Follow the NZ Junior Women's team on this blog. Click on the comment to read all the updates so far.
Rosie's uncle has been very generous in offering to transport the girls to the South Coast Plaza this afternoon. So that will get their "shopping" fix out of the way and keep their legs pumping.
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COACHES CORNER – Jenny Kirk – Manager
Recently I have had the privilege to manage the NZ Junior Women’s
Volleyball team and attend the USA High Performance Championships
in Tuscon, Arizona. Under the leadership of Coach Stewart Henderson
this was the first time that we had attended a Tournament in the USA.
Previously we have attended the bi-annual Asian Champs which is
the zonal qualifying mechanism to advance to the World Champs. We
have toured to Thailand, Taipei and Vietnam with every other year
competing in Australia so have a very good understanding of Asian
countries styles and the different cultures between the countries
competing. There is a huge amount of life skills that our athletes can
develop from these international tours and playing in a Tournament
situation with multiple game and training opportunities. Alongside
their own Volleyball skills development the athletes learn to respect
the other cultures and understand more about their own heritage.
Yes, we have had offers of Scholarship while away at Asians but the
prospect of being part of an Asian community which operates in a
very strict, rigid environment can cause a rapid reality check in what
Kiwis want from their sport. Yes, big money was part of the package
as well but the girls never really warmed to the suggestion of leaving
their Kiwi lifestyle behind. The regular Australian competitions also
meant that the NZ girls realised that they were more than capable of
playing on the world stage after significant good results against our
competitors across the ditch.
So enter USA. A favourable change in the dollar exchange and an
opportunity easily sort now with worldwide communication and
WOW. Why have we left it so long to go that way. ? A fantastic
experience among like minded people opening up a huge amount
of options for our athletes. This annual Tournament gathers ALL
the USAHP athletes together in camp prior to the Tournament then
selects a variety of teams who then compete at the Tournament.
Athletes that miss the cut to be invited to the HP Camp stay within
their region boundaries and compete as a Regional team among the
HP teams. So 98 teams (Boys and Girls) compete along the same
format as our NZSS Tournament. Grades are based purely on age. All
Officials are provided with large contingent from around the country
all trying to better themselves. The scouts are out on the look to fill
Volleyball scholarships for over 300 universities. We had 3 athletes
approached for 2012 – which means 4 years of education , board and
food plus a fantastic time playing elite Volleyball.
USA organisers are very definite in their approach to international
teams. Unlike Australia they welcome them with open arms and
assist us in many ways to make it happen. They want the international
favour at their Tournament as it adds value to their event and opens
doors for their own members in exchanges and interaction. We
also ended up playing two internationals games at this Tournament
which was great. Baja, Mexico and the Dominion Republic again had
different styles and cultures which we were exposed to. Chile and
China were also there. We were privileged to draw a game on Court
One which meant the game was live streamed on the web enabling
parents back home to watch the game (5.00am in the morning!!)
but what a great thing. This game against Intermountain was by far
our best with the girls really rising to the occasion with an awesome
warm-up continuing their big hits into the game. It felt like they all
wanted to be in Hugh’s USA squad – a bit of fire – yeah I like that.
So who’s Hugh McCutcheon. Well, he’s a Kiwi that played his Volleyball
at school and university in Christchurch, then moved to USA on a rare
USA male scholarship and then worked his way up first at Brigham
Young University as Assistant Coach and then USA positions. He was
Head Coach of the USA Gold Medal Olympic Men’s team in Bejing
and has now made a switch to the USA Women’s programme.
His wife also played for the USA team some years ago. Hugh still
has family in Christchurch and returns to NZ from time to time in
between a busy season schedule of commitments. Anyway through
Mike Dudson he connected us and we found ourselves with a team
invite to attend his USA Women’s team trainings which happened to
be taking place within walking distance from our LA hotel. WOW,
We got up and close and real with these fantastic athletes watching
their training for 3 hours. We then got invited to their Intersquad
game the following night where his Red and Blue team were fighting
it out for final selection into the team he now has away at the Grand
Prix World Series. That night they were also hosting a past Olympian
Women’s reception so we meet team members who had competed
as early as the 1964 Mexico Olympics. Through all this interaction it
felt like the way it should feel . Even at this elitist level people cared
about each other and were continually trying to offer something of
value to where they were and what they were doing. It was nice. At
the end of the game all our athletes were able to get signatures and
momentos with the athletes and Hugh.
And so to Hugh and what did we learn. The people around him speak
very highly of his coaching ability. When we tried to break down
what his style is we discovered it’s not rocket science although there
are heaps of statistical information constantly about every play and
his players. It’s all about relationships with your athletes on and off
the court. The mobile whiteboard that followed the athletes around
at training had them recording their own skill scores alongside
“messages’ on the Board.
Such as CO-OPETITION (Yes Kiwi’s use that word already)
PART Play Hard,Play Smart,Play Together -(note no Play Fair !!)
A Add value (Value of team with you minus the Value of team without you)
R Read, React
T Technique, Tactics, Toughness
Punchlines
Your thoughts, Your feelings, Your Actions = YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
What you achieve is a reflection of the choices you make
Chemistry is a VERB!!
Problems don’t age well
Control the Controllable
Say and Do everything you can to help Our Team win the next point
So spend the time on your relationships and emphasise ADD VALUE
to your team. What can you do to make a difference to this team?
Skill information was everywhere. All training actions were recorded
by a Statistian at each court basically recording every play. At the
Intersquad game the stats were relayed live directly back to the
bench. Wired communication between all coaching staff at all times
enabled a huge amount of communication to happen with out
appearing as if it was happening. The look of a relaxed coaching team
able to respectfully speak to their athletes when needed. Often Hugh
would just take a one on one approach with team members.
As a Coach back in NZ whether in a school environment or perhaps
you have a wish to widen your horizons and coach at a higher level,
finding YOUR style is the biggest challenge and often takes a few
years to settle in. We are all different and each Coach will always
offer a different style. The biggest thing for a Coach is to understand
the style you want to achieve and be deliberate and consistent with
it. You will need to experiment with that style and figure out what
works for you depending on the level of athlete you are coaching but
to be a good coach in NZ you need to understand what the collective
goals are of the team and engage your athletes in where you want
to go as well.
Our Kiwi attitude is certainly unique and as you move around the
world I realise that I like it. We cope well with change, we respect
others and we have an inner will to succeed. It augers well when it
comes time to venture out of NZ to see the world. Our travel need
is inner built as we are so remote in the world. We feel we need to
validate what we do by experiencing the international world but are
always pleased to eventually make it back to this beautiful country.
There are so many opportunities for sport to be this delivery vehicle
in allowing our students to experiment with what they can achieve
and see the world at the same time. A very very inspiring sports trip,
One that I am sure we will be going back for.
NZ Team with Hugh McCutcheon and Karch Kiraly (USA Assistant Coach)
Posted by Jenny Kirk, 14/08/2011 9:33pm (9 months ago)
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Posted by raw food recipes, 11/08/2011 6:09pm (9 months ago)
Stu, Jenny, Debbie and the team - congratulations on your achievements and keeping everyone enthralled through the tour blog over the last 10 days. This has read as the trip of a life time and I am sure many more opportunities will come of it.
Stu - thank you again for all your efforts and passion in developing young women into a cohesive unit. Volleyball in New Zealand is the better for it.
Jenny - thank you for your planning and management of the programme that enabled Stu and the team to perform on the world stage.
Debbie - to have your expertise and love of volleyball as the team physio is incredibly valuable and something I am sure more NZ teams should seriously be considering.
To all the players - congratulations on your achievements. Raising the money and just getting there is achievement in itself but to improve your seeding by 6 places is fantastic. Great to read some of the kill stats, these come of course from team mates who have passed and set the ball so well done girls.
I am sure there will be many coaches, players and parents who would like to hear of your efforts and perhaps a few photos from your travels.
Well done and welcome home - haere mai
Greg Cummings
Chairman - Volleyball Baay of Plenty
Posted by Greg Cummings - Volleyball Bay of Plenty, 02/08/2011 6:16am (10 months ago)
Hello
I would like to express my pride in being involved with everyone on the trip and thank Stu, Jenny and the team (such an amazing group of people) for a wonderful tournament and trip. We did so much in the time available.
I am pleased my skills were put to good use. A highlight for me on the work front was to talk with the fellow Physio’s and explore the set up at Anaheim with the Women’s Olympic squad. What a cool job. Thank you collectively for sharing this experience. Jen you really made it happen, great management skills always thinking ahead and putting in 100% of your time and effort. The contacts and general success of this trip has provided a wonderful platform for the girls. I received so many positive comments about our NZ group it made me proud to be involved. Thank you to everyone involved.
Posted by Deb Glen Vile, 01/08/2011 2:04pm (10 months ago)
We are all back in NZ safe and sound after a fantastic Tourney. A huge Volleyball experience. You can get a feel for the Tour experiences from the blog but for the actual Volleyball experiences re skills, techniques, programmes, recruiting process,scouters, team systems stuff please contact Stu or myself and we will be only to pleased to share it with you. To sum it all up WOW, we need to be there much more often !!
Lets keep Volleyball as a pathway for our athletes sport of choice !!
Posted by Jenny Kirk, 01/08/2011 11:43am (10 months ago)
The third day started well for us with a very tight match against USA Sect C Red (!). We were lethargic and slow to start the game but as play progressed we were by far the most attacking team, with the opposition hitting a lot from 3m and off speeding the ball over our blocks. All the sets 25-23, 28-26, 23-25 and 25-23 were very tight! The third set was very disappointing as we were well in control at the start but lost our pass and gifted the opposition the chance to get back in the game. Katie Adamson (12-2) and Melissa Cairns (16-0) played outstandingly in this game.
I think the intensity of the USA teams and the way they play the game shows up our kiwi laid back attitude to volleyball and this is why we appear sometimes to be slow starters.
The second game of the day was against Ohio and we suffered a 3-2 loss (22-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-17, 11-15). Again we started slowly (notice a trend!) but played some excellent volleyball in the 3rd and 4th sets before succumbing in the 5th. Again a poor start on receive in the 5th set could not be recovered from. Katie Adamson and Andrea Tauai stood out in this game.
The 4th and last day of competition saw us playing off for 12th-16th. Injuries have now taken their toll on us. Beniece Douch turned her ankle in the first game of the day against Badger (!). We lost 3-1 (15-25, 23-25, 27-25, 19-25). Again Melissa Cairns (14-1) was a standout stats wise in the game. Shin splints and a knee problem saw her invalided out of the next game. The last game was against the Baja region of Mexico. Another 5 set loss saw us finish 16th out of 24 teams from our original seeding of 22nd. The scores again indicate a very close game (22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 9-15). A poor start in the 5th (8-1) down at the turn around was our downfall. Andrea Tauai (23-8), this despite sore hamstrings and Katie Adamson (11-1) were the standouts in this game. Shaunna Polley also stepped up in this game to play brilliantly as passer/outside hitter.
Impressions:
The teams get very excited about their volleyball over here and it would be good for some of our junior players to see the way the teams react to winning a point.
Our 3 win/ 5 loss record was probably disappointing, although 3 of the losses were 5 setters. I felt we were very competitive for what I consider to be part time volleyballers, in terms of the way we play our sport in NZ.
Our serving, middle attacking, outside hitting is as good as any over here. Our passing is not bad and got better as the games wore on, we just need more confidence and practice against the tough serving we encountered. The other aspect is defence and going to ground, most of our players are to upright on defence, although again after playing and watching over here that aspect of our play improved. Aneta Buckley (from libero) did a lot of excellent close cover work.
It was good to play the USA teams with their driven attitude and the South Americans with their fire and flair.
All teams struggled to pass some very fast float serving, particularly tough on the women’s net. I notice a lot of the boys players reverting back to very heavy top spin. This meant that there was a variety of serving which meant receivers had to be really on their toes-literally!
The floor certainly took its toll on us injury wise. It was excellent having Debbie Glen Vile with us as physiotherapist.
The main driving force behind this trip has been Jenny Kirk and I’d like to thank her for giving us all the American experience. Language wise and playing level I think this is the way to come, especially if the experience is on the West coast of the States, just in terms of flying and expense. It has certainly been value for money in terms of playing and the life experience.
I hope the girls who could end up with scholarships playing and getting their education over here enjoy the experience, because I’m sure more will follow you.
This is the finish of the coaches blog for this trip, please check with me if there is any further information you want to know about our US experience.
Posted by Stewart Henderson, 31/07/2011 4:57am (10 months ago)
Well Done Team NZ:) So proud of you girls and your achievements. Great results and I'm sure you girls have done us New Zealanders proud and looking forward to hearing more stories of your trip. A big thank you to my brother Peter & wife Agnes for their support & taxing the girls around for shopping! Lol I'm sure Rosie have enjoyed hanging out and spending time with you guys in Arizona:) Have a safe trip back home Jenny, Stu & NZ team:)
Posted by Josephine Fabricius, 30/07/2011 10:31pm (10 months ago)
So the finals night was much like the Australians – a non event ! Most teams have made a start home and the actual final games were a good quality but only watched by a thousand of the zillion parents here. ! It gave us an opportunity to personally see the key people here to thank and give our gifts. Also the girls had a huge night exchanging their shirts and stuff with the team from Ohio. Gosh that’s such a neat part of the Tourney seeing everyone get to know each other and exchange facebook stuff. Beniece’s foot injury (which is looking pretty good) has meant a shuttle instead of the usual walk in 100deg so we haven’t minded. We even managed to exchange our shirts with the Chile management – pretty cool they were sooo nice. So everyone is back at the hotel and just basically socialising. It’s a great layout for that. Lots of signing of stuff going on.
USA memories would be
USA Training and Intersquad games – Hugh Mc Cutcheon – USA shirts and player autographs
Sol – the taxi driver and Peter and Agnes
Downtown Disney
California Park (fireworks at 9.30 every night able to be seen from our balcony)
Terror of Terror !! Awesome team experience and photo to prove it.
Coco’s Diner
South Coast Plaza
Flying into Tuscon – desert views
Check in at Hotel Tuscon – loonngg – shared beds
Great hotel facilities – huge internet room , dining room, restaurant, large lobby, big pool, laundry
Temperature – 100 deg but bearable wearing black !
Rain storm – Andrea, Beniece and JK
Walking to and from game venue – phew !! - Lots of blisters
Hotel Arizona Dining Room – Lunches and Dinner – Multi cultural – Lasagna ! Tongue Twisters
Medical facilities , Officials, and 22 court Game Venue. (tiled playing surface)
Playing on Court One – streamed live on the Web V Intermountain
Bill – Scout – always watching the team and getting into trouble
Raewyn & Rob Barclay being here !
Two games a day and 3 international teams played
No duty at ALL – , 2 linemans was very cool and all we needed.
Zillions of Balls available !
6 Subs , Technical timeouts at 13.
Local sightseeing – Food City , Tuscon Mall, Safeway
$800 worth of team photos and ??? Tourney Merchandising
People being NICE all the time and stopping to chat to hear our accent
Being popular – People love Kiwi’s
Toads and Lizards
A Fantastic group of fantastic girls representing their country in a fantastic Tourney.
One more sleep then home !!!
Posted by Jenny Kirk, 30/07/2011 7:20pm (10 months ago)