At the beginning of January this year the middle school girls FG (Fair Grove) Unit began their practices for their spring volleyball season.
On practice days the coaches go over the volleyball basics such as serving, passing, setting, and hitting. Madilynn Cole, the assistant coach, stated that, “We strive to give the girls a good amount of foundational knowledge about volleyball so, not only can we grow their love for volleyball but their knowledge as well.”
When preparing for competitions Cole mentioned that, “We try and really stress to the girls that this game is not only about your God given skills but also about your mental toughness.” A few other ways mentioned that help to prepare the girls for their competitions is that they are encouraged to bond as a team and build trust in each other, as well as remind them of their foundational skills.
The FG Unit doesn’t go by grade level but instead by age level. The youngest team accepted by HOAV (Heart of America Volleyball) is 10 year olds and the oldest age accepted is 18 year olds. Cole explained that, “We currently offer teams for 11’s, 12’s, and 13’s.” The age group for this team was determined by the level of interest and number of girls wanting to be a part of the team.
The head coach of FG Unit is Lindy Carver who has been coaching for about 15 years. Carver attended Fair Grove K through 12th grade and was involved in volleyball, basketball, softball, as well as track.
Carver mentioned, “I previously coached for a big local club called Springfield Juniors.” When Carver received a call about the starting of this program and was asked if she would be open to coaching she stated, “…I jumped at the opportunity. To coach for Coach Peck and contribute to my hometown program was and has been an honor.”
Cole added that, “The purpose of club volleyball is to work on specific skills and grow those so when school season comes they are more prepared.”
Coach Peck is the high school counselor at Fair Grove as well as the Director of FG Unit. Carver explained one of the main reasons for the start of this program, “… to give local/multi-sport athletes a chance to compete in the off-season. Keeping fees low was a main objective, along with providing convenient practice locations and working with other school sports on scheduling.”
The FG Unit’s last tournament was held on March 30th which will mark the end of their spring volleyball season.
