Notes for Easter Week
I hope everyone has had or is having a nice Spring Break. The sun is finally shining today, so there is some hope that we might actually get some warm weather here sooner versus later. I am not someone who does well when deprived of sunlight!
The weather outside might not be that warm, but the volleyball is sure heating up!
First of all, a big congratulations to 16-1 for their second place finish at the Big South Qualifier in Atlanta. They finished 2nd out of over 130 teams to get their ticket punched for Nationals. On a personal level, this was so exciting for me, as I have watched this team over the years be so close to qualifying and just miss. Congratulations to Coach Brie Hagerty and Coach Gwen Hazlett for the great job they did getting the girls ready to play. I look forward to watching this team continue to get better.
This weekend is the OVR Bid tournament. We have 10 teams entered hoping to secure a bid to Nationals in Miami, Fl in July. (Now that will be one hot spot!) Bid weekend is always filled with anticipation, excitement, nerves and wishful thinking-and that is just on the parent’s side! I know the girls have been working hard and will do their best. Hopefully, their best will result in a trip to Miami, but if not, I will be proud of them.
One of the most interesting first round match-ups will be in the 14’s. 14-1 will meet Oiler Attack – Toledo Revolution in their second match. This is former TVC coach, Scott Mattera’s team. Three of the players on the team played for TVC last year. There are lots of friends between the teams and the parents, and I expect a good match.
The other interesting match-up is TVC 17-1 and TVC 17-Mizuno. They will play each other in their first match of the tournament. It is a bummer that two teams from the same club ended up in the same pool. It is one of those things where you live and die with the points and seeding system. I have to admit, I was one of the club directors who felt that if the seeding system was fair then you should not manipulate it to move teams from the same club away from each other. Let the chips fall.
However, in the past two years, club directors and coaches have been given an opportunity to submit our own seeding and that combined with the points system is how the final seeds and pools are determined. In 17’s case, 17-1 was originally seeded 7th and would not have been in the same pool as 17-Mizuno. But several clubs felt they should be seeded higher and they moved up to 6th-that put them in with 17-Mizuno. This affects several other clubs besides TVC who enter more than one team in an age level. I really don’t know what the right answer is, but I am now leaning toward the idea if you combine the points system with human input, then you should use that human input to separate teams from the same club in round 1.
I will be down in Columbus all weekend in my role as an OVR board member and the director of the High Performance Program. It will be weird walking around in my OVR clothes and not TVC, but it is a safe bet, I will find my way to the TVC courts to watch! I hope that some of our players will tryout for High Performance this year. I am excited about the coaching staff and the program we have put together. I do want to let everyone know that my role as the director does not include selecting the teams. The coaching staff and tryout evaluators and my assistant will have that responsibility. I think that is the most fair for everyone, and especially the TVC players who tryout. There will be an information meeting in the Columbus Convention Center on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. for any players, parents, coaches or club directors who are interested in learning more about the program.
Good luck to 12-3 and 12-4 who will be playing in Findlay this weekend and 15-3 and 15-4 who will be in Ada. 13-Mizuno will be playing in a two-day power challenge in Tiffin and I wish them good luck. We are still in the Spring Break mode for many of our teams; most will crank back up next weekend before heading into the home stretch of May and the regional championships. I cannot believe how quickly this season has flown by!
Many have emailed and called about our summer camp plans. I had hoped to have everything wrapped up by now, but as many might be aware, we are negotiating with Lucas County to lease our space year round. If that is the case, we will be moving out of Synergy and have four courts year round in Maumee. I know us Sylvania and Michigan people like the convenience of Synergy, but for the long term stability of the organization, we really need to have more than 2 courts and ample parking on a year round basis. So, the LCRC makes the most sense. So, until we are able to finalize those details, our camp plans are on hold. We are expecting to wrap it up in the next two weeks. So, stay tuned.
I want to give everyone an update on Rachelle Hagerty. As you have read on the website, she was badly burned when a spark from a bonfire hit her sweatpants and they went up in flames. Rachelle is still in the burn unit at St. V’s and is undergoing skin graft surgery today. This is the first big step in her long recovery process. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
On a happy note, I would like to announce the birth of Benjamin Turski, son of Brad and Jill Turski and little brother of Addison. Brad has been a long time coach for TVC and took this season off to get ready for Ben’s arrival. Although, he did help us out a few weeks ago and I think he is getting the coach itch again! Congratulations to Brad and Jill!
And finally, many have received an email from me regarding the plight of my dear cat, Max. John has given me the ultimatum-him or the cat! I am so sad, as Max has been my constant companion for the past 5-½ years, but John’s allergies have really kicked up in the past few months as have my son Jack’s. So, I am looking for a loving home for Max. He is a great cat (I know, non cat lovers can hardly believe such a cat exists) but really, I have always had dogs (until I married John, who is not a pet fan) so I treated Max like a dog. He comes when I call, he rolls over and he is very affectionate. I haven’t taught him how to fetch! I think he would be best in a home where he gets a lot of attention and love. If anyone knows of someone who might be interested in “re-homing” Max-please let me know. Re-homing is my new Obama inspired term-with his “re-homed” puppy.
Have a great week!
Michelle Hills
Tvc2009@bex.net