Campers get ‘head start on tryouts’ at summer camp
Fri, 2016-06-10 05:00
News Staff
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
A winning program doesn’t come by accident. It comes from months and years of preparation, repetition and execution and Copperas Cove head volleyball coach Cari Lowry knows that all too well.
The veteran coach, who is closing in on her 700th career win, knows a little about what it takes to be successful and she knows it does not begin in August when the season officially begins.
“We only have three days to learn once August 1 comes and we start playing,” said Lowry. “The off-season is when your program is built.
“A lot of people throw camps and leagues away as play time. It’s not that for us. Everything is a learning experience for us. We utilize every minute we can. We try not to waste a second.”
Lowry, who had a bounty of students participate in the newly developed spring league, had similar numbers at the four-day volleyball camp held this week.
“We had over 300 kids from Copperas Cove in our spring league and that is impressive,” said Lowry. “We went eight weeks and that’s where they learn. They can make a mistake and realize it’s not the end of the world be cause they can come back and (see they’re) getting better.
With over 170 middle school students or incoming freshmen participating in the camp and nearly that many signed up for high school tryouts, it’s a good problem to have for Lowry and her staff.
For the athletes, however, it means they must work that much harder and battle their way into one of those coveted spots.
“We told them the first day, ‘this is your head start on your tryouts,’” said Lowry. “’We have on my list (more than) 120 girls signed up for high school volleyball so every little bit helps. You’re here working and they’re home sleeping so you’re going to have an advantage.’”
The camps and off-season leagues also serve as somewhat of a scouting tool. It gives Lowry and staff a chance to see what skill set is coming from the two junior high schools to help prepare their potential playing style to fit the skills of the players.
“I just lost Katy Ranes,” said Lowry. “She was a kid that started coming to camp in first grade so I got to see her for 12 years grow and improve and it makes a huge difference. Tina Miller was a freshman when I came here and now she coaches for me. I’ve gotten to see her all the way through and now she’s going to be head coach at SC Lee Junior High next year. You get to see where they’re at, where you think they can go and challenge them to be better.”
It also gives the players a better look at their competition.
“The competition with this many kids is a lot,” said Lowry. “When they come from SC Lee and Cove (Junior High), they think they’re just competing with kids from their school but they get here and there’s 70 people instead of 35.”
Through three days of camp, Lowry was really pleased with what she’s seen.
“I’m really proud of them because they are still just babies but they’re being real coachable and focused and paying attention,” she said. “I see improvement today from yesterday.
“It’s a great day. The kids are so receptive and working so hard. You can’t be anything but proud of kids that could be lying on the couch all summer long. They get up here and they’re excited.”
It’s not just about players getting better. The off-season program is a chance for her coaches to improve as well.
“It’s also a learning experience for my coaches and they get better,” she said. “I have packets where they’re assigned different things they’re teaching during the week. I always give them something they’re good at and something they might need to work on as coaches so they’ll be a better coach the next time.
“I’m real proud of my coaches that have been with me for a while. I do less and less of the actual teaching. They teach and I get to watch kids and make little corrections and things.”
Lowry is looking for a fourth district title in five years when they open play in early August for her team that has been state ranked at some point in each of the last nine seasons and has compiled 30 or more wins in eight of the nine seasons and 28 wins in the other state-ranked season.
The Lady Dawgs compiled a record of 307-87 for a .717 winning percentage over than span.