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High Performance isn’t all about the Olympics M
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More than 3,000 kids try out for our High Performance program each year, and the opportunities for those players extend well beyond the 24 roster spots on the junior and youth national teams that compete at our NORCECA zone champi- onships and FIVB World Championships in alternating years. In indoor volleyball alone, there are 12 High Performance women’s or girls teams, 11 High Perfor- mance men’s or boys’ teams and numerous high performance camps for both genders, where players receive instruction from top-tier coaches and players, improve and strive to reach the next level.
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One of our ongoing goals is to continue building the High Performance program so more young players can participate. That means more tryouts, more teams, more camps, more players – all at locations that are easily accessible, no matter where you might live. We understand that there’s a great demand for this program. Good players want to become great players, and they relish the challenge of competing against their peers and learning from athletes and coaches who have proven themselves and achieved at the highest level. The success of our annual USA Volleyball High Performance Championships is a prime exam- ple of the growing demand for this program. Last year, the event was held in Iowa, and it featured 98 girls’ and boys’ High Performance teams competing in seven age divisions. Nearly every state in the country was represented, and there were also teams from Chile, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and Canada. This year’s event in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will be bigger still – with more countries, more teams and more players. If you followed the silver-medal run of our U.S. Olympic Women’s Team at the London Olympics last year, you probably noticed there were a lot of young players on the roster, including middle blockers Christa Harmotto and Foluke Akinradewo, outside hitters Jordan Larson and Me- gan Hodge, opposite Destinee Hooker, setter Courtney Thompson and defensive/serving specialist Tamari Miyashiro. Many other young players were on the cusp of making the 2012 Olympic roster. One of the things that helps players who have recently fi nished their college careers step up and compete at the Olympic level is the training that they have received early in their careers through USAV’s High Performance program. It allows our country to get an earlier start building medal-cali- ber teams. U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Head Coach Karch Kiraly learned fi rst hand the value of High Performance-level play early on. “Probably the indoor volleyball experience that galvanized me most was barely making the Junior National team as a high-schooler, then going with the team to compete at the World Junior Championships in Brazil,” Kiraly says. “I’ll never forget watching and learning how volleyball was played by teams from around the world, and starting to believe that we could do that too.”
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Like I mentioned before, Olympic level players are extremely rare. But High Performance isn’t. Lots of players can enjoy the opportunity USA Volleyball provides. It’s a chance to get better, and a chance to see how you stack up against good competition from around the country – and the world. And, of course, a chance to have fun.
After all, High Performance is one of the cornerstones of what USA Volleyball is all about. Olympic dreams really do start here. For more information on USA Volleyball’s High Performance programs for both indoor and beach, visit
www.usavolleyball.org.
Doug Beal
ost everybody who plays volleyball or follows volleyball understands that only a very, very small percentage of kids will grow up to become Olympians. But they also know that lots of kids dream the dream, and those who pursue it are sure to benefi t – both as players and as people. Striving to be your best is never a bad thing. That’s one of the big reasons I’m so proud of USA Volleyball’s High Performance program. It provides players across the country with an opportunity to take positive steps toward pursuing their dreams.
PHOTO: USA VOLLEYBALL
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