High Performance Future Girls' Select A3 Camp

Candice Kasischke
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: candice.kasischke@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 10, 2010) – The USA Volleyball High Performance Girls’ Future Select A3 Camp was held in Colorado Springs, Colo., from July 9-13. The Girls’ Future Select A3 Camp is the youngest age group for USAV High Performance pipeline. The participants are extremely talented and dedicated as they start their journey early within the USA pipeline. The girls are on track to be successful as the future athletes of USA Volleyball.

Managing Director for USA Volleyball's High Performance Indoor Program Tom Pingel felt that the new addition to the HP program should continue since last year was a success.

“It is the second year we have done this camp,” Pingel said. “With the success that we saw with it last year and the talent level we saw in try-outs, we thought it was appropriate to have it again this year. Had we not offered it, these athletes would have been in with other select age athletes, so this allowed them to have a camp with their specific two year age group.”

The camp consisted of 28 girls- two 10-year-old athletes with the rest ranging from 11-13. When the campers arrived on Friday, they had one evening session to learn basics and get to know one another. On Saturday and Sunday, the girls had three sessions from 8-10 a.m., 1-3 p.m., and 5:45 p.m.-7:45 p.m. A tour of the U.S. Olympic Training Center took the place of the girls’ afternoon session on Monday, which was an exciting experience for the campers to intermingle with each other, take pictures together in the Olympic rings and to see where Team USA athletes train. Tuesday ended with a morning session that involved scrimmaging against organized teams and campers’ reflecting upon all of the things they had learned and enjoyed from the camp’s start to finish.

Linda Irvine, mother of camper and setter Abby Irvine (Willis, Texas), is from the Lone Star Region and came to watch the camp as a spectator from the sidelines. Linda Irvine was very impressed with the structure of the sessions and the experience for her daughter overall.

Coprighted  by: USAV USA Volleyball High Performance Girls' Future Select A3 Camp members huddling up.“I think it has been a phenomenal camp for this age group,” Linda Irvine said. “They are incredible athletes and work very well together. The coaches have gone over the basics and have let the kids apply what they were learning in game-playing. Abby is a setter, and she has gotten to learn great new techniques. The coaches are very attentive and really know their volleyball. They give the right amount of instruction and encouragement. It has also been very beneficial for Abby to be here and meet athletes from across the country.”

Jessie Brigham (Prineville, Ore.), a 10-year-old from the Columbia Empire Region, mixed right in with the older athletes. Brigham started learning to play volleyball when she was three-years-old under her mother, Tanya Johns. Brigham, who is already jump-serving, had a great time at camp by making new friends and learning technique and instruction from the High Performance coaches.

“I’ve been playing since I was three, and it has really helped me by starting so young,” Brigham said. “Coming to this High Performance Camp was a really awesome opportunity to advance my game. It was very fun and different, and it was harder than my normal practices. The coaches were really helpful and pushed us really hard, but it was worth it.”

Victoria Brisack (Verona, Wis.), a 12-year-old setter from the Badger Region, found the camp to be more challenging than what she was use to and loved the experience, both on and off of the court.

“I’ve never been away from home for this long, but it has been a very cool experience,” Brisack said. “It was great meeting new girls and staying in the dorms. I was worried I might be at a disadvantage since the players were the best of the best, but I performed well and the coaches really helped me improve a lot. I have never been challenged at a camp, so this was a first."

Mark Britner, the head coach of the Girls’ Future Select A3 Camp, felt that the camp ran smoothly and was pleased with the feedback from the players.

“The camper evaluations were very positive,” Britner said. “The players all seemed to be pleased with the training and want to continue to come back to High Performance camps. It was also great to see that the girls had a wonderful time. All in all, it was a great camp.”

Tags: USA Volleyball, USA Volleyball High Performance