BYOP Pilot a Success

During the month of May, Seaside piloted a new program for young boys and girls in grades 3 to 5. Dubbed "Bring-Your-Own-Parent" program (BYOP), the focus was on introducing young kids to the sport of volleyball with each bringing their own parent to participate in the sessions. "We wanted to try something different, something that involved the parents" said head program coach Shane Donen. "We had limited timeslots and gym space but we managed to make it work. We essentially invited former volleyball players from the community who now have young kids of their own."

The program consisted of skill introduction with an emphasis on fun. Each child received a soft touch volleyball to take home and practice with their parent. "The results were fantastic! I don't think I've ever been more excited as a coach to see these kids working with their parents on the court. We were even able to include the players younger siblings to just hang out, though I'm not sure if we would do that again" laughed Shane.

Notable volleyball player-parents and their children included Brett and Susan Youngberg, Dave and Joanna Braun, Mark Medalla and Brent Magnowski to name a few.

Seaside is working on making the BYOP part of their development strategy. Stay tuned for more information on this and other development programs.