Hutchison Team Camp

[CheckerboardEndzones]

Just thought I would throw out what is happening on the West side of the state...

 

The 1st Annual Hutchison Team Camp is underway. The camp that consists of Hutchison, Center Hill H.S. (MS), St. Benedict, and Houston H.S. runs from 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. in a 3 session format. The first 2 sessions are spent working on various aspects ranging from team bonding to skill work to mental training, while the 3rd session is game play.

 

Notable instructors include

 

Penny-Lucas White - 1st year Hutchison HC ; played collegiately at LSU, former National Team member; played professionally overseas and state side; 20+ years coaching experience: Asst at Auburn, HC at Memphis, and 14 years HC at The Air Force Academy. Also, is a Cadre member of the USAV and travels for the organization hosting clinics for both players and coaches.

 

Ruth Lawanson - Asst. Coach at Univ. of Nevada Reno, over 10 years collegiate coaching ; Former National Team Member, including 1992 Olympic Bronze Medal squad; All-American at Fresno St. ; played professionally overseas and state side.

 

Verna Julaton - 15+ years collegiate coaching. Former Division 2 All-American. Played professionally for the Colorado Thunder with Lucas-White.

 

Diana Cole - USAV Director of Coaching Education

 

 

A good camp so far. The camp was limited in number this year, but will seek to grow in size and competition in the coming years.

[PHargis]

CB, we have wondered where you and the West Tennessee fans were the past few days. I looked at the list of schools and saw little response. Your posmingt was informative and is not unlike what many schools are doing right now seemingly trying to all do some of the same thing but not with the same approach. Since I saw this I had two questions which was not exactly connected with the content but seeing the qualifications of the instructors, gives some idea of the approach. What did you and your new coach see that made you feel that this approach would be what your student/athletes needed at this time? Was this just the particular time for something like this or did you feel that this their was something else in their lives that this could help outside of Volleyball? I am sure we all have followed, very closely, Hutchinson the past few years and likely know your team very very well. Coaching qualifications at your school have been high.

The second question is, are the first two days classroom work or is it a combination of different things. Bonding is used a great deal by many schools thruout the State but the time spent and the intensity might be different. When you answer this wait until after the end and from your point of view, what made this different? It is obvious that as accomplished as the instructors are, dedication and discipline and mental frame of mind as far as goal setting is concerned, could have come over strong. Are all of these factors wound in the instruction?

Your post is interesting and don't stay away so long as we are looking for some information on the great schools in the West Tennessee area.

[fiftyfifty]

Just thought I would throw out what is happening on the West side of the state...

 

The 1st Annual Hutchison Team Camp is underway. The camp that consists of Hutchison, Center Hill H.S. (MS), St. Benedict, and Houston H.S. runs from 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. in a 3 session format. The first 2 sessions are spent working on various aspects ranging from team bonding to skill work to mental training, while the 3rd session is game play.

 

Notable instructors include

 

Penny-Lucas White - 1st year Hutchison HC ; played collegiately at LSU, former National Team member; played professionally overseas and state side; 20+ years coaching experience: Asst at Auburn, HC at Memphis, and 14 years HC at The Air Force Academy. Also, is a Cadre member of the USAV and travels for the organization hosting clinics for both players and coaches.

 

Ruth Lawanson - Asst. Coach at Univ. of Nevada Reno, over 10 years collegiate coaching ; Former National Team Member, including 1992 Olympic Bronze Medal squad; All-American at Fresno St. ; played professionally overseas and state side.

 

Verna Julaton - 15+ years collegiate coaching. Former Division 2 All-American. Played professionally for the Colorado Thunder with Lucas-White.

 

Diana Cole - USAV Director of Coaching Education

 

 

A good camp so far. The camp was limited in number this year, but will seek to grow in size and competition in the coming years.

 

 

Check,

 

This appears to be a good first camp. I won't bother you with any uh hmm, questions. Your post was more than sufficient. Have a good one.

[PHargis]

CB The fans in Middle feel very fortunate to have two very good teams visiting this week as Lisa Lewis and Collierville are spending a who week of Clinics and Teams Camps and Houston rolls in Friday for the Brentwood for the weekend. We'll see what the bonding did for Coach Pendleton's squad. They will be ready I'm sure.

[CheckerboardEndzones]

St.B -- Thanks

 

Hargis,

 

To answer your first question. I am not sure that our new coach saw anything in particular to change what we have done in previous years. She more or less has a vision of what she wants and has a plan on how to achieve such. I think it has also given some in Memphis yet another opportunity to promote volleyball and enhance the kids skills without having to travel to Nashville, a place that we will likely already visit 3-4 times this upcoming season.

 

In reference to question 2. Every night the teams scrimmage each other. The day time sessions are filled with periods of skill work and individual team coaching. In addition, there are rotations through "classroom work" that touches on various topics ranging from strategy, mental toughness, college recruiting, etc.

 

As far as Houston, they look a little younger but still look talented and as good as usual. I think they are missing a player or two for this camp, so they will probably step it up even more by this weekend.

 

SBA looks tough as well. I think they only lost one starter from a year ago, but will add Caroline Sabbatini, an all-state setter/libero, to the fold once she becomes eligible (around State time) after transferring.

 

Not sure I can give you that good of an assessment on Hutchison yet. There is some talent there and they appear to be a scrappy bunch, but once again, they will still be a young group overall.

[PHargis]

Those of us thruout the State appreciate your commentary and the information you provide from the West end of the STate and the information on Caroline Sabatini is rather interesting and raises the stakes of SBA at State. SBA seemed already deep before the transfer.

Edited July 20, 2010 by PHargis

[CheckerboardEndzones]

This camp will be coming to a close at noon today (Thursday) so I thought I would add some final commentary.

 

Overall, I think that the Hutchison Team Camp was a success. Of course I am somewhat biased, but the others involved seemed to have had a good time. There were only 4 teams in this the inaugural year, but I imagine that number will grow in the coming years and only add to the level of play.

 

The kids received a break from the on court action Wednesday afternoon as they sat in on a informative presentation on college volleyball and the recruiting process. In addition to the athletes, parents were encouraged to attend and many took that opportunity. Of course not every kid will play Volleyball beyond high school, but I thought some of the advice could be also be applied to the regular student who needs help weeding through their college choices.

 

As for the teams....

 

SBA - simply put, the defending champs are good again.

 

Houston - young and athletic. They have some weapons for sure. It may take this team a little time to work out some kinks, but they will be dangerous by October.

 

Hutchison - young and scrappy. Definitely not void of talent. Success will be dependent on the rate at which the talent is developed.

 

Note: The 4th team was from out of state, so any impression would not mean anything to people in TN.

 

 

Good luck to everyone else across the state for the upcoming season!

[PHargis]

Since the subject of team camps have come up on a couple of threads now, Team Camps before the season have many meanings depending on what the schools lay out to be the needs, it seems, but right now early in the preseason, very early, it is being used mostly after conditioning with specialized skills training plus. This one with Hutchison was customized between their Coach, Administrator and the instructors. Different Clubs have the same type programs, usually 3 day events for more than one school. Nashville One has held some nine of these events with 4 more scheduled. Universities do the same things. These are intense, candid, fast paced events with definite plans in mind that include more than one school as was mentioned here. A suggestion might be to check with schools who have had these type programs if any are considering doing it. As here, the teaching staff is very important and is a Varsity High School event. Other team camps are large playdays in which schools face many schools with varying styles to prepare for the outright competition and analysis of team in a short period of time to compress deveelopment of players and rotations. Name them what you want. Thanks to CB and any others for sharing. This is an intense subject with intense time spent. These are not for the undecided. From what I've heard, these are "all hands on deck" skills training, correctional events with Leadership training. That seems to be what volleyball in Tennessee is becoming. For those schools that have excelled, nothing new.