Love of volleyball brings students together

Date: 12/3/2008

By Lori Szepelak

Correspondent



HOLYOKE Janna Chapdelaine, director of development and public relations for Girls Inc. of Holyoke, is a big believer in the importance of creating partnerships with regional organizations which in turn opens up new horizons for young girls across Holyoke and Chicopee. On a recent Tuesday evening, Girls Inc. hosted two Bay Path College students who worked with 10 girls from Holyoke and Chicopee on volleyball techniques.

"I used to coach volleyball at Bay Path, so some of my old players came down to work with our girls," Chapdelaine said during an interview with Reminder Publications.

Chapdelaine explained that the premise of the partnership is to introduce college students who are also volleyball players to the Girls Inc.'s newly formed volleyball team.

"Volleyball is a tough sport to start, as there is a large learning curve, so it was great for our Girls Inc. girls to see what practice and dedication can do," Chapdelaine added.

Throughout the 90-minute practice, Bay Path students Amy LaPorte and Kristal Cormier worked with the girls on passing, hitting and diving, as well as the proper form for hitting the ball.

Amanda "Tommy" Thompson coaches the young team which includes Krista Eaton, 14; Stephanie Gomez, 16; Demaris Martinez, 14; Elisa Rivera, 15; Keila Uquendo, 15; Deyanira Trujillo, 15; Francheska Adorno, 14; Analiz Garcia, 16; Julisa Deleon, 15, and Alisa Smith, 15. Thompson also serves as youth program coordinator for Girls Inc. Chapdelaine assists Thompson on the court since she has an extensive background in volleyball.

"I love to see the girls succeed on the court, whether it's making a clean pass for the first time or finally serving over the net after much hard work and dedication," Chapdelaine said.

Chapdelaine explained that children at a young age learn to kick a soccer ball, but volleyball is not often focused on and there are few leagues in Western Massachusetts for girls who wish to play the sport.

"This means that when girls begin playing in high school, they are starting from square one and have so much to learn," she said. "Seeing the girls progress, hearing their triumphant cries when they perfect a skill they have been working on is amazing for a coach."

Chapdelaine and Thompson agreed that watching the girls grow as athletes and teammates is "huge," and watching their self-esteem and pride in themselves grow in something "every coach in any sport never tires of."

As the evening lessons progressed, the girls became more confident and were eager to work one-on-one with LaPorte and Cormier. During a quick break, Francheska Adorno, 14, of Holyoke High School, said she was eager to meet the Bay Path students to learn skills to help make her a better player overall. Analiz Garcia, 16, also of Holyoke High, echoed those sentiments, adding she was looking for tips on how to control her competitive nature.

Thompson also noted that the girls are learning transferable life skills that they can't learn anywhere else.

"They learn these skills through participating in all-girl sports where they learn to take ownership and responsibility for their team and for themselves," said Thompson.

As part of the partnership with Bay Path, Chapdelaine will be taking the girls on a tour of the college campus in December so they can learn more about the school and college in general.

"We often partner with area colleges for various events and trips," Chapdelaine said.

Thompson originally organized the team when the Holyoke Park and Recreation Department was set to create a volleyball league where community based organizations would compete against each other.

"Unfortunately, the other teams have not been able to come together as of yet, but we're looking forward to when that happens," Thompson said.

For more information on Girls Inc., visit www.girlsincholyoke.org.