beachboy

Speaking of PR, I heard a "rumor" that Coach Williams from Karns has resigned or is going to do so. Rumor or truth? Just curious. As you all know we hear crazy things out there in our world.

Congratulations to ALL of the teams that made it to the state tournament. What a treat for all of the players and the coaches to be in the Murf. Savor and make the most of it, because you never know if you will have another shot at it again. Sullivan South had a great year and they certainly deserve their win. Way to go Hume Fogg, super year for those girls and their coach. CAK might not have met some expectations, but they were certainly in the mix for winning the whole thing. When we look at the whole year, not a bad place to finish compared to most teams who were home a long time ago. Parents, players, and coaches, always keep things in perspective. Volleyball is a great sport but more than that; a fun game to play. Keep spiken em till next season. Can't wait!

I have never understood why TSSAA could not have the volleyball state championships on Saturday for all of the divisions. The state tournament should be on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The gate would be much better for the money driven TSSAA; and everyone that is involved could see their schools in the finals. This is very hard to do on a Friday if you are in school or are working. Hey, lets get the students involved on a Saturday too. What a concept. And yes, most important of all that would keep the "student" athletes in school for an extra day. Hmmm.This seems like a no brainer to me

Nice to have a 6'6 right side and force teams to make changes because of that. Especially when they might not be used to. Special right sides can be devastating to opponents. I would love to have a player with that size causing opponents to change their game. Wow! And CAK already has a serviceable middle as some of you have said. Now teams need to deal with a right side player that they have not had to deal with all year. CAK is forcing teams to adapt to them, good position to be in. And to go back to Orcat, it is easier to set the middle in serve receive on a consistent basis as opposed to transition. If you are in system all of the time, the middle is great. However, if you are playing against really good teams, then you may not be able to get the ball to your middle as often as you would like to. And most defenses especially in high school are not set up to defend a strong right side player. I do not believe for a second that the CAK coach is structuring his team around what any college coach would want to see their recruits do. If that is the case then those who are being negative about that coach would be right. Don't see it though. I think he is coaching his team to be the best team it can be. Team play is the priority for this coach. I still say ultimately that if you force a team out of their normal play, then you have the upper hand. Go ahead and set the ball in front of my 6'6 wall. I would love it.

I think the big kid for CAK has found a home on the right side. She can be a force blocking against the good outside hitters in the state tournament. She can be intimidating, that is for sure, especially if you have not seen her before. I think her hitting has improved on that side since the beginning of the season. She is a cross court hitter and many teams do not play very good defense on the right side, especially setters since they tend to want to transition to the net early. When she learns to hit a consistent line shot she will be very hard to stop. I think she is not quite quick enough to be a good middle either defensively or offensively. And it is easier to set her on the right side especially in transition. Good move by CAK coach to put her on the right side. Just some thoughts.

Heard the CAK win over Catholic was a real battle from both teams. Opinions on whether either team are solid state tournament teams or could make some noise in Murfreesboro? Catholic has an uphill battle going to Sullivan South (Sully should win). CAK seems to have the easier route vs. Sully East. But one never knows in this crazy sport. It looks like many of the usual suspects around the state are beginning to make their stake for the tournament. Good luck to all of the teams that have made it this far. Win or lose, they all deserve kudos for a job well done. There are only 24 teams in the entire state left to play, so that is really cool for them.

Ditto on EVERYTHING Catherine Neely has given to the sport of high school volleyball in Tennessee. And don't forget her contributions in basketball as well. She is a class lady that all coaches should aspire to be. There are none better. It is a privilege to know this fine lady!

I think CBFO is just renting court space from KVA. Probably getting harder and harder to get consistent gym time in Knox County. As far as high school coaches getting involved with clubs, that can be pretty tricky. You cannot coach your own girls, and some coaches do not want to coach other teams girls that they would comete against. Also as an earlier poster said concerning K2 and PR, the high school coaches would probably be accused of recruiting for their school. There may not be alot of incentive for some coaches to throw themselves out there. KVA more than likely was started as an alternative to K2 and/or PR. But that can be a good thing, competition should bring out the best in everyone. Just like the players who are on the court are asked to do each day in practice and while playing matches.

So Bigbluevolley, what are some of the positives you have heard about KVA? Negatives? I think you are correct in the assumption that just because a new club begins it is not necessarily going to be a good one. I have heard the KVA facility is not ready yet, is that one of the main complaints? I like to hear from others whenever I am in the market to buy something new. Word of mouth usually carries alot of weight. And you are right, time will tell. However, I tend to believe that as with all startups (restaurants), there are usually a few hiccups along the way as the business matures. I would expect some with KVA as well.

For those of you who missed this tournament, there were probably several potential state tournament teams competing against each other. The Blarney Stone tournament was a good one. The Farragut win was a good one for their team. Science Hill played solid at the end after finishing 3rd in their pool. Always solid coaching with that team.

I did not know Phil Hargis personally, but I read his opinions on CoachT. As bb317 said whether you agreed with his opinions or not, he will be sorely missed. High School volleyball is a very competitive sport as they all are. But i hope in the end everyone realizes that high school sports is but one aspect of our children learning how to grow up and face the world. Mr. Hargis always brought up good questions concerning our wonderful sport. I hope that in the end we will ALL respect each others opinion whether we agree with it or not. Phil Hargis epitomized that in all ways. May he rest in peace in the arms of the Lord for eternity.

Great thoughts and ideas from all of you. It is always good to hear from Bratman, as he has been a regular on CoachT for a long time. It seems as though there are many individual reasons for choosing a specific club, especially if they really are that diverse. If a player is on a "1" team and travels alot, I am sure that the cost for having a daughter on that team will be much higher than 3K, especially when you factor all the travel expenses in for a family many times during the season. And I do agree that you need to look carefully into the real abilities of the coaches your daughter will have. I had a high school AD tell me that the toughest coaching position to hire for in Knoxville (hands down) is a varsity volleyball coach. If you want someone with experience as a teacher and coach, who also fits into the mold of a role model needed for our high school kids they are hard to find. At least that was his opinion. So if there are 3 clubs now, how diluted will the coaching pool become? I have always been of the belief that not all good players are good coaches. They can become that, but it takes time and the willingness to learn from a good mentor. And as many business people will attest it is hard to find people who will always do things the right way. And if my daughter is involved, I want someone that will ALWAYS do the right thing.

First of all, my bad on the AA thread comment, old age rears its ugly head once again, oops! Interesting comments from Volley22. I am sure there are parents from K2 that would have positive comments as well. And we will probably hear from some of them. One question for the club parents. Why are the kids really playing club volleyball? Is it for the love of the game, or promises of a college future in mind. Maybe it is a combination of both. I am asking that question out of genuine curriosity. Also another thought/question to ponder, after kids play a long season of club volleyball and then go into high school volleyball (some right away), what is the burn out factor by the time they are seniors? Thanks for your thoughts, they are very good and very informative.

Very interesting comments by bigblue and clubonly. By the sound of it both of these folks seem to have been involved with these clubs and sound like they have the experience to voice knowledgeable opinions. Maybe if we are going to discuss advantages and disadvantages of club volleyball we should begin a new thread. There are some things I would really like to hear opinions about concerning the club culture. Not just in Knoxville, but the overall state of things on a regional and national level. If anyone is interested, we can start something new, and this thread can continue discussing AA volleyball. That is a great place unto itself.

There are alot of rumors out there about what you are saying for sure. it wil be interesting to see if Knoxville can support 3 clubs. There are rumors out there also about a 4th club maybe starting up. Very early for that though. We shall see as things develop. Sure is fun out there with high school and then club right behind. Never a dull moment, that is for sure.

Well, good win for Catholic. I am sure if their setter was ill the next time could be a different story. But yes, I think there is a new rivalry in Knoxville. Sullivan South as many have said is probably the pick to go with. Although, they do not seem quite as strong as in the past. I have not seen the big presence in the middle that they seem to have always had. Two super outsides though. High energy and intensity for sure. Things are shaping up for sure. AA will be fun. And remember Goodpasture is now in A. Hmmmm

Does anyone know who won the CAK/Catholic match tonight? I think it was at CAK. Bettin, this one is just the beginning of some real battles between these two schools this season. Just a thought. One more question, has CAK lost a district match since their coach began there? Or a district home match for that matter. Curious.

At one point during the Blarney Stone Tournament (Catholic tournament) CAK was playing Sullivan South, and Catholic was playing Sullivan East. That is my prediction for the sectional matches. Although who plays who may be different. Two of these teams will go to the state tournament.