By Adam Rohdie
For over 35 years, I have coached high school or middle school sports including baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and perhaps my favorite—basketball. I have coached both boys and girls teams. I have stood on the sidelines to watch literally thousands of games that I did not coach, which included standing in the rain for football games, snow for hockey games (GCDS plays our middle school hockey games on an outdoor rink), and sleet for field hockey and softball. I do this not because I have to as part of my job, but because I love it!
Over the past two years, I have discovered a new true love, and as much as I hate to admit it, I may have discovered the best sport of them all. Not surprisingly, it is also one of the fastest growing sports in America—girl’s volleyball. If you have not caught the volleyball bug, then you might need to crawl out from underneath your bag of soccer balls. Just a month and a half ago the University of Nebraska set a record when 92,003 fans watched the university women’s team beat Omaha 3-0. This was not just the largest crowd to ever see a volleyball game—this was the largest crowd to ever witness a women’s sporting event, period!
I have spent some time thinking about why volleyball may be the perfect sport and offer a few of my observations:
1. While it is hard to become great, it is easy to become an entry level player.
2. You do not need bags and bags of equipment to play. The players need a pair of knee pads and a great attitude.
3. After every point the team comes together to positively encourage each other. This happens whether a teammate makes a terrible play or a great one—the overall attitude of almost every team I have watched has been positive.
4. Referees have very little impact on the outcome of a game. (Interestingly, if a team feels like a violation has occurred, the captain—not the coach—quietly walks over to the referee and they whisper their concern, and the referee whispers his/her response.
5. There are very few injuries in the game. As a matter of fact, it is actually in the top three high school sports showing the fewest injuries.
6. Before every match the players from each team shake hands and then they do it again after the match.
7. When something really good happens (a block at the net, an ace serve), the whole team has a special dance or cheer they all participate in, from the court and the bench.
8. When the game is played at a high level, it can be a thrilling experience, as a spectator or as a player.
In speaking with our Girls Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Morgan Withrow, she sums it up in one word, “respect.” She shared that in her experience players perform the best when they know they are valued and respected, not just by the coaching staff, but by their teammates as well. Coach Withrow adds that a positive feedback loop from coach to player, player to player, and player to coach, results in a more effective, efficient, and fun experience for everyone. She reminds her team that no player intentionally tries to mess up. So, when they do, their teammates ask them what they can do in their respective roles to help their teammate execute their job better. Coach Withrow emphasizes that the players feel ownership of the whole program, cheering on the middle school and JV teams and making sure to respect and connect with all members of the team both on and off the court. Finally, she reflected on a message she received from a player this year thanking her for “believing in me when I didn’t,” confirming for her that magic is happening.
Wouldn’t it be great to see football players and coaches come together after a wide receiver drops a sure touchdown pass and huddle up and shower that player with words of encouragement?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if hockey players shook hands both before and after a game?
Just four years ago, GCDS had no volleyball program at all. As this season wrapped up, over 100 girls have suited up for the Tigers program. While great coaching and competitive teams have attracted students to join the team, I also think there is something inherently positive about this sport, the way it is coached and the way it is played, and I think we all can agree that the world needs a bit of positivity these days.
So, during this Holiday Season, I wish you an as uplifting and positive experience as my new favorite sport—women’s volleyball—can bring!
