Last evening I was at the Biddeford @ Thornton Academy match. They had more than 300 fans in the bleachers including large student body sections from both schools. One entire side of the gyms bleachers was nearly filled! To the surprise of most in the gym the Golden Trojans (TA) gave the Tigers (Biddeford HS) a good fight. Despite the 3-0 win for the visitors, two of the three sets were close to the end, and at one point in the first set TA was ahead 16-15 before Biddeford rallied to win 25-19. At least one TA player played with BOOM Volleyball in its inaugural season, and it showed. She had four or five kills during the match, and a couple of blocks against Biddefords 61 Kendra Cote (Maine Juniors) Several players in this match have JO experience, and it showed. The Gold Medal Squared coaching was very evident during this match with several of the players. I spoke with the Thornton Academy athletic director, Gary Stevens, and he couldnt say enough good things about what bringing volleyball to Saco has done for an amazing number of girls at his school. This year they had 88 young women attend the first day of pre-season practice. Last year they had 93, and in their first season as a club program they broke camp with 53 student-athletes (all this with just one net in their gym!). Stevens told me that they have a varsity team, a couple of JV teams, a freshman (or first team) squad, and a large number of intramural players working to develop skills to take them to the next level. They have a former NH girls volleyball coach who is now teaching at the Thornton Academy Middle School (TAMS), and who is now taking charge of their intramural program. Stevens told me that these players actually have at least six match scheduled for this season. The level of play of high school volleyball in Maine has gone through the roof in the last five years in large part because of the success of those players continuing their experience during the Junior Olympic season, and with the addition of seven new club teams in Southern Maine this year there have been 11 new schools to come to high school girls volleyball in this region since 2011. This represents approximately 300 new high school girls volleyball players in Maine over the past four years. Great Job Maine volleyball community! GREAT JOB MAINE VOLLEYBALL COMMUNITY.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 14:43:40 +0000
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