It has returned - the USAV Junior National Qualifiers!!! Just seems like yesterday it was Dallas and a disappointing USAV Junior Olympic Championships and now teams are hoping to take the path to sunny Miami!!. I will have to recruit in Miami for sure, I heard this could be the best talent laden Championship in USAV Junior Volleyball history - or at least that is what I am telling my AD as I do my trip planning to go to Miami South Beach, er I mean Miami.
With the rise in popularity of the AAU's and JVDA, along with the Volleyball Festival (I think this is the current name) out west, I wonder how many teams participate in the National Qualifiers with no intention of attending Nationals?
I posted a poll on the right side bar to see how many NQ's teams will be attending this year. I think with the economy a bit slow (just a bit), the total number of NQ's for each team would be down. My guesstimate number would be between 1 and 2 for each team or to lay it out to the decimal, I would say a 1.3 average. Only the final numbers will tell us the long awaited truth!
The other day, I was on the the USA Volleyball site looking up NQ dates and I cannot remember so many NQ tournaments. I know us coaches can sometimes get a bit in the Ivory Tower of college employment, but it seems like there has been an addition of one or two NQ tourneys.
As I had written about before, I enjoy all that encompasses the NQ experience - most of all, wall to wall to wall to wall volleyball. Hundreds of courts of volleyballness! Something I have learned to do, when I just need to shut down the recruiting brain awhile, but don't have time to leave the building, is to just find a spot to sit down at the edge of the chasm and watch it all. The montage of images is amazingly entertaining.
I hope that everyone who is travelling this weekend arrives and returns home safe, that the players have a safe and exciting experience, and that Mom keeps the water bottle filled while Dad shags every ball in hitting warm-up!
Good luck to all and thanks for voting on the newest poll.
