senior captains, neither of whom have ever played competitive volleyball, who are working really hard to make sure that all of the boys remember that they are part of a team and that everyone has a role to play. They only let me go into one match without a prayer, before they politely pointed out my oversight. Now we pray before and after every match. And both captains have things to say in the pre-game and post game huddles. They have taken responsibility for “their” team, something I didn’t think I would find in this first year of the program.
Another thing that I was not expecting to find in this first year of the program, is respect for the different roles that individuals play and a true appreciation of the fact that everyone has to be doing their respective role well, in order for the team to be successful. And that all jobs require talent and athleticism. I have been pleasantly surprised by how appreciative my hitters are of the role that my passers have to perform. In fact, during one recent match I asked the middle hitter who was currently on the bench if he could play a few points on defense for me, he looked at me like I was crazy and (politely) asked why? I told him that the libero needed a couple of minutes to collect himself. My middle hitters response was priceless, he moved to the edge of his seat and repeatedly gave extremely positive encouragement to the libero. He looked at me a few points later and explained that was the best way he knew to support his teammate.
I did not expect to have to inform a freshmen that his grades were not good enough for him to play for at least the first 4 weeks of the season, but even that has turned into a positive experience. That young man has continued to practice with the team and attend the matches. He is able to see the game from a very different perspective and has been asking a lot of really good questions. He is extremely positive from the bench and goes out of his way to encourage his teammates regardless of the score. He could have simply given up and quit, but instead he has chosen to remain engaged with this team and his teammates. Yet another thing I did not expect to find in this first year of the program.
And finally, I have been blessed with some really great parents as well. I hardly have a need articulated before I have at least two parents offering help. Sometimes they are so pro-active that I haven’t even realized there is a need until after they have already handled it for me. Guess it shouldn’t surprise me that I have great parents, great kids usually start from great parents. Here’s to a great start of the boys volleyball program at CRHS!!
