FRVBC Teams Head to 2013 AAU's in Orlando

So what is this AAU tournament all about, anyway?

First of all, it is a National Championship.  In fact, this is the 40th year of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Girl’s Junior National Volleyball Championships.  It has grown to over 1600 teams and attracts some of the top clubs from the United States including Puerto Rico.

There are a number of top clubs in the country that do not play in the USAV qualifying system; many of the teams from these clubs, along with many teams from clubs that do play at the JNCs, end their season with the AAU national championships in Florida, making this National Championship some of the toughest competition there is.

Among the top teams in the older age division (18 – 16) will be teams from Mizuno Northern Lights, Asics Munciana, Dead Frog, Asics Team Indiana, Mizuno Sports Performance, Fusion, Asics Kiva, Milwaukee Sting, and Michigan Elite.  

In 2011 our 181 team won a bronze medal in the 18 Open division of the AAU National Championships.  As you can see from the video clips included in this article, the level of play was very high – as it is every year.

In the15 and younger age groups, top clubs from Puerto Rico like Boriquen Coqui, Queens, Arsel, GVA and Vaqueros join clubs like Mizuno Northern Lights, Asics Kiva, Team Indiana, Illini Elite, Asics Munciana, OVA, MAVS, Fusion, Madfrog, Triangle and Wisconsin Jrs, to make these divisions highly competitive.

In addition, the fields at AAU are deep and the skill level is quite high, meaning that AAU will challenge our teams’ skill level as well as their competitive maturity and determination

Participating in this event lets our teams to end their season playing highly competitive volleyball against top teams and top clubs – many of whom we don’t get a chance to play in other tournaments.  
The AAU National Championships is a very tough tournament, and it will test all of our teams to the max. 

We know that in order to improve we must continually seek out the best competition we can possibly face; AAU provides us with this opportunity.

Information on waves and scheduling can be found by clicking here. FRVBC Open teams will compete in the open competitions and all other teams attending will play in the club competitions.

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2013 FRVBC Banquet

The annual FRVBC banquet took place last Tuesday. Guests were treated to a wonderful inspirational address by Front Range Alumna Sarah Ammerman who talked of her excitement at making the FRVBC 15-2 team and the journey that led to her current occupation as a professional player in Europe.
	Congratulations to the 2013 Front Range VBC Commitment to Excellence Award Winners: Coach – Jim Stone, 161 Blue Parent – Andee Kleffner, 162 Red Players – Jamie Bredahl, 181 Black and Jacob Reed, Boys 181

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Free Open Gyms at Front Range

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FRVBC Summer Camp Program

Go to www.frvbc.com for full details

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Every Touch Provides Opportunity

by Tim Engles, FRVBC Sports Psychologist

As your team prepares for the end of the season national tournaments, I’d like you to think about something, then practice it, and finally apply it.

In competition, every touch of the ball by any player on either side of the net provides you with one of two opportunities: 1) if the ball is coming to you, you have the opportunity to play the ball, control it, and help your team put pressure on your opponent, and 2) if anyone else is touching the ball, you have the opportunity to re-position yourself to improve your team’s court coverage, and put yourself in position to make a play on the next ball.

This means that it’s crucial to be reading and responding every time the ball is touched.  It means you don’t make any assumptions about where the ball will be going on the next touch.  It means you stay focused on playing the ball, reading the opposing team and your own team’s positioning and keep competing until after the ball has gone out of play.

This is not easy to do; it’s hard work.  And it’s what creates those most exciting moments of competition – the moments you work so hard for.  Give your team this level of effort for the remaining practices this season, and at AAU’s and JNC’s.  See what memorable moments you create!