One thing I love about summer is the opportunity to coach and hang out with student-athletes outside of the normal school setting. Between open gyms, team camps, and summer leagues, I have the opportunity to get to know my student-athletes better. Sometimes we spend most of the day together: playing games/matches, eating meals, and talking during the downtime between games. The kids are less stressed since they're not worried about school or homework and are more willing to talk.

Right now the basketball girls are in the middle of their second team camp. Today, we played three games against some rather tough competition, but it's apparent to me that they are evolving into a more cohesive team and will be much improved by the time our season starts in December. I'm impressed by how much some of the girls have improved! The volleyball girls are currently playing in a weekly summer league, which began last Thursday. This year's summer league will be used to try different lineups; our goal is to have a solid lineup by the time we go to an overnight team camp in Branson next month.

This next year's senior class was my first class at the I-High, so I feel a special bond with them. I am excited to spend extra time with the volleyball seniors this summer to prepare them for their leadership role during the fall season. I became even more excited after participating in my district's SRI PLC facilitator training a few weeks ago. I learned some valuable tools and ideas to help the seniors develop goals and plan team building for the upcoming season. My goal is for the seniors to take "ownership" of the volleyball program (specifically the varsity team) and the outcome of the season. I believe they will have great success (and lots of fun memories!) if they are given the responsibility to make team decisions, plan team bonding events, and hold each other accountable (among other things). I cannot wait for my first meeting with the seniors at the end of this month!
Hooray for sweet, sweet summertime!