CLUB INFORMATION

Club history and structure

        Formed in 1977, Team Yakima has now been in existence for more than 30 years, thus making it one of the oldest junior volleyball clubs in the Northwest.  The intent from the very beginning was to include players from all schools in the area, hence the name "Team Yakima".  One result of this involvement by so many girls from various schools has been the development of the Yakima Valley region as one of the most successful high school volleyball areas in all of Washington as attested to by the many conference, district, regional and state championships.

        On the national scene, Team Yakima has a long history, beginning with attending the first-ever USVBA Junior National Championships in 1980.  The next year in 1981, a regional all-star team with a Team Yakima player core and Team Yakima coaches finished second in the national AAU Junior Olympics in Chicago.  The club has also actively participated in nearly all of the annual Volleyball Festival tournaments since they were first held in 1983.  In addition, Team Yakima has represented Washington State in the Can-Am Championships involving state and province teams in years past and had won this international competition several times. The club has also participated in other large tournaments such as the Colorado Crossroads Tournament in Denver, the Las Vegas Tournament and the USAV Nationals. 

    In June 1996, Team Yakima was presented the Distinguished Service to Junior Volleyball award at the 800-team Volleyball Festival in Sacramento, Calif.; the only team in the country so honored that year.  This prestigious award recognized the contributions made to local volleyball by the club during its long existence. 

        Team Yakima is organized as a self-sustaining, non-profit youth sports organization.  Leadership authority is in the form of a Board of Directors that designates a Director who oversees day-to-day operation.  Many parents and community volunteers donate time and effort to help the club function effectively.  Financially, Team Yakima is self-sustaining through funds raised from player dues and fund raising activities.  Donations, which are tax deductible, are always welcome and appreciated.

        Team Yakima is registered as a participating member of USA Volleyball, the governing body for national and international volleyball play in the U.S.  It abides by the guidelines established by the junior division of USAV, endorses the ethics and educational aims of the USAV Coaching Accreditation Program and the American Volleyball Coaches Association.  It also recognizes and supports the mutual value of school and club sports and adheres to the guidelines of the WIAA regarding its policies and goals.

Philosophy and Goals

        Team Yakima is a developmental junior Olympic volleyball program, which means that we strive to provide an intensive training environment that will permit young women athletes to learn, to improve and to develop their individual and team volleyball skills.  The basic ingredients are coaching instruction, practice, physical conditioning and competition.  We believe strongly that all four components are necessary for optimum development.  Our players range from 4th grade through 12th grade and thereby represent a wide range of age, physical development and volleyball skill.  We generally have teams competing at all four age levels (U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18) and have teams of variable skill level within each age range.  This structure provides a suitable team for every player to further her development.

        While development of athletic prowess is the overt goal, we feel it is even more important for the players to experience the enjoyment of athletic competition and to develop the values inherent in team sports.  This includes self-discipline, reliability, team work, commitment to personal and team goals, focus on task, and the consistent striving to perform at the maximum of their ability.  We want our players to respect all opponents, yet fear no opponent or situation.  We want them to learn to appreciate the satisfaction of winning and/or achieving team and personal goals.  We want them to learn the principles of sportsmanship and to display grace and maturity in both victory and in instances of loss.  We believe strongly that the lessons of volleyball will return dividends far beyond today's athletic competition.

Different Types of Teams for Different Players

Within our club different teams have different goals and stress different things to meet the developmental needs of players with varying levels of skill and potential.  This can be described in three levels:  Elite, Competitive and Developmental. 

Elite teams:  can practice 6-9 hrs/week. Have tougher competitions, more travel, higher dues.  Tri-Regional competition with possible National level competitions during the season.  The goal for the Elite teams is to be competitive in the upper quarter of National competition.  All players will play but no guarantees of playing time for any player.  Intended for the dedicated volleyball athlete.

Competitive teams:  can practice 4 hrs/week, Tri-Regional competitions, 1-2 tournaments/month, standard dues.  The goal for Competitive teams is to be competitive in the upper half of Division I Regional competition.  Participation in National level competitions is optional at the team's discretion.  Each player can expect to play a minimum of 30% of the time [averaged out over the season].  Most of our teams fall within this category.

Developmental teams:  can practice 4 hrs/week, local and regional competitions, less travel, standard dues.  The primary goal is  player and team development and improvement.  The secondary goal for Developmental teams is to  be competitive in the upper half of Division II Regional competition.  Each player can expect to play a minimum of 40% of the time [averaged out over the season].  These teams are intended for those players who need to focus primarily on mastering basic fundamentals.

Shared goals for all of our teams

        Within our program, teams at different age and skill levels may well have different immediate goals.  But the following goals are common to all of our teams:

    1.  Play as a team.

    2.  Strive constantly to improve.

    3.  Compete to the max on every point, regardless of how far ahead or behind.

    4.  Have fun.

    5.  Win.