13 Scarlet #1 in the Nation!
Did you know that 13 Scarlet is the top Dig Pink Tour fundraiser in the nation? You can see the top five fundraisers in the nation here. Great job, Scarlet! It's time for Front Range teams to do their best to get Front Range all over the top five! Start brainstorming ways that you can raise money for cancer research!
By now, you should have heard from your Team Rep and/or coach about fundraising and clothing. Crossroads is getting closer and we want to be a big part of the "Sea of Pink"! For teams participating in week one of Crossroads, the Dig Pink™ Day will be on Sunday, March 15th. For teams participating in week two, the Dig Pink™ Day will be on Friday, March 20th.
Local news personality Chris Parente from KWGN will be covering the Dig Pink festivities at Colorado Crossroads. All Front Range teams will be a part of his feature, so we need be at the front door of Lobby A of the convention center by 6:15am on Friday, March 20th. Dress in all the pink you can! The more pink you sport, the better your chances to get on tv! See more of Parente's features here.
See ideas about how to get donations on Dig Pink's website. Remember that you have to have $500 in donations per team in order to get your team a Dig Pink goodie bag. Also remember that fundraising doesn't have to stop with Crossroads because until there's a cure for breast cancer, there will still be money needed for research and treatment.
Front Range teams will be wearing the Dig Pink Tour shirts available for purchase at the Water Marque booth at Crossroads (the same place you buy all your tournament shirts).
Let's go help in the fight to find a cure for breast cancer!
Crossroads!
First things first: we'll see everyone down at the Convention Center tomorrow to help set up for Colorado Crossroads. The tournament is only two days away and we have a lot of work to do but, remember, many hands make light work.
DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION SHEET HERE
Next up is schedule information for the teams competing in the first weekend. Remember that Real Time Results are available all weekend long from Midwest Volleyball Warehouse by clicking here.
Red: Coach Craig Kingsley |
3pm Play Court 60 |
Cardinal: Coach Dave Youngblood
|
3pm Ref Court 1 |
Amber: Coach Erin Dilbeck |
8am Play Court 4 |
Royal: Coach Betsy Stackhouse |
8am Play Court 11 |
Scarlet: Coach Michelle Hoffner |
8am Ref Court 59 |
Power #4 Results
Congratulations to all teams participating in last Sunday's Power Tournament. Let's hear it for Blue, who finished first in Division 1 of 17's and Pink, who remained in Division 1 of 13's!
Silver: Coach Eduardo Fiallos |
6th in 17's Div 1 |
Blue: Coach James Beasley |
1st in 17's Div 1 |
Red: Coach Craig Kingsley |
8th in 16's Div 1 |
White: Coach Bob Poulter |
7th in 16's Div 1 |
Cardinal: Coach Dave Youngblood
|
6th in 16's Div 2 |
Royal: Coach Betsy Stackhouse |
7th in 14's Div 1 |
Scarlet: Coach Michelle Hoffner |
3rd in 13's Div 1 |
Pink: Coach Jen Pokraka |
5th in 13's Div 1 |
Great job, teams!
Club News
The Soph 79 list assembled by PrepVolleyball.com has been released and four Front Range players were included. Congratulations to Morgan Gradishar for being a highest honorable mention and to Laura Whalen for being a special honorable mention. The website indicated that more information was needed about Morgan Bohl and Bailey Karst. PrepVolleyball.com also released their first national rankings of 15's and 16's teams. The lists included both 16 Blue and 15 White, which were both given honorable mentions.
Special congratulations to Ryan Ammerman for being named both Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week as well as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week. See UC Irvine's press release here.
Playing Extraordinary Volleyball
by Tim Engels
Coach Miret was talking to me the other day about how volleyball is changing. He's been tracking the statistical results of matches of the top performing club teams in the nation for a long time. He's noticing now that the very best teams are creating some outstanding statistics, i.e. averaging fewer than five errors per set while generating 20+ points. Now that's putting pressure on your opponent!
It's an interesting trend that's also showing up in golf and tennis. The goal of top golfers nowadays is to shoot a 54 - birdying every hole. Tennis players now want to play nearly error-free sets while still hitting their share of winners.
Front Range teams are being asked by their coaches to be able to perform at this level. We're working with all Front Range teams to be able to approach these kinds of numbers during this qualifying season. When Front Range teams are serving tough, passing well and operating in system, making good setting and hitting choices, and playing solid defense, we're hard to beat! How quickly can you become a player who helps your team to create a high scoring offense, low error defense at Crossroads?
Your physical fitness is the first step toward playing error-free, aggressive volleyball. Then comes all of the skill and tactical wisdom you're developing as individuals and teams at passing, serving, setting, hitting, blocking and defense. The mental toughness routines you've been developing this season are another important part of achieving this goal. It doesn't work to focus on NOT making errors. Instead, it's important to become really good at FOCUSING ON being in good position, making plays, and playing the options the ball gives you.
Mental toughness is taking charge of what you're thinking, how you're feeling, and the actions you're taking.
It means maintaining your composure and competitive determination - focusing on the right things, making good decisions, i.e. letting the ball tell you what your options are, noticing what options your opponent is giving you, making aggressive, high-percentage choices.
As you approach Crossroads and the Qualifier season, take charge of what you're thinking and how you're feeling by using your routines.
Take charge of what you're thinking with mental rehearsal and noticing/looking back. Taking charge of how you're feeling with breathing - a) 3-stage breathing to release anxiety and tension by collecting any anxiety or tension in your chest as you inhale and breathing it out as you exhale; b) 3-stage breathing to increase energy, focus, determination by breathing in energy as you inhale and spreading the energy through your body as you exhale.
Have a great tournament!
Welcome Mat
Please welcome the newest additions to the Front Range family!
Pictured above (from left to right) are 15 Cardinal's Jessica Dack, Kaitlin Knapp, Emily Baird, and Andrea Roach.
And Now For Something Completely Different...
While digging through the Front Range archives, we discovered a list, submitted by Front Range alumnae, of how "you know you've been at Front Range for a good amount of time if..." Keep your eyes peeled to see new installments from the list. (You can submit your own suggestions by emailing eduardo@frvbc.com.)
You know you've been at Front Range for a good amount of time if you've played for almost every coach in the club.
