2Players

RonMexico, i'm not super sure about Nashville, but from what i've heard Ethos is a pretty good up and coming team. They have some really good coaches there. Alliance, I do believe is much more established. I don't think either clubs play on a very high level though.

I don't mind the opinions on here and I think they are great even when I don't agree. What I can't stand is when people post blatant lies as facts. Clubonly, you said that K2 was trying to be like Sports Performance. I don't see the resemblance at all except that there is 1 coach that works there that also worked for sports performance for 3 years. Also, you said that parent's weren't allowed to speak or even bring water to their children. THAT IS A BLATANT LIE! I have NEVER heard of any parent being denied access to their child and yes, including on Tom's team. I have NEVER heard of any parent unable to communicate with their child. The players are expected to pack their own drinks and snacks and to stay together during tournaments. I have been to several tournaments to watch the 15's and 17's (last year). I have had conversations with the parents at K2 (who didn't like the new way things were being done) why they stayed. None of them said that they were ever denied access to their children. They said that they didn't agree with many of the things like the kids not hanging out with their parents or not being able to stay with their kids all night. These are 15 and up girls. It's called College Style Travel which is important for girls that are getting ready to go to college to get used to. My oldest daughter is being recruited pretty heavily and every single college coach we talk to loves the College style travel. It say a lot when you have kids running off the court crying, sitting on parents laps, parents standing at the edge of the court with snack and drinks because their children are not able to feed themselves apparantly. One particular coach says that he actually likes to eliminate those players. It makes his job much easier when you have kids coming to college that are familiar with the way things are done. At K2 as a parent you are expected to act like the parent of college students. Some may not agree. That's what KVA is for. Also, on the money issue, from what I understand, KVA isn't in a much better position and their facilities are pretty bad too. I know this from my own experience. It's freezing in there, big pillars that are totally unsafe, no room to overplay a ball at all, and it smells like gasoline. I think it is safe to say that we all have our favorites and what we want for our children. K2 just installed heating and air too. I really don't care if people don't like K2 and I appreciate the fact that there's another club to go to. That doesn't mean that you should blatantly lie about what's going on there to make KVA look better. I hope the people reading this have a little common sense. How can a club that you are paying for deny you access to your child? How can you not speak to your kid at a tournament? I mean really...smh

Update on Bearden...2 applications in only. One a young, enthusiastic club coach, the other a former coach at a very small college. A little birdy did whisper in my ear that a certain private school coach would be willing to throw his name in and the person it is would be AWESOME for the program.

The "agenda" from the get go was to coach his daughter. My take is that the KVA thing was an agenda too, but it was 2nd. First and foremost was always to be involved directly with his daughter. Sadly, I think it hurt her a lot more than it helped. That girl had small D1 potential...smh. Those "agendas" are what hurt Bearden and why the next coach shouldn't have relatives on the team or a close club affiliation. Coaching at one is ok, but recruiting for your club while in that coaching position is a definite no-no.

My daughter is at Bearden and hasn't heard anything. An out of town, former college coach with no club connections would be perfect.

Parenting has nothing to do with the sorry state of UT volleyball. Rob has overstayed his welcome. It's time to go. It's not just transfers, yes that will happen. It's 5 in one season, at least two of them were all Americans. The transfers also had nothing to do with the fact that he would say harsh things. Like stated above, many really good coaches do that. He's not a really good coach anymore. Knowledgeable, yes. His decision making has turned terrible. How are you a major university, in the SEC, with a 15s team 15 minutes away that came in 3rd in the nation, access to a club that plays on the top level in the country, and you can't even get 1 player to call you back? No one from the most compeititve club in the area wants to even go on a visit? UT is the last resort for many of these players and they SHOULD be able to get first dibs. The girls on this 15s team are ALL D1 recruits and not a single one want to go there. Why? The coaching style is terrible, the team has no discipline, no fire, there's nothing that says that they are ever going to go anywhere unless UT grows a pair and releases him just like they would do any other sport. But it 's a money thing and he does come in under budget. I know one reason why. Because he doesn't scholarship all of his positions...that may have worked 5 or 6 years ago, but now that volleyball is on the rise in popularity and sales, it's not going to work. He provides his players with basics. Nothing extra. That's why he'll never get top level players. Who would go play and pay for their education when they could go somewhere for free. He's not a competitor when it comes to recruiting just like he's not on the court. It's like he doesn't care any more. He's comfortable. Even the girls basketball team (which is still a money maker) kicked them out of their training facility. That's the real reason their building that new facility. I grew up watching volleyball there and it's so heartbreaking to see how pitiful it is now. I mean, it's not bad. It's terrible. I wish him all the luck in the world, but he needs to go.

Really good conversation here. I don't really know a whole lot about what's going on at Catholic. Not really interested but I do love hearing about all of the coaching options right now. I just wish I knew who they were. I do agree that the coach should have no connections with club at Bearden or any other school. At the same time I would love a coach that had the knowledge, experience, and commitment of a club coach. It's like on one hand it would be great to have a club coach but terrible at the same time.

PhillyAl..maybe i'm slow but I don't know what you mean by hoping the "agenda" pulled through. Parents did complain. From what I understand the administration at Bearden knew that there was a strong probability that he was leaving when his daughter left. They were just waiting it out and couldn't accept his resignation fast enough. It's looking like the only people that really thought that he was sticking around are the faithful KVA parents. Everyone else knew he was out. The K2 parents, the administration...Anyway, I just hope we find out something really soon. I've given up hope that we'll get a top notch coach. I'm just hoping for someone who knows what their doing and doesn't have relatives on the team at this point.

There's a D1 commit (Nebraska, one of the top programs in the country) that did NOT play high school vb this year though she did play her freshman year. I asked her personally why she didn't play and she said that she knew that she wanted to commit this year and wanted to get as much training as possible. That wasn't going to happen at her high school. Her freshman year while she was there she broke 4 fingers (which the coach didn't even bother to ask about) and pulled a muscle in her shoulder. All due to no technique and poor muscle training. She enjoyed the team and the girls but her goal was to stay healthy and to get better. She would leave practice and go to either rehab or to her club to get 1 on 1 training with her club coach so that she would not get any worse. I totally understand that. I mean really. I don't think it's selfish it's smart. I think the memories that she'll have from playing college will be far better and last longer than high school. Selfish is not being supportive and understanding that there are others out there who just don't feel the same as you do. Oh, and she plays at K2. Everyone on her club team is a D1 prospect. Even the girls on the bench. That's how far coaching, training, and building relationships with colleges can get you. Doesn't matter about your personal feelings about the club. The proof is there. Though I will say that out of all of those prospects only 2 of the girls did NOT play high school but none of the girls are being recruited from high school. Why don't coaches up their game? Why don't parents allow their kids to be coached hard? Why don't high school coaches actually train instead of relying on club then getting upset when club upstages their program? Why don't they build relationships with colleges? It's mind boggling to me.

ScottRoss, I would have to agree that a high school coach doesn't need to be a club coach. Too much conflict of interest, but I disagree on the fact that Knoxville doesn't have ANY good club coaches. Really? Tom Paszko (who I DO NOT think needs to be a high school coach) has won 3 national championships. Coached at 4 nationally ranked clubs (as the top team coach. not assistant or 2 teams), and took his team to 3rd in the nation last year. And you say NO good club coaches in Knoxville? Will have to agree to disagree on that one. I will say that they don't have many at all. As far as telling people what they should talk about and what they shouldn't that's not for you to say. It's a board. It's exactly for people to say and discuss things. You may not like it, but it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be discussed. I don't think that anyone is trying to harm anyone else or personally attack a person. It's just an opinion. I have said it before and i'll say it again. I don't expect the Bearden coach to be some amazing Olympic caliber coach. It would be nice to have a coach there that actually wanted to coach. Not be a friend, not look over their relative, not promote their club, not to be seen. That's it. I don't care who it is. As long as he or she has the girls' best interest in mind. And really no matter who is hired it really is the athlete's decision whether they want to play or not. If there is a sorry coach hired, my daughter won't play. It's that simple for me. There are other options.

At one time a coach told me that they make about that much but that was years ago. That's nothing for all they have to do. Coach Garland, I'm not sure about. I think that the fact that he doesn't coach on the club level is a + though. Also, that with him being a Bearden alum, he may really be willing to invest some serious time into it and make these girls better, but i'm just guessing. I'm shocked that coach Williams was able to even get another high school job and I doubt that she would be welcome in Knox County at all after what happened at Karns. I've heard terrible things about the CBFO chick. Like, she's crazy. Not sure if any of it's true because i've never had any encounter with her. Though I have heard that more than once. What about the assistant coach at Bearden? Also the JV coach. Sloan, I think is her last name. I've never really seen her actively participate in anything with the girls, but I think the girls really liked her. Not sure if she really knows a lot about volleyball.

To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about Mincey. I know that she didn't do much at Carson Newman and she was the coach of a club team that should have been really good but didn't do anything at all really in the club season. They didn't even play in a lot of top level tournaments. Maybe 3 all year. I don't even think they went to AAU's. I saw her 17s play and I was shocked. You would think that they would have form, technique, plays, at least be in shape, but they weren't. I don't see how her really caring about the girls is going to do anything for that Bearden team. I think it's great that she cares and that she's a good person but what's the point if that's all? I'd rather them have a coach 1st. Not a friend. That's what's wrong with Knoxville's high school volleyball. It involves everything but actually getting better at volleyball.

Wait...did I miss something. What do you Mincey is going to Bearden? I haven't heard that K2R???

I spoke with my friend last night and asked about the Mincie rumor (I have no idea if i'm spelling the name correct) and he said that he's already strongly suggested that it would just be another Dave situation. Apparently, Bearden couldn't get Dave's resignation fast enough. Don't know the details on why but I could guess though. Also, Jason Keeble is out. I asked myself. It's attractive but he's 5 minutes from Heritage and his daughter will be there in a year. That's one name to x out.

Philly, I think I know who BBV is talking about too because he's a good friend of mine and he could influence a lot of what goes on there. He's a Bulldog through and through and is all about seeing the volleyball program succeed (if we're talking about the same person). I'm not sure how far he would intervene with the coaching thing there.