Since the beginning of our existence 8 seasons ago our Vball team has worked under the direction of two words. Loyalty and honour. These words were important to me personally because it was how I was brought up through hockey. If you were loyal to your teammates and coaches and carried yourself in a way that was honourable you would be respected and considered a success.
During my trip to NZ and Tonga I had a lot of time to think about our team and success and failures we have had. I feel we need to move forward and create a buzz about our program. We need to modernize our thoughts. I find the athletes of today our very socially conscious. They care about a wide variety of things. a few years ago our team was heavily involved in raising money for building a fresh water well in Africa. It was an idea one of the players brought to the team. I decided what can we do to modernize our main goal? First we have to define who we are. When thinking about our program and reading through our press clippings I found we pride ourselves on being built through Brandon and Manitoba athletes first. We know we have to add out of province athletes to help keep us Nationally competitive. But when looking for out of province athletes we look for certain things. They must demonstrate our core values. Be very coachable, hardworking and well skilled. They must be community centered. Often out of province athletes become captains and part of our leadership teams. We want the right out of province athlete who can help inspire our young females.
I was reading the Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. In the book he talks about the need for an ignition to the start of a person desire to be successful. The person hears about about or meets someone that stirs in them to think "well if she can do it why cant I". I think of the possibilities of our players who are being that ignition right now. If you think of our team and the local girls whether they know it or not they are inspiring young females. Kellie Baker was our team MVP this year and Meaghan Robertson was our Female Athlete of the Year, both are heavily involved in coaching club volleyball. Kellie at the U-16 and Meagh at U-14. every practice they are telling athletes I was right where you are w hen I was your age. Now Gillian Leech, Mary Thomson and Jodie Baker are also staring to coach they too are starting to inspire young females. All of them are saying If you buy into this sport or what ever you want to do you can find success, but it isn't easy.
We have signed a letter of intent with Savannah Guttman from Dauphin, she will be our first ever player from that area to play in BU volleyball. Hopefully she can be the ignition for more players from up there to choose to excell and want to be part of BU Vball.
I think back to my early coaching days with the Killam Spartans. Nikki Kelndorfer and Christie Towers made ACAC teams from that club. Within a couple of years that small town club was producing college level athlete left and right. One year in Grande Prairie we had 4 athletes from the club on our team. Nikki and Christie were that ignition.
I really believe our mission for BU volleyball should be to inspire, to be the ignition for young athletes.
Inspire to me means many things, it is our team goal to inspire young females to pursue excellence in their field. To demonstrate the commitment it takes to be successful, whether it is in volleyball or different life skills. I believe if we look at each day as a team with the goal to inspire each other to new levels of success it will help us achieve all our goals. If we look at each day as an opportunity to inspire a young athlete who looks up to our team then that will hold us accountable to the community as well. If we think I have to work hard physically this summer and need to talk to my teammates so we inspire each other to be the best. It gives us a sense of purpose
During my trip to NZ and Tonga I had a lot of time to think about our team and success and failures we have had. I feel we need to move forward and create a buzz about our program. We need to modernize our thoughts. I find the athletes of today our very socially conscious. They care about a wide variety of things. a few years ago our team was heavily involved in raising money for building a fresh water well in Africa. It was an idea one of the players brought to the team. I decided what can we do to modernize our main goal? First we have to define who we are. When thinking about our program and reading through our press clippings I found we pride ourselves on being built through Brandon and Manitoba athletes first. We know we have to add out of province athletes to help keep us Nationally competitive. But when looking for out of province athletes we look for certain things. They must demonstrate our core values. Be very coachable, hardworking and well skilled. They must be community centered. Often out of province athletes become captains and part of our leadership teams. We want the right out of province athlete who can help inspire our young females.
I was reading the Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. In the book he talks about the need for an ignition to the start of a person desire to be successful. The person hears about about or meets someone that stirs in them to think "well if she can do it why cant I". I think of the possibilities of our players who are being that ignition right now. If you think of our team and the local girls whether they know it or not they are inspiring young females. Kellie Baker was our team MVP this year and Meaghan Robertson was our Female Athlete of the Year, both are heavily involved in coaching club volleyball. Kellie at the U-16 and Meagh at U-14. every practice they are telling athletes I was right where you are w hen I was your age. Now Gillian Leech, Mary Thomson and Jodie Baker are also staring to coach they too are starting to inspire young females. All of them are saying If you buy into this sport or what ever you want to do you can find success, but it isn't easy.
We have signed a letter of intent with Savannah Guttman from Dauphin, she will be our first ever player from that area to play in BU volleyball. Hopefully she can be the ignition for more players from up there to choose to excell and want to be part of BU Vball.
I think back to my early coaching days with the Killam Spartans. Nikki Kelndorfer and Christie Towers made ACAC teams from that club. Within a couple of years that small town club was producing college level athlete left and right. One year in Grande Prairie we had 4 athletes from the club on our team. Nikki and Christie were that ignition.
I really believe our mission for BU volleyball should be to inspire, to be the ignition for young athletes.
Inspire to me means many things, it is our team goal to inspire young females to pursue excellence in their field. To demonstrate the commitment it takes to be successful, whether it is in volleyball or different life skills. I believe if we look at each day as a team with the goal to inspire each other to new levels of success it will help us achieve all our goals. If we look at each day as an opportunity to inspire a young athlete who looks up to our team then that will hold us accountable to the community as well. If we think I have to work hard physically this summer and need to talk to my teammates so we inspire each other to be the best. It gives us a sense of purpose
