Dig This!

March 2009

Wow!  What an amazing realization that I now have the opportunity to spearhead an organization with so many natural leaders that I have met throughout the years within the volleyball community in our state!  And to follow in the well-placed footsteps of Heidi Hahn, Wally Brown, and, of course our admirable leader of the past two years, Lonnie Morken, it is truly an honor!

Thinking back to my first days of playing volleyball at Moorhead State, I realize how naive I was when I first started playing and hit the ball with my hand in the shape of a fist.  A female teammate (whom I was hoping to go on a date with) mentioned to me, “Why don’t you try to open your hand to hit the ball harder?”  Latching onto the adolescent ego, I responded:  “But I hit the ball pretty hard already.”  She convinced me to try it once while she blocked me on the other side of the net.  Well, on my first attempt I swung and hit her right in the nose.  As she ran to the bathroom to wipe up the blood that was pouring out of her nose, I started to realize there is a lot more to the sport of volleyball than just hitting a white ball as hard as you can!  For some reason, I never did get a date with her . . .  The next day I checked out every video and as many coaching books from the library I could find! 

But even today I tend to learn less from books and videos and more from the open-minded athletes, the well-meaning parents, and—most of all—the dedicated colleagues whom have spent hours of emails, phone conversations, and in-depth discussions throughout the year with me.  For this, I thank you.

To further develop our rapport with the state’s amazing volleyball coaches, the 2009 Volleyball Coaches’ Association Clinic will be held at St. Cloud University on July 29^th and 30^th with the much-anticipated social being held at the Kelly Inn.  Further information will be posted at:  http://www.mshsca.org/volleyball

Even though the price tags on most items around us are being raised, the sports association dues and clinic registration fees will not be increasing this year.  On-line registration for the clinic and membership dues will be offered this year, too!

At the clinic, discussion will be directed at the new rules that will be adopted for the 2009 volleyball season which include (but are not limited to):

1. Coaches are allowed to stand during play;

2. any part of the body to be considered legal contact with the ball, including feet and legs;

3. bobby pins, no longer than 2 inches in length, may be worn to control a player’s hair.

Further clarification is posted at:  http://www.mshsl.org/mshsl/sports/VB2009PressReleaseCoachStanding.doc

As a final request, I ask that you block off July 29^th and 30^th to journey up, over, or down to St. Cloud University to meet the many volleyball beacons who shine throughout our state who will be talking about the realigned sections and conferences, implications of new rules, strategic offensive formations, junior high drills, psychological challenges, and many other volleyball-related topics that enable each of us to graduate from a concept of hitting with our hand in the shape of a fist and possibly giving someone a bloody nose to walking out of the State Cloud State gym with our hand gripping another coach’s hand for a handshake in appreciation for sharing an experience from their lifetime.