Amber Nu'u (left) and Christina Melvin. (photos courtesy of CUBuffs.com and Texas State Sports Information, respectively)

2002 Gold Medalists Graduate

Amber Nu'u and Christina Melvin were last team mates in 2002, when they were both members of 18 Black and captured a gold medal in 18 Open at JO's in Sandy, Utah. They may have attended different schools, but they are united again in spirit as they achieved a common goal, a college degree.

Amber graduated this spring from the University of Colorado after playing volleyball there with her twin sister Ashley. Amber graduated from Smoky Hill High School after playing for former Front Range coach Steve Huntingdale and winning back-to-back state championships. Christina graduated Summa Cum Laude from Texas State University after completing a four-year term with the Bobcat volleyball team. Christina graduated from Green Mountain High School after being a four-time All-Conference selection and being chosen as her school's Scholar-Athlete award in 2003.

Congratulations and Good Luck!

The Boys of Summer

The 2007 Colorado Boys High School Volleyball Association 5A state championships were held May 19, 2007 at Legacy High School. This is the 10th season for H.S. boys’ volleyball in Colorado. Boys’ volleyball is not sanctioned by the CHSAA, but it operates as any other sanctioned spring sport in regard to rules of eligibility, spring season calendar, number of matches during league season, preseason format, and the design of the post-season tournament.  There were 8   5A teams who qualified for the state tournament (from a total of 23 5A teams). Ponderosa High School and Chaparral High School competed against one another in the championship match. It was a tough match between the cross-town rivals with Chaparral winning the best of three series:  25-22, 21-25, and 25-23. This is the 2nd State Championship for Chaparral and the first time Ponderosa has made it to the championship match.

Five players from the 2 teams were chosen for the all state -tournament team: Dalton Ammerman (Chaparral), Luke Ammerman (Chaparral), Jake Wood (Chaparral), Skylar DelSol (Ponderosa), Joe Gilliland (Ponderosa), and Garrett Winther (Holy Family), All Front Range Players!!

Chaparral players: Dalton Ammerman, Luke Ammerman, Derek Eidt, Travis Gann, Jake Wood.  Head Coach: Brett Ammerman.
Ponderosa players: Eddie Harrison, Joe Gilliland, Clay Boatwright, Skylar DelSol.

End Of The Year Banquet

Players, coaches, and parents: be a part of our end of season celebration!
(Friends and family are welcome to attend.)

Where: Hyatt Regency Denver Tech (click here for map/directions)

When: Saturday, June 9th at 6:00 pm

Attire: Dressy, Prom/Homecoming Dress

Cost: Adults: $20.00 each, Players (13 and over): $15.00, Children and players 12 and Under: $10.00 each

Checks only please!
(Make checks payable to FRVBC and place them in the box inside of the office door - mark "banquet" on the memo line.)

All checks must be received by Thursday, June 7th

If this invitation isn't pretty enough for you, see the web version.

Getting It Done

What’s the primary objective in volleyball?  Right – to win the match!  It’s called “getting it done.”  It doesn’t make any difference in the end whether it was pretty or ugly, easy or hard.  The hard fact of life is that we remember and reward the people who “get it done.”

Want to hear what some professional athletes say about getting it done?  Pro golfer Mark Calcavecchia says “Sometimes I’ve been unbelievable, but most times I’m awful.  I’m just not mentally strong enough.  I get panicky.  But that’s the way most of us are.  It’s kind of normal to blow it at the end of a tournament because golf’s just that tough.”

Olympic gold medalist Dick Button describes figure skating as follows: “You’re hoping the knives in your stomach aren’t causing too much damage.  You’re hoping you’ll be able to lift your arms and move your legs.  Somehow you do, and then throughout the program you’re telling yourself, Hold on, Hold on.  It’s so much pressure, and some of the most talented people can’t handle it.  It’s true of any sport at the highest level.”

How will you handle the pressure you’ll face at AAU’s?

1. To become good at handling pressure, you need to experience it repeatedly.  On Day 1, challenge yourself to do everything you can to help your team break up.  With your coach’s help, develop a specific plan of the things you’ll do to help your team.  Then follow through and do it.
2. Remember volleyball is not about you – it’s about helping your team win.  No pouting if you’re having a bad day.  Face the facts and continue working on doing your job for your team.
3. There can’t be any doubt.  Go after every ball knowing you can make the play.
4. Use your routines – breathing, visualizing, believing that you can make the play.  Your routines will help you handle the pressure in the cauldron of competition with the match on the line and spectators, parents, other players, referees, coaches, etc. all watching.  They’ll help you stay calm, focused and competitive.
5. Tiger Woods doesn’t depend on doing anything special.  “I don’t turn it on and off,” he says.  “It’s the same focus all the time, five hours a round, every round.”  Be like Tiger: play every ball of every point of every game of every match wanting the ball, doing your job, playing to win.
6. Win or lose, if you’ve done these things and were beaten by a better team, you’ll feel good about your effort, you’ll have gained valuable experience, and you can leave the court proudly.

Have a great tournament!