| By
Rick Woodruff -- Cowlitz Volleyball Club (11/5/02)
Have
you ever been to a middle or high school
volleyball game and had your attention captured
by a particular player, not only because of her
considerable game-playing skills, but also by
her enthusiasm for the game and positive
interaction with teammates and coaches? This
player stands out from the crowd, and many
people take notice. I know that I've experienced
this numerous times, and in nearly every
instance, that particular player was a member of
the Cowlitz Volleyball Club. What accounts
for the difference in this athlete? For
lack of a better term, I'll call it the
"Cowlitz Effect."
Girls
may initially come to the Club as naturally
outgoing and aggressive, or they may start out
as somewhat shy and quiet. Many are somewhere
in-between. Some may even defy being
categorized. But after a season of playing for
the Club, all of them experience a change …
and I'm not talking about just becoming more
skilled or more knowledgeable about the game.
This will certainly happen. What really
jumps out is the change in character.
All
of the experiences associated with playing in
the Club have the effect (read: the Cowlitz
Effect) of developing and refining the positive
attributes that can help a girl
deal with life's twists and turns.
Here's a sampling of
some of those attributes that I've seen develop in
the past few years:
- Self-confidence.
Girls who play in the Club are good at
volleyball, and they know it. They aren't
cocky about it … just secure in their own
abilities. After what they've experienced at
the Club level, they believe they can handle
anything that comes their way at the school
level.
- Leadership.
School teammates often look to Club players
for direction. And the Club players are more
than willing and able to perform this duty,
because they've seen the methods of positive
leadership that are displayed in the Club
system. They selflessly encourage and
support their school teammates, providing a
positive role model for them to follow.
- Dedication.
The Club girls have learned how hard to push
themselves to achieve their goals. Playing
at the Club level, these girls understand
the necessity of effort, sacrifice and
commitment, not only in their personal
development, but also in the strengthening
of their team. It's easy to spot a Club
player … she's the one giving everything
she's got on and off the floor.
And
the list could go on and on (but you get the
idea) …
One
of the rewards for a coach is, when watching
former players at their school volleyball games,
seeing how these positive characteristics have
blossomed and matured in them. The
transformation never stops surprising, and never
gets old. And it happens every year, to every
girl in the Club.
So,
when a girl joins the Cowlitz Volleyball Club,
she may be getting more out of it than she
imagined. And the benefits of the Cowlitz Effect
will last her a lifetime.
Rick
Woodruff is a coach for the 12 Black team of the
Cowlitz Volleyball Club.
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