vb71

I enjoy coacht very much. I do have a problem when one person endlessly posts and then questions other posts which receive comments. I think coacht is very worthwhile, just do not like someone whose opinion seems to be the only one that matters. And trust me, do not try to talk about the game as though you really understand it. Some of us have spent most of our lives loving the game and do not appreciate someone constantly giving their opinion without accepting other's opinion. Look at the amount of posts you have placed on here and how many are never responded to. Should tell you something.

I do not even understand what you are talking about. Please clarify.

Interest had been waning and the game was not widely understood? Volleyball began to explode in high school in the mid-nineties, way before coacht was here and before you were introduced to the game. Many were working to see that volleyball did grow and I do not see how you can say interest was "waning".

You say that you do not understand why this discussion is going on and a few sentences later you state that the issue needs to be addressed now. I do think, as clubonlyforus stated, you seem to be upset that you didn't start this thread. This is actually something interesting unlike 95% of your posts.

Isn't this the way basketball has been run in the state forever? The teams are set based on the luck of the draw. If you get a bad draw you go home after one.To be the state champions means that you have to eventually beat every other team before you. It doesn't matter what game it is. I think the single elimination bracket is much better. If a team is good enough they really will not worry about seeding. Some are just happy to be there anyway and usually only a few reallly have a chance to win anyway.

I'm not sure if your comment was made with sarcasm or not. For the past two years I've volunteered to help any kids at SportsCom on Thursday nights fron 4:30 til 7 or so. The city has been great and they charge the standard $2 to get in. I get nothing but free admission to do this. We have been running 25-30 kids, but with high school starting it will drop off during the season. We're trying to start a home school team. I have enough kids, it's just hard to find them games or scrimmages. I'm not bashing club ball, it's a key part of volleyball. My two main concerns are: 1. Too many parents are under the impression that if their daughter plays club for 5 or so years her college will be paid for. It should be stressed to the kids that very few will actually receive scholarships. With the economy as it is, maybe money is better spent fully funding kid's college funds. 2. Eventually this will hurt our national teams. Very few parents are going to spend 2-4k a year to play club. This cuts down the percentage of athletes who play, therefore the players to choose from will be limited. If there is a great athlete out there who wants to play but can't afford club there should be other alternatives to keep them involved and not frustrated enough to quit. If they are behind at 14 years of age, they probably will get frustrated and find another sport.

Please do not say club coaches do it for the love of the game; it's all about getting paid. Before Impact was here a few h.s. coaches started clubs and began to realize the moneymaking opportunity, Jay just marketed better and became the big dog. If these coaches wanted to promote the game all they have to do is volunteer, at the local rec. center, to give instruction. Every county I've talked to says they would love to have a program like this. If you don't have a rec. center take the kids to the local sand courts and run drills. Many parents seem to think there is a certain status that goes with their kids playing with such-and-such club. That's a shame and I blame clubs and high school coaches for promoting this. Having played around here for 20+ years I know for a fact that there are a lot of qualified people who would love to pass the game on. When we started we had to rely on the older players to teach us the game. They didn't charge us, now we need to give back. Many of you club coaches are friends of mine, but I have to say I'm disappointed in the direction that volleyball is headed.

By 18 players should not be "learning" different positions. That should have been done way before 18. Club ball at that age is all about getting noticed by some recruiter. You wouldn't take some 6'3" middle and make her a DS at that age. If someone has played a position for years, and all of a sudden they need her to play some position she's never played before, or very little, that's not fair to her. Her parents paid the same as everyone else and I'm sure they're as frustrated as anyone. If a boy played summer AAU b-ball for 6-7 years as a point guard, and at 18 his coach tells him he has to play center,just when recruiters start paying attention, that would be ridiculous. With the money it costs to play club, parents should have some say in the matter.

Just curious as to whether you contribute Siegel's "success" to the coaches (apparently 6 on the bench in some games), or to the possibility that they spend more on club than all other teams in the district combined? Is it possible you underachieve if you don't win district every single year?