GSJ News – 2/6/2012 – Challenges and Successes

One of the things I appreciate about the Bible is the fact that it deals with so many of the emotions and conflicts we have in everyday life. Sports has a way of bringing out those conflicts and emotions very quickly. As coaches, players, and families we are brought up in a society of high expectations and very little sacrifice. Is anyone using a dial up modem these days? No, we want better and faster, and we want it NOW. Machines are easy to make faster and better, but building individuals and teams is a much different task. Expectations must be balanced by individual and team sacrifices as well as the reality of the physical and mental attributes of each player. If we try to measure progress only by winning, we are often disappointed. As director of GSJ I’ve tried to focus my attention on the process that makes programs successful. There are countless hamburger restaurants, but McDonald’s created a system to make it the most successful. Our commitment to have a practice facility and host tournaments to help fund our program, give GSJ the same advantages as clubs who rank at the top. We also seek to hire qualified coaches for our teams. Even with all of these advantages in place, the process will not be the same for everyone and the speed at which players and teams develop will be different. Players, parents and coaches all want it NOW, but the reality is it often takes time. The sport of volleyball requires communication, discipline and trust. All of which take TIME to nurture and develop. I hope the following story gives you some insight and inspiration.

Kylie Haun is one of the most amazing players for her size in the state of South Carolina or anywhere for that matter. She lead her team, Hillcrest High School, to the AAAA State Championship this past year. I’ve had the opportunity to witness some of her development over the years and remember when she was just OKAY. Her success is no accident. In My first year working the Wofford College camp Kylie was there for not one, but two sessions. 7 straight days of volleyball training. It was not her skill at that time I noticed, but the fact that she was there for two sessions when other players just came and left after one. When we started the outdoor volleyball series, Kylie was there. She played every time she got the chance. I’ve only spoken briefly to her but you can tell she loves the game by watching her play. She has had many different coaches over the years. Some better than others. Google her name and you will see her accomplishments including State Player of the Year. Remember, at one point she was just OKAY. It was not a fast track but a consistent effort to improve. Her commitment to and love of the game of volleyball made her successful. Dedicated hours in the gym, willingness to engage in the process, discipline, and having a great attitude can all describe Kylie. Watch her play here: http://kyliehaunvolleyball.com/

GSJ is about opportunity. You can have as much or as little volleyball as you want. Not getting enough practice time? See if you can join another team’s practice. Need to work on skills, we’ve set aside Sunday’s from 3 – 5pm for players to come out and work on skills with coaches available for instruction.

Our Regional season will be coming to an end the last weekend in March. If you would be interested in playing a second season from April until mid June please let me know. Cost will be $300 ($100 a month) and include 2 multi Day tournaments (Myrtle Beach and Orlando, FL). Practice at least twice a week. Once we see who is interested we will form teams at the appropriate age levels and assign coaches.

February Payments are due. I’ve been updating payment info and see several who are running past due. If payments are not caught up or arrangements made players may be removed from the roster.

Payments can be sent to: GSJ, PO Box 1648, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 or given to me (Coach Sing)

Teams should have the new Nfinity uniforms. Please return the Mizuno uniforms to your coach to bring to me.

Mizuno Challenge Club Divisions February 11th

Mizuno Challenge Power Divisions February 18th

Thanks,

Coach Sing

How to find region tournament information: All you do is go to the Region website 1) Www.palmettovb.com 2) Click on Tournaments at top- or quick links ” junior tournament schedule” 3) It will provide a drop down list- click on “juniors” then ” Tournament schedule” 4) From there it will show a table of all tournaments sorted by date- on each line- there is a link to right side that says “event info”  – click on it for directions and to download the pool format. Directions are usually posted 2 weeks out and pool info 4 -10 days out.   IS your team registered and accepted- how to know: 1) Go to region website: www.palmettovb.com 2) Quick links:  “Search Tourney Info” 3) This page may take a minute or two to load- lots of info on it.  It will bring up ALL teams tournament entries- once loaded, you can do a search on right side at top of table.  It will accept any partial search criteria – if your team name is ABC 13 Jane.. you can type in “Jane” and it will pull up all teams with Jane in it. This search table will also show RESULTS from completed tournaments. —————————————————————————————- TEAM RANKING/RESULTS You can find team ranking here: http://palmettoregionvb.org/wp/juniors/team-rankings/ Questions concerning rankings should be addressed to Lance Abbott who runs this area: director@csraheat.com  .. only club directors should remit questions- members remit to Club directors.