Columbia Empire Receives USAV Boys’ Grant

Bill Kauffman
Associate Director, Communications
Phone: 719-228-6800
Email: bill.kauffman@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 10, 2012) – The Columbia Empire Region, one of 40 Regional Volleyball Associations within USA Volleyball, has been awarded an $11,000 USAV Boys’ Development Subsidy Grants for the 2012 calendar year.

“USA Volleyball is very fortunate that we have amazing leaders in the Columbia Empire Region that will put maximum effort into growing the boys’ and men’s game in the Northwest,” USA Volleyball Coordinator of Coaching Education, Region Service Programs & Grants Andy Pai said. “The synergistic affect with their surrounding USA Volleyball regions by using the Boy’s Development Subsidy to “Grow the Game” will be a welcomed relationship.”

“Columbia Empire Region is dedicating its staff and resources to developing boys’ volleyball in the region,” Columbia Empire Region Operations Director Joe Boken said. “This will be a truly developmental program, where athletes are taught how to play from the ground to the approach to the slam. Where our other programs focus on providing varied playing opportunities, our boys’ program will be offering varied learning opportunities.”

Courtesy Columbia Empire Columbia Empire was awarded a USA Volleyball Boys' Development Subsidy Grant. The Columbia Empire Region is committed to turning what used to be a girls’ only sport in the area into one that both genders can play and enjoy. In its infancy stage of development, the Region has already made a quick impact in growing the game.

“Volleyball has been a gender-specific sport in our region,” Boken said. “We are challenged to teach our region and our male athletes about the great sport of volleyball and how to play. We have several highly motivated parents who have sons who play along with some very experienced adult men who have played collegiately including Jason Ring, who won professional beach volleyball tournaments in California. Thus far, over 100 boys have expressed their interest in playing boys’ volleyball. This may seem small, but compared to the few who played in previous years, the increase is in the thousands of percent.”

Columbia Empire has created a multi-phase season outline to create boys’ development. Phase I, which started back in October 2011 and runs through March 2012, is referenced as the Networking and Catalyzing Interest stage to develop a solid cord of volunteers and coaches with interests in growing the junior boys’ game. Testing the Market is stage two in the Columbia Empire’s timeline, which runs from December 2011 to March 2012. During this time period, Columbia Empire will work with eight distinct areas within the Region in gauging junior boys’ participation. Phase Three, the Spring Indoor Season from April to May 2012, will provide an eight-week competitive practice and competition season. Phase Four, or Sustainability in Future Years, seeks to pull everything together to create a long-term investment into boys’ volleyball development in the Region.

“As a region, we are working closely with USAV and with the regions in our zone to grow the game together,” Boken said. “We are excited to hear about opportunities in Puget Sound, Evergreen and Intermountain where boys are already playing on teams and competing in tournaments. The groundwork and trials our partner regions have laid and experienced are helping us to shape and structure our own growth. The financial support as well as the staff support from the National Office will help us to grow and build a sustainable boys volleyball program in our region.”

Columbia Empire will host open gyms serving as clinics throughout the region as the volleyball knowledge among boys in our region is growing. With interest built, the Region will host league tryouts near the end of March and beginning of April. The eight-week season will conclude season-ending tournament being held Memorial Day weekend.

Columbia Empire is also incorporating beach volleyball into its overall boys’ development programming. The beach junior volleyball season will commence after the indoor season with boys encouraged to attend a USA Volleyball Beach High Performance tryout held on June 9 and several tournaments held throughout the summer.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity for my boys’ to be able to come together and work out and learn how to play the game properly,” said area leader Bill Blair of Dallas, Ore. “I played basketball and baseball in high school and never played volleyball until I was about 22 years old. I started playing two-man and it quickly became my favorite sport due to the continual action, conditioning and atmosphere. One of my earliest memories was after just starting, I went with a friend up to Seaside on a weekend and we got beat by a 52 year old and his teammate. I was stoked due to the fact that I realized that you only need 4 people and you can compete for a long time. When we played, we played hard for the love of the game, not because we were hoping for scholarships, etc. If only we had it growing up. I tell my boys’ that they have a great advantage over me due to the coaching that they will receive. They are going to have so much fun in the future due to learning how to play from some knowledgeable coaches.”

Throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons, practices will be skill-and-drill oriented with the emphasis on teaching the fun game of volleyball. Columbia Empire has many passionate stakeholders involved who have committed to sharing their knowledge and love of the game with these young athletes.

“Volleyball is a passion of mine...I eat, sleep, drink volleyball and there is not a room in my house where a volleyball is not being passed against a wall or set off the ceiling,” said area leader Michal-Ann Watts of Longview, Wash. “Being a mother of two boys I felt frustrated knowing there were limited opportunities for them to find this passion and experience the love of volleyball as I have. Sure, we pepper in the parking lot, but I wanted them to know what it felt like to prepare for battle with teammates by their side. I wanted this for sons, brothers, cousins, and friends all over in my area.”

“In Salem we have had several open gyms and will continue through March,” said area leader Julie Ann Suderman of Salem, Ore. “Our tryout date is April 7 at the Hoop in Salem. We have contacted several clubs and organizations to help promote this sport as well as the high school and middle school coaches and PE teachers. We are excited about getting this sport started in Oregon.”

Tags: boys, Boys, Columbia Empire Volleyball Association, Development, Grant, grants, grassroots, mobile, region, USA Volleyball