(This article first appeared in the June print edition of the Hendersonian.)
Bright smiles, laughter and the sound of bouncing volleyballs echoed from the walls of the gymnasiums at Spottsville and Jefferson Elementary Schools this past April and May. Fourth and fifth grade girls from every school in Henderson huddled together to learn and grow in the game of volleyball.
These were not high-stakes matches, however, but opportunities for these young girls to foster teamwork and confidence in a game they love, without the pressure of high competition.
The Henderson County Elementary Volleyball program just finished its third and biggest year yet. In its inaugural season, 90 girls signed up to play. This time around 169 players participated on 18 teams.
Teams are typically grouped by elementary school, although some teams do require players from different schools to be combined due to numbers. All players practiced for about three weeks before matches began. Then, the teams were split between Spottsville and Jefferson where they competed in four competitive matches over two weeks. Each match consisted of a “best two out of three” sets format, with the first team reaching 15 points declared the winner of a set.
Long-time educator Carla Bender, who has been involved with the game of volleyball since she was in seventh grade, is responsible for organizing the league and understands the value of this program to these young girls in the community.
“The girls do not pay a thing to play,” said Bender. “When I tell them it’s free and there are no cuts, just looking at their faces knowing this is something they can try is a big thing. Plus, parents aren’t taking a chance on paying $60 for a sport that their child might not like.”
The program can be provided at no cost due to assistance from Henderson County Schools, sponsors and volunteers. The school system provides equipment and facilities for teams to use. Community partners help pay for T-shirts, awards and other ancillary items which are needed. All adults who are associated with the program are providing their time on a voluntary basis.
“Without them, the program wouldn’t exist,” said Bender of the volunteers.
Fifth grade teacher, Ashley Nalley, is more than willing to give her time to this program. Two of her daughters played volleyball, but she feels the elementary program would have given them a head start when they were younger.
“I love it. So many more girls have the opportunity to be involved in a sport. It really pulls them out of their comfort zone. It’s free. It’s not super stressful,” said Nalley. “As teachers, we are always looking for that extra connection with our kids, just to make school everything it can be, so I’m glad to be a part of that for that reason.”
Other volunteers helping with the program include former Henderson County coach Stacey Howell, current North Middle School coach Tim Norman, current South Middle School assistant coach Leslie Hawkins and former player April Deckard. All have a vested interest in improving volleyball in Henderson.
Aside from starting the program for the girls’ sake, Bender hopes that developing a feeder volleyball program will help volleyball in Henderson County reach greater heights. Bender stated that all the best high school teams in Kentucky and the surrounding areas have some sort of elementary feeder program. As an official in middle school games, Bender has noticed how much better the girls have gotten over the past couple years and so has Norman.
“It’s giving them a start before middle school. We were falling behind Owensboro and some of the Evansville programs. We’re actually wanting to get some girls falling in love with the sport so they will be prepared when they get to high school so Henderson County can be regional champion again,” said Norman.
The sounds of joy and beaming smiles on the court proved that the girls who were playing were definitely loving the sport. Their progress was also evident as the gameplay improved from match to match.
Bend Gate fifth grader, Olivia Kirkwood, shared why she loved the elementary volleyball team.
“It’s a good team to start with because in middle school and high school it’s going to be different and harder. The team we had will prepare us for it. They taught us positions and how to hit the ball correctly,” said Kirkwood of her experience. “I got to be on a split team with Bend Gate and Cairo, so I made a lot of new friends.”
Bender hopes this program will continue long into the future and encourages all girls to come out and give it a try, reminding them that there is no pressure to win. It is more about having fun and being a part of something and learning the desire to succeed.
Sponsors who are willing to help can contact Bender at Jefferson Elementary. Any parent or guardian who may have a child interested in playing can follow updates from Bender on the program’s Facebook page, Henderson County Elementary Schools’ Volleyball Program.
