The Patience Season

The early fall can be a confusing and frustrating time segment for families trying to manage the college volleyball recruiting process, especially those with rising Junior and/or Senior age daughters. Summer is over, high school season is starting up and the club volleyball recruiting season seems in the far distance.

For a number of families, a certain uneasiness can set in concerning recruiting.  The club season is over, and rumors abound that "all" the scholarships are gone with Division I, or only walk on positions are available, etc.  When families are still searching for that right fit, scholarship or roster opening, this uneasiness can quickly turn to panic.  And this panic, can influence families into making hasty decisions which may not be the best for the player.

This is the time of the year, where college coaches can play possum; they tend to go quiet in the recruiting process.  Part of this is to be expected because the collegiate season is beginning.  This season start reflects a huge to do list with not a lot of support.  For many programs, from NCAA Division I to Junior Colleges, the coaching staff may be one head coach and (if lucky) an assistant, which have a 100 things to get done before the first practice.  Oh, and then practice and matches begins.

The other reason coaches go quiet, is they need to use the fall to determine exactly what recruiting needs they have for the next season.  What returning player did not recover completely from surgery, what player did not pass that last summer school class for eligibility, what incoming player was has not met expectations, etc.  All of these factors, and many others, will alter the recruiting needs for the next two years.  

Because of this slow down by college coaches, families have got to be patient.  Now is not the time to panic and take the 'good enough' scholarship or school.  Rather, stay patient and use the fall to re-evaluate the situation.  By being patient and re-evaluating, players can put themselves into the best possible position to achieve their recruiting goals in the winter/spring.

What to re-evaluate:

* What type/level of schools have been in communication with you.
*  How many schools did you reach out to?  Did they respond?
*   Have your academic interests changed?  
*   Are you more open to different geographic locations?
*   What skill sets can you improve upon during the fall, to become a more attractive recruit for the colleges?
*   Will being open to various divisions yield more recruiting communication/options?

Since colleges are recruiting slow for the next 2+ months, families can use this time to recharge their recruiting battery, improve their volleyball abilities and physical conditioning, talk about what is desired in a school, then develop a large outreach list of programs to contact.  

As you reach out to collegiate programs, make sure your videos are current and you have updated your NCSA Recruiting Profile.  College coaches want to see your current skill sets, current grades/test scores, current contact information and if you know it, your club team for the upcoming club season.

As college coaches reengage in active recruiting, a program that said no in the spring, may now say yes because their needs have changed.  The families that are patient and use this slower period in a positive manner, will place themselves into the best position to secure their recruiting goals come the winter. 

NCSA is the official partner of the JVA. For more junior volleyball recruiting education click here. To learn more about the NCSA, click here.

Mizuno Grand Prix Series

To encourage the growth and development of youth volleyball (ages 8-14) in the greater Chicagoland area, the Great Lakes Center Youth Academy, Chicago Elite Youth Academy, Energy VBC and Rolling Thunder VBC partnered together to form the Mizuno Youth Grand Prix Series.  This tournament series runs from the fall until the late spring and was formed to offer a low cost option for young athletes to enjoy the sport of volleyball. 

Tournament cost is $125 for grades 5-8 and $50 for grades 3-4 (teams play 4 vs. 4 on a smaller court).  

The MGPYA series has about 10-12 clubs that are currently involved with their youth academy teams.  Many of the dates had 40 or more teams entered.  The cost is $125.00 for 3 matches/6 sets for Level 2.  The cost for Level 1 is $50.00 and they play 4 - 20 minute games so they are done in 2 hours.




Cheryl Butler, Director of the Great Lakes Center Youth Academy said "It's been a great first year and has exceeded everything that we hoped it would be.  We has a total of 19 play dates with over 700 teams playing in those 19 dates."  

To keep cost down, older players do the officiating and the teams compete in a power pool so they play 3 matches and get to go home rather than be at the gym for 8 hours or more. The club hosting the Mizuno Grand Prix tournament has their high school girls/boys officiate for $10.00 per match.
One parent from each team playing keeps the score.  We use a very simple score sheet so parents can do it and then the other parent does the flip score.

For the youngest levels (grades 3-4) we play 4 vs. 4 on a 6 meter court using timed games so the teams are not in the gym longer than a couple of hours.  Everyone seems to love the format and the feedback has been great.
Click here to view a sample schedule for one of the Grand Prix Series.




PRACTICE
In addition to competition teams practice 1-2 days per week. 
3-7 years of age practice 1 day per week for 1 hour. Sports Performance offers 6 week sessions.
Level 1 (3rd and 4th grade) practices 1 or 2 days per week for 1.5 hours. Sports Performance offers 10 weeks sessions.
Level 2 (5th and 6th grade) practices 1 or 2 days per week for 2 hours. Sports Performance offers fall, club, winter and spring sessions.

POSITIONS
Everyone plays every position for Level 1 which is 4 on 4.
Everyone plays every position for Level 2 and teams run a 4-2 with the RF player setting.

SUBSTITUTIONS
In Level 1 Sports Performance has teams of 5 so when the RF player goes back to serve he/she steps out and the team continues to rotate that way.
In Level 2 there is no subbing. 6 players play an entire set and then the next set the other 6 players play.  If there are teams of 10 then the coaches have to make sure that at the end of the day every player has played the same amount of sets.
Click here to view the schedule for one Level 2 Grand Prix Series weekend.

"We hope more clubs will start youth academies and enter the events and those clubs currently involved are hoping to see growth within their Youth Academies which means more teams from those clubs."

Sports Performance, Chicago Elite, Energy VBC and Rolling Thunder VBC are all member clubs of the JVA. For more information about the JVA click here. 

Can a Parent Council Help Your Club?

By Sharon L. Galonski, Club Director, Next Level VBC
(This article is Part II. To read Part I click here.)

I did it!   
After tryouts were completed, teams were selected, uniforms were ordered, and practices began, each competitive team within Next Level VBC was required to provide me with the name of a parent who would function as a Parent Council representative.

We met through this past month through April when many of the younger teams completed their competition season.  While many of the high school age teams continue to compete, I felt it was better to stop sessions now rather than try to get parents to attend meetings when they were more focused on end-of-school and vacation planning. 

At our first meeting, everyone was given an agenda outlining topics I thought the parents might find educational and of interest.  I defined what I believed to be the primary purpose of the council – “To open better lines of communication and to find ways to educate our parents” plus a few other things.
  
Discussions included the club’s handbook, uniforms, SafeSport Training, online fee payments, hotel accommodations, differences between JVA, USAV and AAU events, tournament costs, a “Personal Insights Profile™,” fund raising, a new practice facility, and tryouts, along with many other topics, including those related to coaches – their training and club performance requirements.  

At the beginning, I found the parents to be hesitant and unsure of what their roles would be and what they were able to discuss.  I followed up each session with an e-mail indicating several of the agenda items for the next meeting. As the sessions continued throughout the season, the parents were prepared in advance and clearly became more comfortable in expressing ideas and concerns.  

They’ve provided me with some good ideas.  I’ll be looking to make better travel arrangements for our “larger” families in the club that need more than a single double room for out-of-state tournaments.  I’ll be making some changes to the Club Handbook to better define some of the club’s polices and will add a few sections to address issues brought to light this season.  I’ve already moved forward with a better online payment source with lower fees – one that I hope will be simpler for the parents to use at fee collection times.  I’ll also be discussing topics with my coaches at our end of season meeting that came to light during our council session that I believe will be beneficial for coaches moving forward.  

One of my two favorite sessions involved everyone taking the Personal Insights Profile™ DISC assessment.  The parents enjoyed taking the assessment and were amazed at the results.  Having the parents participate prior to our athletes at the 15s, 16s, 17s and 18s levels led to a better understanding of the purpose of the assessments and what I hoped to achieve by offering it to our athletes.  

My second favorite, our final session in April, was by far the most animated.  

I opened the door for parents to discuss tryouts – the dates, the procedure, what coaches evaluate, how we track players through the tryout, and how offers are extended.  I’m sure, as coaches and club directors, you’re thinking I was crazy.  Surprisingly, some of their ideas were good and most were in line with the procedure already in place.  BUT, I absolutely refused to have players wear different clothing items identifying them as previous members of our club!  I don’t feel any player should be given any type of preference at tryouts – they need to work hard to earn a spot on one of our teams and not have it given to them.   

Amazingly, this was the session where parents provided the most insight and supported my decisions at the highest level.  

I was impressed with those representatives who took the time to e-mail their entire team with monthly updates about the meetings.  They asked for input from team parents prior to each meeting based upon tentative agenda topics and provided parents with articles that I supplied – mostly to do with parent education (i.e., an article published by the JVA and written by Skye Eddy Bruce entitled: SIX Reasons Parents Should NOT Watch Practice, the USAV Spectator/Parent Code of Conduct, our Region’s 10 Rules For Parents of Athletes, SafeSport Training guidelines, John Kessel’s Grow The Game Together Blog article posted in March, and many others). 

Was everything perfect?  NO.  Did one or two representatives try to bring up complaints involving players or coaches?  YES.  I immediately shut down those attempts at discussion and invited the parent to stay after the meeting to discuss further, but made it clear to the group that the council was not to be used as a means for parents to bring up individual players or team complaints – these issues needed to follow the protocol outlined in our handbook.  Did all representatives contribute to the discussions?  Sometimes – mostly.  

My biggest complaint – the lack of attendance by certain team representatives.  It was typically the same parents.  In fact, some never showed up, one quit and had to be replaced, and some complained they weren’t given enough notice (hmmm… I would think a full month’s notice would have been sufficient).  While some excuses were certainly valid, some weren’t.  The parents who were truly active on the council even went so far as to have another parent attend on their team’s behalf if they weren’t able too.  

My final project under the council’s discussion and input is to finalize a survey to parents on various club topics.  In the past, e-mail surveys were responded to by less than 10% of the parent membership.  With the support of council members and their willingness to follow up with their teams, I hope to get some additional feedback from everyone!

So, the question is, should I continue the council?   I have to say that I fully intend to move forward with the Parent Council again next season.  It was definitely a positive experience for me as the director of the club.  I might screen parents a little better to determine if they will actually be active with the council and I’ll work a little harder at preparing agendas that keep the parents animated.  

After all, the council can only be as effective as the parents who involve themselves.  

While I think the council worked to my advantage more than the parents this season, I believe now that they have a sense of how it will be run, their input will be more on point, and the council will become much more valuable to the success of the club!  

Next Level Volleyball Club is a supporting member of the JVA. To learn more about the JVA click here.
This is Part II of Sharon's experience implementing a Parent Council. To read Part I click here.

The On-Going Struggle to Introduce Volleyball at an Early Age

By: Meg Davis, Youth Academy Director at Southern Performance Volleyball

When I was first told I would be officially in charge of the “Youth Academy” at the club then known as Team Sting Volleyball Club, and now Southern Performance Volleyball, I was both excited and nervous. I love the sport of volleyball and coaching younger kids, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to grow a youth volleyball program, especially in a state like Alabama, where volleyball is not usually the first choice for a sport.

One major challenge was (and still is) introducing the sport of volleyball at an early age. Other sports (soccer, softball, football, basketball) have youth programs with a large following. These sports are introduced to children in many ways: YMCA's, community Parks and Rec programs, schools, etc. 

In Alabama minimal organized opportunities exist to play volleyball at a young age, and most have been through local recreational centers offering limited technical training. Our club recognized the gap in training opportunities and has been making an effort to fill that gap, while simultaneously growing our club from the ground up.

In its inaugural year in 2011, our Youth Academy trained approximately 46 participants from ages 5 to 13. During the 2014-15 season, the Southern Performance Volleyball Youth Academy (SPVB-YA) trained over 250 participants through various youth programs. So in only four seasons, SPVB-YA has expanded by over 440%!

SPVB-YA still faces challenges to expand our numbers, especially for children in pre-K through 2nd grade. However, our recent growth has helped the club as a whole grow its participation numbers, and will hopefully continue to improve  the skill level of our travel teams as the YA players age. The success of our SPVB-YA is essential for the growth of the club both in the immediate and long-term future.

The growth of the SPVB-YA can be attributed to the vision and creative input of our club director Julie Dailey to emphasize youth development. Additionally, resources from the Great Lakes Center Youth Academy (GLC-YA), which is affiliated with Sports Performance Volleyball, have heavily influenced the expansion of the SPVB-YA. Some of the concepts that have worked for SPVB-YA to help grow our youth program include:

• Don’t Try to Re-Invent the Wheel 

Many other organizations across the country and the world run extremely successful youth volleyball programs. Borrow ideas from others & customize them to fit your program. Watch their online videos, contact program directors for advice, or even observe their practices or clinics.

• Be Patient & Stay Flexible

It may take some time before you see the numbers you are hoping for. Offer clinics, leagues, etc. throughout the year on different days and at different times. Kids are busy these days!

Balloon

• Try New Things & Think Outside the Box                     

Birdie

Kids love TOYS! Find fun ways to incorporate hula hoops, squishy or bouncy balls, footballs, mini-nets, glow-in-the-dark volleyballs, beach balls, balloons, birdies, etc. Use age-appropriate drills & equipment to allow for success without sacrificing technique. 
Offer other fun activities (crafts, healthy snacks, etc.) whether
they are related to volleyball or not. New ideas may fail or work out great, but you won’t know until you try them out.

 

3-contact play emphasis for ages 5 to 13 from balloon to volleyball

• Spread the Word Literally, as well as with Pictures and Videos

Word-of-mouth among families and ideas like “bring-a-friend for free day” can expose new players to your program. Create a blog, newsletter, website, Instagram, Facebook page, etc. The more videos, pictures, flyers, etc. that you share, the more visible your product. And kids will be excited to see themselves in action!

SPVB-YA Blog spvbya.wordpress.com
The Blog is a great platform to share: upcoming events: practices, clinics, tournaments, team pictures & rosters, monthly practice calendars. tournament schedule, and an archive of newsletters.

SPVB-YA Newsletter
The newsletter is a great way to share information such as:

• "Players of the Day" at recent practices
• Upcoming events: practices, clinics, tournaments
• Fundraising opportunities
• Results from tournaments
• Pictures - action shots from tournaments & play days
• Links & summaries of volleyball-related articles (motivational, educational, etc.)

These ideas have helped the SPVB-YA grow and will hopefully help it to continue to grow. Volleyball is a great sport to keep kids active & teach life lessons. Youth development programs can help young players learn new things & have fun at the same time!

SPVB-YA still faces challenges to expand our numbers, especially for children in pre-K through 2nd grade. However, our recent growth has helped the club as a whole grow its participation numbers, and will hopefully continue to improve  the skill level of our travel teams as the YA players age. The success of our SPVB-YA is essential for the growth of the club both in the immediate and long-term future.

Build the Recruiting Pyramid

To empower the best opportunity for a Prospective Student Athlete's collegiate future, volleyball families can build a pyramid of outreach to college coaches.  When families build this pyramid, it allows them the opportunity to say "no"; saying "no" or "no thank you" is an important component of the recruiting process.

The outreach and evaluation process of potential collegiate programs should look like a pyramid.  When beginning the outreach process, families need to be laying a wide base or the bottom of the pyramid.  Be more open than closed to schools - Academic, Athletic and Geographic parameters should not be rigid.  If you are considering schools within a 3 hour radius, open that circle up to 4 hours.  If you are mainly looking at mid level NCAA Division I programs, reach out to elite level NCAA DII and NAIA programs.  Should small schools be your comfort zone, throw a couple of medium sized schools into the mix.

When families have a wide, stable base layer, it allows them to effectively review and eliminate those programs which may not be their best fit.  When families have determined that a school is not their best fit (for whatever reason), then they can simply say "no thank you" and narrow their choices.  Saying "no" is part of the review and management process.  The college coaches understand "no" because they say "no" to many, many recruits who are not the best fit for their program.

Recruits that have the most success in selecting their best fit for their collegiate future, are those which begin with a sizable number of potential schools and manage the process by saying "no" to achieve their volleyball and academic goals. Start with the 1st stage of the Recruiting Pyramid and and work your way through the process.

If you need further assistance and education on the junior volleyball recruiting process click here.

Also, for additional college volleyball recruiting information and support, please visit our Educational Partner, NCSA Athletic Recruiting.

Parent Council: To Be or Not To Be

By Sharon L. Galonski, Club Director, Next Level Volleyball Club

At a pre-season regional meeting two years ago, a presentation was given on the implementation of a parent council by one of the Mid-Atlantic volleyball clubs.  My initial reaction was, “No Way.”  Why would I want parents to have direct involvement with decision making at the club level?”  After all, over the past twenty years as a coach, twelve as director of Next Level Volleyball Club, my communication with parents tended to be when situations were out of hand between a player/parent/coach and I was called upon to step in to mediate and resolve. I saved the Parent Council information for possible review another day.

This past summer, as I was clearing out some old club files, I came across the handouts.  As I re-read the information, I thought, why not give it a try?  After all, we had just completed a season where many parents failed to follow the basic policies outlined in our Parent/Player Club Handbook.  More often than not, the parent attempted to claim that no one had ever informed them of, for example, refund policies in connection with players who decide to quit midseason or parents who didn’t follow the hotel policies and ended up with extra out-of-pocket costs.  I knew I needed to find another way of opening lines of communication to better educate the parent membership. 

I decided that it was my job to make sure that the club focused on all aspects of club volleyball – not just the athlete.  We had to do a better job of educating the parents who are attending every match and who will ultimately advertise our club and their experience to others. They are paying the bills after all. 

Why not put to use what could be our greatest asset to the Club? 

I received a lukewarm response when I presented the idea of a Parent Council to my coaches at our pre-season meeting.  Coaches felt that the Council would turn into nothing more than a venue for parents to complain, complain, and complain some more.  I decided to move forward despite the negative response.

After tryouts when teams had been selected, I asked coaches to seek a representative from each team.  The response by some parents was very hesitant, while others jumped at the chance to be represented.  One coach was unable to get a single parent from his team to step forward.  He asked me what would happen.  I simply responded that his team would not have a voice within the club.  Two days later, he provided me with the name of a parent possibly interested.    

As I mentioned above, my reasons for wanting to start a Parent Council were to open better lines of communication and to find ways to educate our parents.  By sharing ideas for uniforms, practice facilities, tournament selection, fund raising, etc. (and the list goes on), it’s my hope that parents will feel more involved in every aspect of club development.  I’d like to encourage the sense of “family” within Next Level Volleyball Club.  I hope to educate our parents in connection with issues we face involving bullying, racism and harassment by providing parent council representatives with information and guidelines to take back to their teams.  

It’s my hope to be able to discuss tournament rules, reffing requirements, and other guidelines that may be obvious to coaches, but not so obvious to parents.   I want to do a “Personal Insights Profile™” with the parents before we try it with our players to show them in advance different ways we can evaluate players and what strengths and weaknesses they might bring to our teams.  The parents get to be part of the decision making process in a setting that I can control. 

On the flip side, I could be opening a can of worms.  Am I crazy allowing parents to bring forward “concerns” from their team before they become “issues” to be mediated or before they discuss these same matters with their child’s coach?  Am I setting myself up for attack in having to defend every decision I make in connection with club policy?  Maybe the parents don’t know why we participate in USAV, JVA and AAU events?  Maybe they have questions about fees or surcharges with credit card payments?  Maybe parents can provide better feedback on hotels I choose for overnight tournaments?  Who knows – the list could be endless.  I might have to finish my night after a council meeting with a nice glass of wine, or two, or more.  Only time will tell. 

At the end of the day, I believe the combination of parents who have been with the club for years who know the ropes and parents who are experiencing club for the first year will result in better lines of open communication and an understanding of what Next Level Volleyball Club’s goals for the present and the future may be. 

Our first Parent Council meeting is coming up!  I’ll share in a part two article the results of our first season utilizing a Parent Council.  We’ll see if it was meant “to be or not to be.”

---

[1] Sharon L. Galonski is the Director of Next Level Volleyball Club based out of Franklin, Wisconsin.

Club Tryout Tips for Athletes and Parents

The anticipation of tryouts is filled with a lot of questions and concerns for players and players. Deciding where to tryout and how many clubs to tryout for is just the start. Below are some tryout tips to act as a guide or check list in hopes of making the process easier so you feel good about your decision.
 

 How Do We Choose a Club? 
 

1. Easy Thing First – What are your Choices?

• Identify your age division
  There are two major club affiliations: USAV and AAU. Both have the same September 1 Birthday Cut-off 
• What Clubs are in my area? Check your USAV region and AAU District web pages for clubs in your area.  Search for clubs on Google. 
• Determine how far you are willing to travel. 
  

2. Do Your Research   

• Visit the club website, contact the club director, attend a parent meeting, and talk to other parents who have played for the club.

• What is it going to cost me?  Club volleyball can be very expensive.  There are ways to minimize the expense.  How much travel is expected? Does the club have an in-house program that provides training and limits travel?  Does the club have a fund raising program or fees based on income? Does the team travel as a group to out-of-town tournaments or does a parent need to travel with the athlete?

• Club Dues and Add On Fees: Find out what is included in your dues and what the payment schedule is.  The typical club expenses: administration, court rental, equipment, coaches’ stipends, uniforms, tournament fees, tournament travel, and coaches’ travel expenses.  If there are costs outside of club dues, find out what they are and how they are assessed.  
  
• Practice Schedule:  How often and where do the teams train?  What if I miss practice?
  
• Tournament Schedule:What is the typical tournament schedule? What if I am unavailable for a tournament?
  
• Coaching Staff: Who are the coaches at my age level and what is their experience?  Does the club have someone who oversees the training plan or does each coach prepare their own training plan?
  
• Club Philosophy:  This is probably the hardest nut to crack.  Many clubs promote themselves as “elite” or “premier”, but are they really?  What does that mean to them? Do you need a premier club? What are your athlete’s goals after grade school/after high school?  Find out how long the club has been in existence.  If they truly are premier, they will have a track record in the business. While every club wants to win, how does the club make sure that every athlete is valued?  Look for affiliations like Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) or Junior Volleyball Association (JVA).  These are groups that offer resources and education to clubs who prioritize the health and welfare of the athletes.  
  
• How Do I Join?  Most clubs select their member through a tryout process.  Ask how the tryout process is managed.
  

3.  Common Myths

• Bigger is better 
• A #1 team in any club is better than a #2 team in any club
• More expensive is better
• A paid coach is better than a volunteer coach
• A coach who played DI is better than a coach who never played at a high level
• If I play club volleyball, I will get a scholarship

4.  Questions to Discuss as a Family  

• What do I want out of my club experience: enjoy the game with friends and/or train to have an opportunity to play in college? 
• How much time do I have to dedicate to club volleyball: will it interfere with a part-time job, with school, with other club sports or time with friends?
• How much can we afford: dues, travel, family travel?
• How important is it that I am on the same team as my friend(s)?
  
  

How do We Manage Tryouts?

Once you've done your research on the club(s) in your area, and discussed your options as a family, you are ready for the next step.

Tryouts

Identify the clubs that you have decided fit your needs and match your goals.  Follow the registration process required by the club.  Know what the tryout rules are for your area.

Tryout Day

• Know before going into a tryout where that club fits into your choice list.  
• Arrive early properly attired.  If a tryout shirt is not provided, wear something noticeable that will stand out. 
• Check yourself in (do not let your mom or dad do it for you) 
• Speak for yourself 
• Follow directions 
• Hustle at all times: from station to station, shagging balls, huddle-up. 
• Have fun – smile, be loud, encourage your teammates 
• It takes no athletic ability to hustle, work hard and have a great attitude! 

Remember…
It is a tryout, not a clinic.  It is your job to show the coaches what you can do.  Kids will be moving from court to court.  No matter what, keep working hard and keep having fun.

Before you leave, make sure you know how and when selections are made.  If the club is #1 on your choice list and you get an offer, take it – don’t make the club wait.

If you don’t get an offer from your 1^st choice and you haven’t been given an indication of your status, call the club director and ask if there is a depth chart and where you are on that chart.

Junior club volleyball can be the best experience of your life but it is your responsibility to do the research and find the right fit.

Good luck this season!

For more junior volleyball education visit www.jvaonline.org

A Volley Dad, a Car Pool and a Great Club Experience

How a Few Families Saved Significant Dollars
During the Club Season

   

By Jenny Hahn, Executive Director of the JVA 

One of Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club’s board members shared a spreadsheet that her husband had emailed out to the families in their car pool this past club season.  At first glance, I thought it was hysterical that anyone would stat and chart a car pool.  But then I looked at the numbers.  The carpool saved 11 families over $5,000 in gas and over 100 hours sitting in a gym.  

Steve Litzau is a “Volley Dad” and the man behind the car pool.  Steve has a successful career as an Engineer with Rockwell Automation and plays with friends in a rock ‘n roll band. His wife, Kathy is the Senior Associate Athletic Director and former Women’s Head Coach of UW-Milwaukee, is on our Milwaukee Sting Board of Directors and Head Coach for our 15 Gold team.  Steve and Kathy have four children: one son and three daughters who play club volleyball.

I sat down for lunch with Steve one afternoon to find out more about this volley dad.  Steve explained that this is actually the 3^rd year of the car pool.  As an engineer, designing the detailed spreadsheet he used to assign trips was 2^nd nature.  Curiosity and a course in statistics led him to track time and money saved.  Driving duties were assigned on a percentage, based on the number of trips a family’s players would have to travel. Everyone ended up driving 75% less than they would have done on their own.

Steve said that communication between the families was crucial.  Each family had a contact sheet with each other’s contact information. It was helpful that the club posted practice schedules 2-4 weeks in advance.  As complicated as it looks, Steve said he only spent about 2 hours a week managing the car pool.

Every time I see Steve at a tournament or in the gym, he has a huge friendly smile.  I asked Steve how he ended up a volley dad.  Not surprisingly, volleyball brought Steve and Kathy together.   Steve played in adult leagues while attending the University of Wisconsin and met Kathy (Cunningham) who was the 2^nd Assistant under John Cook for the women’s team at the time, and they met through league friends.

I asked, “Steve, there must be something that you don’t like about club volleyball, what is it?” Steve replied: “Honestly, there really isn’t anything about club volleyball that I don’t like.  I love the opportunities it has given my family to share time together doing something so worthwhile.  The Litzau’s are very competitive and for my wife and children to compete at the level they do is a privilege.  We enjoy all the friends we’ve made and have so much fun with our volleyball friends.”

So if your families can save money, save time driving to and from practices and sitting in practices, and have more quality time, maybe the car pools will be as fun as the Litzau’s.

  

Definitions of the Data in the Table Above:

Trips Per Week - This is the total number of trips each family would take for their families practices on a normal week without a tournament on the weekend.  Ex - Litzau - Monday - Kayce =1, Tuesday - Lauren & Danielle, usually at different times and locations = 2, Wednesday - Kayce = 1, Thursday - Lauren, Danielle, and Kayce, all at the same time and location = 1, Saturday - Lauren & Danielle, usually at different times and locations = 2, Grand total = 7.  Note there is an * (footnote) in front of some families denoting trips not taken into consideration in their total or additional trips taken.

Total Trips Without a Car Pool – Trips/Week x 28 Weeks = Family's trips that would have been taken without car pool.

Trips Taken - This is the total number of trips recorded that each family took over the year.   A trip was recorded if parent was the only driver that night, or shared the trip with another family and drove more than one family.

Trips Saved - Total Trips - Trips Taken = Trips Saved.  

% Driven vs Without a Car Pool - Trips Taken / Total Trips = % Driven.  As a car pool, they only drove 26% of what they would have by themselves!

Total $ Saved - Approximately $5000+ saved as a car pool! Estimated gas costs to be ~$7.00 per round trip per car driven.  Logic - It's approximately 20 miles each way.  Average car gets ~20 miles to the gallon.  ~$3.50 per gallon.  All gas costs are Trips (as stated above) x $7.00.

Total Time Without a Car Pool - Total Trips w/out a Car Pool x 3 hrs (1/2 hr each way for driving + 2 hrs of practice time).  

Total Time Spent In Gym – Steve kept track of when each family shared a car pool and when each family drove the car pool by themselves.  When a car pool was shared, each family in that drive spent 1 hour (1/2 hour there and back) of their time driving.  When a car pool was not shared, that family spent 3 hours (1/2 hour each way for driving + 2 hours of practice time in the gym) of their time driving.  These are recorded in full 24 hour days.  
Total Time Saved - Total Time Without a Car Pool - Total Time Spent in Gym.  The car pool saved 3+ months of time not being in the gym or in their cars!




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