Story by Kaden Bessent
BROOKESMITH – Brookesmith is hosting a volleyball camp this week ahead of the program’s inaugural season this fall.
Between middle school and high school there are roughly 30 volleyball players overall.
The Mustangs will be led by head coach Jerry Arnold, who is heading into his second year at Brookesmith. However, this will not be his first time coaching a first-year program.
“It is a trying thing when you are starting a brand new sport, there’s just so much to learn,” Arnold said. “But I think if the kids have the attitude that they want to learn and get better that they will.”
Acknowledging what is most challenging about starting a new volleyball program, Arnold said, “The kids, of course, they want to just immediately go out and play. But like all sports, it’s not actually what you do at the beginning, it’s how you do it. They have to learn their techniques and their responsibilities and those things to play as a team.”
Most players have little to none experience in organized volleyball, but Arnold sees that as a positive. “Most coaches will tell you, and this is really true, it’s easier to teach a kid who doesn’t know anything and realizes that fact so that they actually are trying to learn,” Arnold said. “It’s much easier to do that than it is to take kids who think they already know how to play and then try to break their bad habits and change them into proper techniques.”
Junior Ameriah Balleza and senior Emma Slayton have each played one year of organized volleyball in their lives. In terms of what’s most difficult about relearning the sport, Balleza said, “Determination. Having to know exactly what you’re going for and being able to do what [the coaches] want. Some days it’s like I already know this but then there’s other days where it’s like I don’t know it well enough.”
Slayton carries a similar mindset ahead of Brookesmith’s first season, she said, “I just have my heart set on learning something new and trying hard for the team.”
Brookesmith students have wanted a volleyball program for at least a year now, but the school board has shut down the idea in the past. At a student council meeting this year the idea was mentioned by female students. Leading to an eventual approval by the school board.
As far as finding equipment, almost all the things needed to start a volleyball program were found in gymnasium storage. The equipment was reportedly still boxed up like new when found and is from roughly 30 years ago.
As the programs first ever two-a-days and a brand new season looms near, Arnold said, “I hope that we’re going to have a lot of anticipation from the kids, because they wanted volleyball and they are the first team the town’s ever had, so they have an opportunity to make a little history here. I don’t expect to come out and win every game, because I’ve done this before. It’s hard to start a brand new sport, just from scratch, and jump right into it. I think it’ll be fun if everybody’s working to get better. All we can do is improve so as long as we’re working hard and having fun and learning, it’s a fun deal.”
