Thanks so much to everyone who sent in their USYVL Favorite Moments. We had so many great stories and it was very hard to select just five.
Congratulations to five winners below:
Kathleen Sanchez (Parent, “Tustin, CA”) My daughter is normally very reserved and shy. She loves to play volleyball and asked me to find her a league to play on. I was hesitant because she didn’t know anyone and I feared she would start making excuses not to come. My favorite moment was when I looked over and saw her playing around with some of the members of her team as if she had known them for years! This league brought her out of her shell and now she is not afraid to try new things without having someone that she knows next to her. The kids are all so nice and supportive real team spirit!
Coach (“Camarillo, CA”) Being a coach this season was particularly special due to a 7-year old girl named Amber. Amber was a fearless tiger on the court and spiked the ball harder than most even though she had never touched a volleyball before. After every play, Amber was there to support her teammates with support and positive spirit. She was the first to lead in stretches and end games with a loud cheer. At the last practice, Amber’s dad said I was the best coach Amber had ever had. These words were particularly meaningful to me because Amber was very active in sports. On the very last day, Amber held my hand and with her tear filled blue eyes, told me that she was moving to the east coast. Behind my sunglasses the tears started pouring. It was at that moment that I truly felt the joy and fulfillment of being a coach.
Eric Davis (Site Director, “Santa Maria, CA.”) There was one situation at the end of the season that made all my efforts worth it. I took a back seat as I watched 2 kids work out a situation that just ripped our guts out. We gave all the kids piggy banks from one of our local banks on our last day. We had many games and fun prizes for all of our kids to win, at least one thing. There was a 9 year old girl that had her bank and a 10 year old boy who had won several really great things. He noticed that this young girl was a bit sad. He came up to her and asked why she was sad and she said to him that she had not won anything. He gave the girl and her family one of his larger prizes and told her that we had a great season and we were all so lucky to get so many things. He said to her I hope to see you next season and enjoy the prize. He then gave her a hug and they went on their way. Everyone who saw this was in tears! As a site director to see such compassion makes doing this all worth it.
Coach (“San Diego, CA”) I coached the 12-14 division this season. The only boy on my team was always joking toward his teammates. One practice he had come to me with tears in his eyes. He told me his parents were going through problems and his dad didn’t love him anymore. I told him that there are many things that can hurt that we can’t control. I told him that if he worked as hard as he could and put more effort on the court, he would be doing something he could control and take some sadness away. That day he worked really hard. At the end of the day he had a smile on his face. At the end of the season he was a respectful member of our team. When I gave him his medal, his face was beaming, knowing he worked hard for it. I felt a bond with him and felt that I was someone perhaps that in a little way was there for him when he needed someone, and when he needed volleyball to lift him out of a hole that life had made for him. He’s a good boy and I pray that God will always watch over him.
Dao Maranion (Parent, “Elgin, IL”) I have a husband that volunteered to be my daughter’s team assistant coach and was very blessed to see him enjoy it so much. Having 4 kids and two very active in sports my husband has always loved volleyball and played it avidly. He unfortunately hurt himself badly in that sport and he didn’t play it for awhile. When your league came and being parent volunteered run, it gave him an opportunity to play the sport that he loves so much at the same time playing with his daughter! My favorite moment was when the coaches got together to play a short game for their teams. When I saw the fun and joy on my husband playing out their on the court, I remember flashbacks of watching him play when we were dating and got blessed to see it with my daughter and her friends. All the dads and moms were having so much fun playing together and were setting a great example on and off the courts.
USYVL National Office Favorite Moment!!
The USYVL National office would like to extend a special thank you to John Williams Site director of Lake Oswego Oregon. He coordinated with all his players, parents, and coaches to spell out the USYVL, including color coordination with their USYVL shirts.
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