New Year - New Beginning - New Coach

It's the start of our 10th year of Varsity VB at Hamilton! This new season, albeit late in starting, promises to be exciting. With the first week of practice being over the Thanksgiving break, Monday was the first day that we had 100% attendance with all 28 JV and Varsity players.

Where to begin? How about at the beginning. At the beginning of each sports season HS varsity coaches get requests for information from local news outlets so that they can run their annual "Winter (or Spring or Fall) Sports Preview". Inevitably, the first few questions usually end up covering: Last year's record & Post-season finish, Coaches record, returning starters, who is new to the team, who graduated, who will be your toughest competition, strengths, weakness of the team etc etc etc...

Although I am not a huge fan of doing these, I will do so as it may provide information and in-site for the casual volleyball fan (and opposing coaches).

We finished 2009-10 with the best winning % in team history and an 18-4 record, but for the 2nd year in a row we lost in the sectional finals. We graduated 3 starters from that team and lost 2 more starters to other interests, so we are returning 2 starters from last year's team: Senior Rachel Holcomb (S/OH) and Junior Morgan Brooks (Libero).

Others returning from last year's varsity squad: Senior Alisa Babcock (MH), Juniors Marissa Sitts (MH) & Hannah Sorosky (S) and Senior Brigitte Capirci (S).

Our new comers to varsity this year will be Juniors Emily Powerie (OH), Eric Haugh (S), Emma Parish (OH), Stephanie Salmon (OH), Bailey O'Keefe (OH), Sammi Reardon (OH) and Sophomore Carrie VonMuench (OH).

At this point I am supposed to make a prediction on how the year will go: My guess is it will take some time to get the team to gel and work together. How does our competition look? Tough.

Man I am tired. I will update this Blog whenever I get a chance, and not a moment sooner.

Camp Info for Caz College - Click Here

I have received camp info for Caz College. The Link above has all the info! Looks like a good one!

Spring is here (at least for now)

Well the season is over and as many know we came up a short again this year in the finals. Oh well. Took me a FULL 2 weeks to get over it! But now I am, and I am already looking forward to next year.

Our numbers are stronger than ever:
We had (24) girls play modified VB this year, out of a total of (40) 7th & 8th graders in our building, along with (16) on JV and (12) on Varsity
Even stronger than our numbers is the enthusiasm of the girls playing volleyball. I will be entering my 10th year of coaching VB in 2010-11 and I am not exaggerating when I say, that in those 10 years, I have never seen (or felt) the type of enthusiasm for the sport of VB that we have right now.

I think a lot of the success and excitement in our program right now goes to Coaches King and Arquiett. They did a great job with the modified teams this year. Not only did the teams have great records, but all of the girls got significant playing time, which equals fun, which equals experience, which equals a better VB program.

I hopeful that once summer rolls around we will be able to get kids in 2 or 3 (or 4???) times a week for some off-season workouts that will not only benefit their volleyball skills, but help get them get ready for the fall season.

Now a few words about our volleyball Facebook experiment. I am embarrassed to say this, but Facebook is new to me, so I don't know the "ins and outs" of it. So right away I need to thank Emily Powrie for helping me get this set up.

What I don't want, is a typical Facebook page, I don't want any posts or "fans" that are not Hamilton VB related or get into people's personal lives, save that stuff for your own pages please. We have a real opportunity to promote and share our VB program using Facebook, the pictures that have been uploaded are great, the posts are great and that is how I envisioned it.

My goals for the VB Facebook site are to provide a central location for all of our players, their parents, VB alumni and fans to get information about our program and stay in touch.

I will try to keep the blog updated at least once a week, hopefully by embedding in our Facebook page it will be easier to access.
~ Coach roy
Enjoy the great weather and Spring Sports.

The Second Season Begins

Well after spreading the doom and gloom of mid-season blues in my last post, the team made me look silly. Not only did they win their last 3 matches to secure the number one seed in sectionals, they played very well in all 3 matches!

Now the trick becomes staying healthy. There is a "bug" spreading around that is no fun, take it from me. We had 4 girls out today sick and one that probably should have been. These are the situations where you find out what kind of "team" you have. It is very likely that we will go the rest of the season without having one practice with all 12 girls in attendance. We will need to stay together and persevere. Practice becomes more difficult when even one person is not there, much less having 3 or 4 or 5 out sick and the team will need to overcome this, because it will happen.

It is no secret anymore that one of the main keys to staying healthy and keeping your immune system strong is getting plenty of sleep (notice I said sleep not rest) and maintaining a proper diet. Burning the candle at both ends this time of year, is about the worst thing one can do to their body.

I am very excited to see the team play Thursday, their attitudes have been great the last three matches, the hustle is up and we are playing as a team.

Gotta run need to read Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose for the 256th time this month.

I will leave you with a quote from a recent interview with Coach Laidlaw: When asked about emotional leaders on a team.

Laidlaw: I feel it's very hard for today's generation to lead. Thoughts of, "Who are you my boss?" or "Coach's pet," are around. I find the best "leaders" are the ones who work HARD, can withstand PAIN to the point where they will sacrifice anything for the TEAM and the DESIRE has to come from them. There is NO WAY a coach can teach HEART... it must come from within.

Mid-Season Blues??

Although we are well past mid season (only 3 matches left until sectional play starts), the team does not seem to be on the same page. Experiencing lots of mental & communication errors and lack of focus between points. Although we have gone 2-1 one since my last post, it is pretty obvious that we are not "Locked in" as a team. We are winning, but it sure doesn't feel like we are.

Sometimes I feel like the team doesn't believe it can win a championship and subsequently they start to not make the team and it's goals a priority. Over the past 3 years my teams seem to have lost their passion for winning as the post-season approaches. 2nd round in '08 lost to a team we had beaten twice in the regular season, made the finals in '09 and lost to a team that was beatable, but boy was it a struggle the weeks leading up to that sectional final.

Now here we are again poised to head into sectionals as the number 1 seed for the first time ever (we need to win our last 3 matches to do so) and instead of peaking we are taking steps backwards. I believe I can coach a team to the sectional championship, I can picture it, I honestly believe I can do it. I have this belief with out ANY proof that it can happen!! I've never coached a team to a volleyball sectional championship, but I still believe I can. But does the team? No one on the team has ever been part of a Hamilton sectional championship team, could this be the reason, that they have no proof that if they believe it will pay off?

One of the greatest factors for success is the ability to believe without proof. To know that even though you haven't accomplished something yet, that you are good enough to, and that you will accomplish it. When we were kids we believed in Santa Clause, we believed with all of our heart that one man could deliver all those toys, and to this day I still believe in the spirit of Christmas. There is something that just happens around this time of year that is magical even though there is no proof that there is anything different during this time of year compared to say, June. Almost everyone believes with no proof. I think people could achieve almost anything if they could have that kind of belief in themselves (and their teammates).

When we compare this to volleyball, it is seeing yourself win when you haven't even played the match yet. For me, I think about winning championships, I think about someday coaching in the State Championship match (even though that doesn't exist for winter volleyball, how's that for belief!). I can see those things, I believe I can accomplish those things, no matter what anybody tells me. I want my players to have that.

I hope for my players to start with some small things, believing they can make a dig on a ball that they think is outside their range, hitting a good serve late in a match or set, hitting a shot that they didn't think was within their ability, showing leadership...that one is huge, because I think so many of them are afraid to lead, because they have no proof of what the outcome may be. They are afraid they might receive negative feedback...to believe that they can lead even though they have no proof that they can - that would be huge, huge for the individual's self confidence, and self worth - huge for the team - huge to have multiple members of the team believe in something with no proof.

That's what we need...BELIEF...in ourselves, our teammates, our program, our school. If we have that nothing can stop us! AND THAT I BELIEVE!

Quick Update

2010 is off to a good start, team is 5-1 since the ball dropped in Times Square. Lost to a very good Canastota team this evening. Defensively they are the strongest team we have ever seen. Felt like they had 8 players on the floor. The highlight of the new year was our 5 set win over Sauquoit Valley on Wednesday, man was that fun. As you can see from the time stamp on this post it is late - we are taking the Coop to the science center tomorrow in Ithaca, not sure if he will have any fun, but I know I will.