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2005 CEVA Regional High Performance
Youth Regional
Team-Blue - Travel Journal
Junior Global Invite Tournament Schedule Journal (scroll down for photos) Entry #1: July 25, 2005 Hi to all, The CEVA Blue team is having a great time. The girls have bonded very quickly and I can only wish any future teams I am associated with can accomplish this feat this fast. I am extremely proud to be associated with such a fine group of young ladies. We all met last Wednesday and for the most part were strangers. The team set in and worked really hard at the task of forming a competitive group. It was evident very quickly the talent on our side of the gym was phenomenal. The practices were fast paced and action oriented, hopefully beneficial to all the athletes. As quickly as it began, the practice sessions were over and off we went to Salt Lake City. An early flight out of Portland is never easy, but SW airlines did a pretty good job of minimizing the waiting time. No one got airsick (at least no one admitted) and the flight was very smooth. All our luggage arrived and we took the short van ride to Westminster College where we met with the welcoming officials who got us into the dorms. The college is small, but very pretty and the dorms are very nice. I have lived in many worse places than where we are staying. After a quick lunch, we loaded up and went to the Lagoon Amusement Park for a day of fun and relaxation. All teams met for a BBQ style dinner and a very informal opening ceremonies. There was some entertainment provided, but I believe all the girls had the most fun trying to line dance with all the other teams on the big stage. After the ceremonies the team went out in to the park for a bit longer and then the coach said he was tired and ready to go to the dorms and relax a bit. One of these days (hopefully not very soon) each of these young ladies will realize how tiring it can be running herd on a group of kids. Sunday was a "down" day, with only a two hour practice taking up the team's time. Coaches and chaperones had a bit more to do (meetings and such) but the girls got out and about. going to scenic places like Michaels (getting beads to "bling" out their phones, they have mine at this time and I am somewhat scared of how it will look when they give it back to me) and to a couple of other stores. Today (Monday) is the first of 4 competition days. We started off at 0800 against one of the Intermountain Region teams (locals) and played a great match. The girls started off very hot, beating a much taller team 25-18. Defense is the key to our success, and the back row didn't let a lot hit the ground. Game 2 was a little different. IVA started utilizing their height advantage and started making it tough for our hitters to put the ball away. It is amazing to watch a 6'4" front line put up a "wall" at the net. The team made some adjustments midway in the game, but was not able to mount a complete comeback. We lost game 2 14-25 (not as lopsided as it appears). Game 3 started the same as game two, but after a couple of timeouts, the girls started playing how I had envisioned. Heart goes a long way on the court and the team showed just how much they had. Down 17-22, the girls got into a groove and came back to win 25-23. They were starting to believe. It was a great game to watch as the excitement showed on each of their faces. Every one of them contributed to the victory, whether from their actions on the court or their outspoken cheerleading from the sidelines. Game 4 was almost a repeat of game 3. We seem to like digging a hole and then working out out the abyss. We found ourselves down 11-19 and then mounted our "trademark" (I hope they decide not to do this every time as my heart cannot take this much excitement) comeback. We tied the game at 23, but IVA stepped up and let their height put a couple HARD kills down. None the less, the team was still excited and it carried over to the last game. Game 5 was a seesaw adventure with several lead changes and momentum shifts. In the end however, the IVA team pulled out a win over our team. This was one of the classic matches that neither team deserved to lose. The IVA coach could not say enough about the way our team covered the floor. I am extremely proud of the way the team played and their mettle in the trying times they faced. They came back time after time when it would be very easy to fold. I am only disappointed FOR them (definitely not IN them) as they deserved to win after such a Herculean effort. Having a blast in SLC, more to follow. Entry #2: July 26, 2005 Hi to all from SLC, After a great five game match to start our tournament, we all got to experience something very unfamiliar in tournament play; a six hour wait between matches. That's right, I think I mentioned we went shopping on the way back to the dorms. I was more bored than the team was as they were busy decorating my phone with the beads from Michaels. WOW, let me tell you, I have a one of a kind, bling bling phone now....and its permanent as they super glued the beads in place. Just one of many good memories I will take from this experience.
After food and naps for all, we got up and went back to the gym to face the Northern California Region (No Dinx) top team. I had the opportunity to chat with the coach for a while and he explained a lot about the growth of the the HP program in his region. They are in their third year and like plants, in the third year they took off. Numbers of participants and exposure really helped their program. And it definitely showed in their play as the No Dinx girls did not make very many mistakes during the match. It has been said volleyball is a game of who makes the least amount of mistakes and how you capitalize on the opponent's mistakes. Unfortunately for our team, we could not quite attain the level of play we put out in the morning and Northern Cali took advantage of this. We played pretty good in spurts, and mounted our seemingly signature comeback time and time again. But we were unable to sustain the effort and fell short to a very good club. We lost in three, 17-25, 16-25, 20-25. The girls worked hard and I feel the LONG break in between the matches contributed to the inability of the team to stay hot as they had been in the morning. We returned to the dorm and the team went to dinner on the town. They chose a SLC favorite, the old standby Red Robin. Our chaperone, Michelle accompanied the team as I had to attend a get together of coaches at one of the town's local watering holes. The social was nice and well attended as almost all the coaches and committee members were there during the evening. I felt for the foreign teams as only one from each delegation spoke English which made communication difficult at best. But, when in doubt, just smile and things generally go ok, and that simple gesture seemed to work. On to Tuesday morning and the much anticipated match against the Russians. The girls were excited (and me as well) to get an opportunity to play against an international team. The Russian staff was large, as there was a head coach, two assistants ( a set of female twins who played on the Russian national team at the Olympic level) a trainer and a reporter. Warm-ups began and the girls got to see what the other teams had been talking about for the past two days: a spectacular hitting exhibition by a group of very talented (and tall) athletes. These v-ballers were hitting not the 10 foot line but pretty much the 4-5 foot line on the warm ups. It was impressive to say the least. But, as I reminded the girls, the passes have to be there for the setter to operate so we had to wait and see what the Russian defense was all about before we should get too worried. The anthems were played, the gifts and pleasantries exchanges, and then both teams got down to business. We started out in about 2nd to 3rd gear, moving pretty well, but not really adjusting to the style of play the Russians were using. International volleyball seems to consist of very high sets and the hitters either pounding the ball down or tipping to every hole on the court. They definitely got their share of hits around and OVER our blockers. They were all very good athletes. After a few adjustments throughout the match we put together our best effort to this point. After losing 16-25, 18-25, the girls played a total game, with very few mental errors. They were ahead at the 2nd technical timeout (we refer to these as TV time outs on local sporting events) 18-17. Tied at 20-20, the Russians mounted an assault and combined with some nervous NW girls, they pulled out the win 20-25. Nonetheless, the girls played phenomenally and I was extremely proud of the effort. We all got together and took a lot of group pictures and then the girls exchanged hugs with the Russian players. This group of kids from the northwest experienced something the vast majority of athletes will never see, and that is the opportunity to play against a foreign national team. These memories will last a lifetime and the smiles on their faces during the interaction between the two teams tells the whole story of this trip. Once again, it has been a pleasure to work with all of these fine ladies and we hope to continue to play good ball. Live from SLC, Mike Entry #3: July 27, 2005 Hello again from SLC, Well, the girls just couldn't get enough volleyball after that great match against the Russians. We did not have another match until 2 PM ( which is much better than Monday's 6 PM game) and I fully expected them to want to go back to the room and rest. But no, they wanted to go to the corner of the facility and watch the boys play. We watched a great game 4 and 5 between the Chinese national team and a Southern California team. It is amazing how much smaller the court looks when the players are all 6-6 or so and much wider. The athleticism totally amazed the girls as most of them had never seen men's competition. 48 inch vertical leaps and sledgehammers for arms were standard. In the end, the SC team beat the Chinese as three serving miscues doomed the visitors. Could we leave then? Noooo...the girls told me they had to wait and watch the Northern California team (No Dinx) of boys play as that team had been cheering us on yesterday. So we waited for the 30 minute warm up and then sat through one game. Unfortunately their new friends lost pretty badly to one of the US National teams. I had the opportunity to sit next to one of the parents of that team who gave me the rundown on the boys. Lets see....one to BYU, one to USC, one to Pepperdine and on and on making the pedigree of the team very impressive. After getting back to the ranch and resting for a while, we returned to the gym and met Southern California. SC is a very good team and we played very well. But once again, the effort fell just a bit short. The SC team executed just a bit better than we did, but just as before, we made some very good improvements in our overall play. The team just gets better and better and more impressive to me is the "never give up" demeanor I see on the court. SC pulled out a win 17-25, 18-25, 22-25. The scores continue to tell the story of the team's mettle as weak-minded teams will play good one game and then collapse for the following ones. This team is filled with hard working kids who refuse to let a loss get in their heads, it seemingly fuels their competitive fire and they push harder. I can't begin to tell you how rare that mindset is for an entire team. It speaks volumes about the girls and the HP program. I would love to have these girls for a club season (or as a group in a couple of years at Clark) as the sky would be the limit on their success. With the volleyball over for the day and only one game scheduled for Wednesday, we had decided earlier to "go out on the town" Tuesday night. The girls showered off the day's work and we met in the courtyard. Without a clear plan in place, we set out to find some good food and entertainment. We jumped in the van and headed downtown. As we started driving down Temple Drive (yes, that road takes you right into the middle of town and to the Mormon Temple) we couldn't help but notice how clean Salt Lake looks. We drove by University of Utah and then started seeing larger and larger houses as we neared the downtown area. We found ourselves in awe as we suddenly were in the Mormon Temple complex. None of us had ever seen the Temple, and let me tell you, WOW!!! The buildings were immense, immaculate and impressive. There were buildings as large as the Portland convention center and as tall as the US bank tower. But these were far more impressive in their majestic setting. We wandered around looking for food and suddenly we were ambushed by the Benihana signage directing us down the alley. Many of the girls had never been to an open grill type setting before and off we went. We were seated at two grills and the show began. There was lots of laughter and awed looks as the food was prepared in front of them. Some would try everything put on their plate by the chef, and others would look, play with (with the chopsticks, that was fun in of itself....didn't know I would be coaching in the dining utensil area) for a minute and then nibble at the offering. The girls had a great time and didn't whine about being hungry for the rest of the evening. After dinner, we began the quest of finding a bowling alley as the girls wanted to show me their prowess at a different sport (is bowling really a sport? I don't know, just asking) We found an alley in a little seedier part of town (security in the parking lot is not a good sign) and went inside for what turned out to be some fine entertainment. Myself included, we only had one "decent" bowler and that was not me. Allix posted the high score of 145, starting the game with a "turkey" (three strikes in a row) and not letting up at all. The rest of us struggled with the much heavier ball (as compared to a volleyball) and the silly rules of keeping the ball in the correct lane or out of the gutters. I am glad there were no serious bowlers around us as there wasn't a lot of proper lane etiquette exhibited, but there was a lot of fun and good times. We left the alley and went back to the dorm for the evening. As soon as I am done with this posting, we are going to jump into the van and head into the mountains to visit Park City and the Olympic Village. The facility is reported as "awesome" and the girls should have some good fun there. We play one more match in pool play later and then we will have the tourney tomorrow (Thursday), I cannot believe it is almost over as it has been nothing short of a great trip. You all are very lucky to have such fine young ladies you can call your daughters. More updates later, Mike Entry #4: July 28, 2005 Hello from SLC, Emotional roller coaster. That would be the best description of what I have experienced with these incredible kids. As I left you with us heading to the Olympic Village and Park City, we had played hard and had a lot of fun in our off time. The kids continue to stay busy, even on a small campus with minimal people around. Whether they are chilling in the student center, playing beach ball with the other teams (yep, the draw is the boys, just as you have probably figured) or just watching a movie with other teammates, they have gotten along great and I have not heard of ANY issues amongst the team. Incredible for a group of 12 girls living together for 8 days. This wouldn't have even made a decent reality show as there was no drama to hold viewers attention. I couldn't have asked for a better group. I also want to mention all the work Michelle Beeler (Stephanie's mom and team chaperone) has done that has helped so much in our success. The importance of a good chaperone cannot be overemphasized. Thank you Michelle. The trip to the Olympic Village was up about 20 miles of winding interstate at a constant 6% grade. The drive would have been fun in a sports car, but in a 15 passenger van it was a long, slow grind. But, the grind was well worth it as we were met with spectacular views from atop the mountains. We could see the ski slopes in the distance (the 120 meter and 90 meter jumps) and as we approached, we could see skiers practicing. Even at a distance it was phenomenal. We parked and then started wandering around the park. One could quickly see why this spot was chosen for the XIX winter games as everything was perfect. The view and villages in the valley gave the impression of being in the Swiss alps. We watched possible future Olympians practice a number of different sports. There were skiers and snowboarders practicing their jumps into a bubble pool. There were 5 jumps of various heights which would allow the jumpers to practice their ariel tricks. A pool was injected with air to form a mass of bubble which softened the landing. Most of the jumpers were fairly good but there were a few who I am sure were glad the bubbles were there as they totally missed their landings. From there we walked over to the jumps we saw in the distance. Having never seen anything like this, I as well as all the girls, were in awe of how high the jumps were. There were kids practicing on the artificial turf (wetted down to lessen the friction) and getting huge air and hang time. I say kids literally as most of them looked to be younger than the team. It was impressive to see how far they jumped and the poise they showed. I still wonder how one goes about getting into the sport of jumping. We had watched enough, now was the time for us to have a little excitement. There is a "zip line" that comes down from the top of the 120 meter jump that is open to the public. Basically it is a suspended harness that you sit in and then get "dropped" out of a chute at about a 60 degree angle. The speed and exhilaration you experience is quite incredible. We went 4 at a time (on separate lines, in race fashion) I went with the first group (lead from the front as the height intimidated a few) and of course with the girls competitive nature, I was told "its on" by Alyssa. Unfortunately I don't think she took into consideration that in a gravity fed situation, the one with greater mass (yep, that would definitely be me) will go faster. (I had to make up for not winning at the bowling alley :) ) Some had to go again as they had loved the experience so much. We decided (the girls as a whole) not to go to Park City. We had a few of the moms who had reconned the area and said it was just a typical ski town, with the accompanying high priced diners and shops. So we stopped at Starbucks, got the mix of Frappachinos and like and headed back to the dorm to rest and prepare for the 6 PM match. We stepped onto the court and got to business. The girls were prepared and worked very hard throughout the evening. We lost the first two games, 22-25, 21-25 but were not down emotionally. We had played well to this point, and after a "HOO-HAH" motivational speech, the girls stepped it up another notch. We won the 3rd game, 25-21 and then the 4th 25-22. The girls were pumped. They were operating on all cylinders and with premium octane. Game 5 started out with nerves ruling on our side. We found ourselves down 0-7 very quickly as the passing skills they had just shown seemingly left the building. The team would get a small burst, then give it right back. When the score reached 6-13, the final timeout was called and I told the girls how proud of their efforts I was and just asked them to go out in style. The results were incredible. What heart they showed as they tied the score at 14-14. The score was again tied at 15-15. That is when the Intermountain team's setter dropped a perfect two handed dump over our blockers. She had not dumped all game and no one saw it coming. We all were expecting her to set their big outside hitter. Perfect timing for a dump. We still were alive but unfortunately our attack went long, and we lost a heartbreaker 15-17 in the fifth. There was nothing left on the floor as everyone had given their best. I was extremely proud of the effort and heart the team had shown, as it would have been far too easy to fold during the 3rd game. This once again showed the mettle of the team. The unfortunate part of this story is that the loss matched us against our sister team on Thursday morning. The girls came out and played a good match but seemed just a touch off from the form they had shown the day before. They never gave up though, and fought to the end. We fell in three to a very talented Red team from our region. I am extremely proud to be have coached and gotten to know a very fine group of young ladies. They all possess great skills and unlimited potential. Every one of these kids have what it takes to compete at the next level. After the match the emotions set in. I have never had tears in my eyes when addressing a group of kids. I lived their ups and downs throughout our brief time together in a way I never had with any team before. I got choked up when making the final huddle of our adventure (I think I was the catalyst for others to break down also and for that I apologize) and could not speak as the tears came. They are starting now as I write this letter. Thank you to the parents for allowing your kid to be a part of this team. Thank you to each of my athletes as you have given me some great memories. Thank you to the High Performance staff and the CEVA staff for the opportunity to participate in an incredible event. That's about it for now. I have to shift gears or I will find myself in tears again. (I think I am getting more emotional in my old age) We are now back at the dorms, packing and preparing for the trip home. I have asked each of the girls to write down some of their thoughts and memories of the trip and will include some of them in my final posting tomorrow. I hope this experience has been as moving for them as it has been for me. Thanks again to all who made this possible, Mike Entry #4: July 28, 2005 Hi once again, As I was driving around in my patrol car Friday morning, I felt I was missing something. I realized quickly I wasn't missing coffee or anything physical, it was the emotional absence of the kids. We spent so much time together during the last eight days I just plain missed the kids. This group was the greatest group I have ever coached and in those eight days, I experienced the entire spectrum of emotions associated with a season. And when that much is compacted into a smaller time frame, emotions are magnified ten-fold. I had to pull over and sit for a few minutes to regain my composure. I would like to express once more many deserving thanks to many people. I apologize in advance if I miss anyone. To John, Breen and Harmik; thanks for the opportunity and your support, without that this trip would have been chaos at best. To Michael and Jim; thanks for the opportunity to get to know you two, you are good people and I really enjoyed working along side two fine coaches. To Michelle Beeler, thanks for chaperoning the girls, I could not have hoped for a better chaperone and enjoyed your company throughout the trip. To the parents of the team (both those who traveled with us and those who could not) thank you for letting your child be a part of the team and of my life. They are a great group of kids and a testimonial of your parenting skills. And lastly, but certainly first in my mind, to the team; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING!!! You all are very special and will always be remembered (I am drinking Starbucks from the photo mug right now.....yes, my eyes are watering a bit ) as the greatest group I have coached. Stacie, Steph (Veronica), Jordan, Kelly, Lacey, Kaitlinn, Danielle, Maggie, Allix, Stef, Sara and Alyssa (that is in numerical order of course) are 12 names I will never forget. Signing off from SLC, Mike Excerpts from the HP Blue team letters: “I had an awesome time! …. I made a lot of new friends from all over the region. It was awesome to play the Russians!”---Sara Elias “I had so much fun with this team. The girls were all a ton of fun and the coach was fantastic….I’m so glad I had the opportunity to play on this team. It is certainly an experience I will always remember.”---Kelly Lovett “This was a great experience for me to play against some great teams! It was so much fun to play the Russians….great time bonding with the team…I learned a lot from the coach and team members.”---Stacie Appel “I thought that this trip was so much fun and an interesting learning experience….all the teams were different from what we play in the NW…..I will definitely be back to try out next year!”---Lacey Mannix “Salt Lake City is an experience that I am never going to forget. I have learned so much on and off the court. I learned if you do anything with heart and excitement you can go wherever your dreams may take you.”---Kaitlinn Moody “My experiences have been amazing throughout this whole thing….I had an awesome time with the girls…I want to thank you for everything…..and hope that I can continue again next year.”---Maggie Rivers “This has been an awesome opportunity! I will never forget the friends and memories! I will definitely be trying to do this again next year.”---Stephanie Beeler
“Awesome…incredible…to
see the level of play from around the
world widened my eyes to see how hard
you have to work to get to that
level….the coaching was awesome…” “This has been an amazing experience for me….our coach was unbelievable…treated us like his daughters since the first day….I recommend this team to anyone who loves volleyball.”---Danielle Pimental “The whole tournament had a friendly atmosphere…The HP program is an amazing way to meet others from around the region….This being my 2nd year, I loved going to Power League and seeing my friends!”---Alyssa Finn Photos
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