Feb. 23, 2009

Ohio Volleyball Teams Ace Service Responsibilities

OHSAA Board of Directors Approves Volleyball Service Week

A proposal by the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association to sponsor exhibition games that will raise money for local charities earned unanimous endorsement from the OHSAA Board of Directors this month.

“It’s an opportunity for our coaches and players to get involved in community service,” said Scott Taylor, president of the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association and head coach at Cortland Lakeview High School. “We already sponsor Volley for the Cure, and we thought it would be a really good idea to give them another avenue to help.”

“It’s very exciting that the coaches took the initiative to start a project like this and made the connection with the OHSAA Foundation,” said John Muhlbach, president of the Foundation board. “The Foundation stands for three things – scholarship, leadership and service. This really emphasizes the leadership and service efforts for kids across the state.”

The new program comes on the heels of an OHSAA Foundation effort prior to the start of the current basketball season. Over 130 charity events, in conjunction with basketball exhibition games, took place this past November and December.

Those events raised over $177,000 for charitable organizations and causes. Another $67,000 was raised for student-athlete scholarships and other programs through the Foundation, which provides administrative assistance in organizing and promoting the events.

“To go from absolutely nothing in the beginning to almost a quarter of a million dollars raised in a year is simply amazing,” said Daniel B. Ross, Ph.D., Commissioner of the OHSAA. “You look at that and see how it energizes a community and really brings people together. The volleyball coaches saw it was a natural fit and it stretches across Ohio to all of our schools. Though we’re an athletic association, one of the most important parts of being a well-rounded student-athlete is the service aspect.”

“We saw what the basketball teams had done and thought it was something we would like to get involved with as well,” said Taylor. “In my community, we’re thinking about helping food pantries, especially in this time of economic crisis. There are a lot of families in our area that are going through tough times. If we can pitch in and help in anyway, we would like to do that.”

The exhibition matches are expected to be played in the two weeks prior to the start of the regular season, and Taylor said one of the highlights he looks forward to is the fostering of community relations in towns and cities across the state.

“It gives the opportunity for those teams that are natural rivals who don’t play each other to come together as a community, play a match and have it go to charity,” he said.

High school volleyball fans should not be surprised that the coaches, schools and teams found another to provide help for those in need. After all, the widely successful Volley for the Cure, which benefits the Ohio Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, featured over 800 participant schools in the 2008 season. The event started in 2006 with Cincinnati Sycamore and Loveland raising $4,000 and bringing 1,000 fans to its match.

Though it’s not mandatory that coaches and schools have to be involved in either Volley for the Cure or Foundation Service Week, Taylor said he expects many will embrace the new program.

“Volley for the Cure has been a huge success for the coaches association in raising breast cancer awareness, not only to the girls on our teams but to the community also,” he said. “We’re looking for as many teams as possible to jump on board with Foundation Service Week this year. If it can be half as popular as Volley for the Cure, then it will be a huge success.”

“It’s something that you want the students to experience,” Ross added. “People who are involved in service when they’re in school are more likely to take part in service projects when they’re older. It’s another way to prepare them for being good community members. Our goal is not to prepare kids for the next level in sports. Our goal is to prepare them for the next level in life. Having them involved in service efforts in their community is one of the most exciting things we can do.”