STARS shine on court

 

With fun methods, including the California stretch, and the super-hero approach (Batman’s cape for arms back, ball high up in your hand like Superman, and a Green Arrow punch to hit), kids in the STARS volleyball program are developing talents on the court with the help of coach, Pat Fule.

“It’s been going strong for quite a while,” he said, the program in its tenth year. “We try to stress a lot of fun and fundamentals and fitness; try to have them really enjoy themselves while they’re learning.”

There are 17 boys and girls in the morning program, for Grades 1-3, while 20 are in the senior program in afternoons, Grades 4-9. The camp runs from Aug. 19-23, three hours a day; STARS volleyball also holds a program once a week, beginning in March.

“It’s more condensed. In the program during the year we have about nine or ten sessions, so you can spend a little more time on all the different skills,” Fule said. “Each day I’m trying to do two of the major skills, like bumping and setting. We always teach them how to hit, right from the very first day – the three step approach, the footwork.”

For the morning juniors, Fule uses badminton nets for shorter, easier access, and therefore simpler for the children to learn how to spike.

“Right away they can learn how to do the proper hitting, because we can hold up volleyballs and they’re still able to jump up and hit the ball down low over the net,” he said. “You want to try to hit on a lot of different skills, and different drills each morning. You’ve got that week to try to improve.”

The volunteer coaches that assist with the program come from Crowther Memorial, Holy Cross, and Strathmore High, all of whom have experienced STARS in their youth.

“We’re lucky that we get a lot of the kids who are young in our program, and then as they get older, they come back and help coach too,” Fule said. “These coaches are really good.”