NOTEBOOK Volleyblog No free rides A
phrase that can make me chuckle is “free ride” when associated with an athletic scholarships. While books, tuition and room and board are covered by most full athletic scholarships, the journey to the end was by no means free. I am not sure most people fully ap- preciate the amount of hard work and commitment from athletes and their families that go into earn- ing a scholarship in a sport as competitive as volleyball. Many players battle fatigue, injury, pressure and all the other hurdles a promising athlete is faced with as they work their way up through the high school and junior ranks. The hours of prac- tice, conditioning, proper diet, club tournaments and everything else that is involved in the recruit- ing process can be overwhelming for teenagers, especially when you remember that their fi rst job is being full-time students. Profi ciency as a player isn’t enough. Academic excellence is even more important for young players today, who are often required to excel to an even higher level because of their athletic standing.
Being a parent of a scholarship athlete is no doubt rewarding, but it’s no free pass either. For every thrill associated with a big play in crunch time, there are hours of commuting in traffi c to get those players to practice and tournaments on time. The costs add up with club dues, travel costs, special camps, even trainers. Parents are often “all in” when it comes to their children and volley- ball. There is never a guarantee and rarely even an expectation of a payoff, but when it does materi- alize in the form of a college scholarship it is a special moment the entire family can share together. I know how valuable my scholarship to UCLA was more than 30 years ago, which was really the launching pad for a lifetime of memorable volleyball experiences culminating with an awesome challenge and an amazing opportunity as head coach of the USA Women’s National Team. Those experiences arose in part because of the preparation I received as a student-athlete at UCLA. That’s why it makes me proud to introduce a new scholarship program. With the women’s indoor land- scape so well supported by the collegiate scholarship system, this new program is targeted toward a younger arena, an exciting growth area, of our sport — collegiate sand volleyball. The Karch Kourts Collegiate Outdoor Beach Volleyball Scholarship program will debut in
2014. We plan to offer a minimum of $5,000 in collective scholarship funds to young players who want to pursue sand volleyball at the next level.
Numerous schools have added sand volleyball to their athletic departments in the last few years
Looking for a volleyball camp this summer?
It’s easy. Just check out Pages 60-65 of this issue of Volleyball USA for the Volleyball Camp Guide or go to
volleyballcampguide.com for a complete list of the summer’s best camps. It’s easy as a couple of clicks to register before the rush.
and it’s important to provide as many opportunities as possible. Ultimately we all play this great game for the fun and for the love of competition, but I’d like to see special effort and achievement rewarded.
The criteria for applicants will be available in February of this year on Volley America’s Juniors website (
volleyamerica.com).
»Inside: + USAV Holiday Camp rosters + NCAA Women’s Championships + Shoji family tips Winter 2013-14, Vol. 41, No. 4
Guide to Success
Balancing books, volleyball and life
Karsta Lowe and Christa Harmotto The Official Magazine of USA Volleyball
View the expanded VolleyballUSA digital
Issue for free • Info & Stories on High Performance Pipeline • Expanded Women’s Collegiate Season Reviews • Added video, photos and social media content • Video Demo on Biomechanics of Good Defense And much more with web-linked items to programs, products, etc. Go to
usavolleyball.org/mag for the magazine’s digital link and enter the edition’s username and password located on your print edition mailing label on the cover.
24 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
volleyballcampguide.com
PHOTO: PETER BROUILLET
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