I saw the announcement posted at my local gym, "Youth Volleyball Training Saturday. Sign up online."
OMG. Here we go again.
I usually don’t workout on Saturday. So I should be safe. As long as I don’t see it happening, I can pretend they hired someone who knows how to introduce volleyball to young kids. For the sake of the kids and the sport in our area, I had my fingers crossed.
I forgot it was Saturday. That’s easy to do when you’re retired.
I walked through the doors and there were moms, dads and little ones crowded in the common area. Granted, most were headed toward the exit, but a few were leaning against a window watching something going on in the first gym.
YOUTH VOLLEYBALL TRAINING... Had to be. Damn!
It’s my own fault. I did not want to look. I couldn’t stop it. I was pulled into the black hole that was the window into that gym.
OMG!
“How bad could it be?” you’re thinking. Well, let me describe what I witnessed. There was a high school girl standing on a chair holding a ball just below the top of the net. And of course the net was set at regulation height.
There was a line of young girls taking turns running up, trying to jump and hit the ball over the net. Also, there was what I assume is the leader of this CF doing the same thing although she was tall enough that she did not need the chair. You can’t make up this stuff.
What makes it really bad is I believe the leader of this staff is a coach with a local club. So with a bit of deductive reasoning, one can infer the knowledge (or lack there of) of the area club coaches.
There was not any focus on the kid’s footwork, on the arm swings, or where the ball was when she attempted to hit it over the net. Honestly, most of them didn’t understand how to jump let alone strike the ball properly. Without exception, even if one of the girls had the skill to attack the ball properly, not one could jump high enough to accomplish it.
Not one kid was doing anything correctly. Not one coach coached. She just held the ball and clapped when the ball ended up on the other side of the net. The list of things that were wrong is too long to list. Let me just say it was sad. I felt terrible for the kids. I felt sorry for the parents. I felt sorry for the coaches. The social engagement was the only positive experience.
It was all I could do not to stick my head in and reenact the famous scene from "Network"... "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
After watching my niece's team play this fall, I started considering doing something... and what I witnessed Saturday was the straw. I have many friends who volunteer in the community – at the schools, at their churches and synagogues. Each one is trying to make a difference, a positive impact on the community. I’ve never done much in the volunteer world. But I think it is time.
If anyone has a young player or a group of players and access to a gym, I will volunteer to come in and train them. I'll even work with the coaches. I just want to give every girl the skills she needs to maximize her God-given talent. All you need to do is ask.
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