This weekend I had the chance to speak with a coach who I had not seen in several years. "Coach L" has coached many of the top female teams in the region and still runs one of the best high school programs on Long Island.
We were discussing player development and the college recruiting process. She shared a great story that I thought would be great to share with our club:
One of her former players recently returned to thank the coach for pushing her to work hard. This athlete is now playing college volleyball for a Division II school in upstate New York where she is the starting middle blocker and team captain. She was recently selected to the All-Conference Team in her junior year and is looking forward to a great senior season.
This is fairly normal for many of the athletes Coach L has trained over the years. However, this athlete had not been the high school star or a starter on her club team. Her situation had been the exact opposite -- in her 3 years with the club she rarely, if ever, played in any of the team's tournaments. To her credit, she never missed a practice and worked extremely hard during the club season and in the off season.
This is one of a hundred similar stories that illustrate the benefits of hard work, perseverance, and dedication to your goals.
Parents and players should remember this story when they wonder if it is worth the effort and cost to participate in club sports when the player may not be seeing significant court time during monthly tournaments. The long view can often provide a fresh eye on the value and impact of solid training and hard work.
Bill Lee - DIGS President