Usa Volleyball Girls Jr. Nationals

CLUB GOLD U13 BLUE

USA VOLLEYBALL GIRLS JR. NATIONALS

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

JUNE 26-29, 2014

Club Gold accepted a bid to Nationals at Regionals in Spokane. As parents we voted to take on the job of putting together a trip of a lifetime for our girls who had worked so hard, all season long. This being the second year of the club, everything was new in planning the logistics of overseeing every detail needed to make this a success. We knew about the hard competition ahead and prepared our girls to go into the tournament with their heads held high and proud of their accomplishments to make it this far.

Our road to Nationals was an amazing coordination of teamwork among many coaches, club directors, and parents, all trying to handle different aspects of the trip. We learned a tremendous amount and have a much better idea of how to proceed in future planning.

TRANSPORTATION

As a club, it was decided for everyone to book their own flights to allow flexibility in family work/vacation schedules. Flight costs were jumping quickly with many people trying to book at the same time. Not booking as a group was great since some families were able to take a couple extra days outside of volleyball for site-seeing, shopping, a Minnesota Twins baseball game, and relaxing.

During our planning stages, we contacted “Meet Minneapolis” Visitor and Convention Center where we inquired about group transportation. We were put in contact with a local GreyLine Bus Company, Schmitty and Sons, which also handled school buses for the local area. Club Gold contracted with them to pick up our team at the hotel, take them to the Convention Center and return them later after playing. The size of the school buses, and cheaper cost than tour buses, also allowed for all families to have the option to travel with the team thus saving on car rental, parking costs, and traffic delays. This door to door delivery of our group was priceless in saving time and worry especially at the end of our long days. This bus company was also very accommodating in allowing us the flexibility of tournament short notice scheduling. We would highly recommend them for future use.

Also, locally the Metro Bus and rail lines offered many maps for route planning which were ordered ahead of time.

FUNDRAISING

Anticipating the high cost of traveling to Nationals, our team chose to participate in a variety of fund raising options which would allow everyone to choose the dates that worked best for them. We sold kettlecorn and peanuts at Walmart locations, held two dine-in dinners with Five Guys and Texas Roadhouse, delivered phone books, sold Pizza Hut cards, pop sales, and a few more. Some families held their own yard sales. This variety of options were great in teaching the girls the many opportunities to help fund their own trips and the value of hard work not just in volleyball but in real life scenarios.

BOOKING A HOTEL

This was probably the most challenging aspect of the trip. We were recommended by another club director (Thank you TEAM YAKIMA!) to play “bigger and better” in booking rooms through THS housing then to keep trying to secure a better option. Since we received the bid so late, everything was booked except single beds. It took many conversations with THS to get them to allocate enough rooms for our club players, coaches, and families. In, the end we were about 15 minutes away from downtown in a nice hotel with a restaurant next door, perfect for team dinners. Also a short shuttle away was the Mall of America and the rail line which could easily take you downtown.

DURING THE TOURNAMENT

Every game began with a small token gift exchange. We came prepared with items to hand out and most teams had gifts for our team too. This was fun for the girls. Items exchanged ranged from candy, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, nail files, chapstick, bracelets, and mini volleyballs.

When the girls weren't playing they had a little time for fun adventures like the Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe Amusement Park, riding the Light Rail, eating at new restaurants, and visiting local attractions.

Other things which helped our trip run smoothly were the laundry moms. After two days of playing the girls could hand in their uniform shirts, shorts, and socks in a laundry bag to be washed at the hotel and then returned to them for the next day. Optional team meals were planned around playing schedules, sometimes a last minute add-on but helped everyone to refuel. Food options at the convention center were better than some tournament locations but not the healthiest.

Overall, Nationals was a great event for everyone! The girls got to watch USA Volleyball Collegiate Teams play each other along with other high levels of play. It was a challenge to only win one match, but took several to three games, and made it to double digits each game! Having a great group of coaches and parents also helped in all stages from planning to travel to playing. What an experience!!!