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Wow! What a way to start off the tournament season for us! The A-Town Showdown may have been the perfect early season tournament. It was a first year tournament with right at 100 teams in a convention center setting. The mix of teams and competition was very good. It was great playing in the GWCC (that experience will pay off later) but the setting was small enough so we could see all of the action. All around, this was exactly the tournament and experience we were hoping it would be. The future is really bright for the A-Town Showdown!

One thing that I really like about our club is the tight-knit family atmosphere that we create. This begins with the way we structure our practices. Both players and coaches have the ability and are encouraged to work with many different teams. This environment really shined through at the tournament. We had all 11 teams playing, and while we weren’t the club with the most teams, it sure seemed like we were. Everywhere I looked there were players and parents with the red and black watching and encouraging each other. We had some of the biggest crowds watching ProLink matches and the energy and support were incredible. Way to go parents, players and coaches!

Next, I want to share some observations from the training side of the experience. All of our teams were able to compete. This was officially a power tournament so the competition was tough. Our girls always had a chance and fought hard for every point. The fact that all of our players are jump serving really gives them a next level confidence that they can do something the other teams can’t (I saw a lot of standing servers this tournament from other teams). It’s also a weapon for us that we use to score points. I watched several matches that we won simply because our serving was better than the other team’s.

The fact that all of our teams, from 12’s on up, are running the same basic systems allowed a couple of things to happen. First and foremost, the younger girls had the opportunity to see some of the more experienced teams execute effectively the same exact things that they are working on. It really helps them to have that visual of “what it’s supposed to look like”. Secondly, we have some players who are working with younger teams in a coaching capacity. They are able to relate directly to the younger players their experiences and insights that sometimes are just received better from players.

The coaches were absolutely fantastic at the tournament. They were able to go from team to team and help out wherever they were needed. To lend an extra pair of eyes, help take stats, or conduct warm-ups can all be invaluable services to another team. We had a number of coaches who really went above and beyond with their commitment. Many were there for the entire tournament. I mean the ENTIRE tournament – from 8am to sometimes 11pm the first two days and until 4 or 5pm on Monday. Our coaches are really invested in the teams and the club and it has been a great thing. Way to go coaches!

I would like to highlight a couple of our finishes in the tournament. If I leave someone out, it’s not because I’m not proud of them, rest assured I am proud of all of our teams – it’s that I have a point to make. If anyone read my last post “Great Volleyball Takes Time”, this is a continuation of that train of thought. Our 13National and 15National teams both finished second in the entire tournament and the 17National team finished third. The reason these are significant is that each of these teams has many players who have been in the ProLink system for at least a couple of years. None of those teams had much success early on. Learning to play volleyball is a process and it does take time. I talk about the three-year plan all the time. There is tremendous value to keeping a team together and learning the same systems and techniques and processes season after season. Once the processes for the teams are good, the wins will take care of themselves and the girls will all be better volleyball players for it. Those are some of our teams that are able to experience that early in the season, because of their past. We must all be patient.

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to say great job to all the parents! I know it takes a great deal of energy and effort to go through a tournament like this and all of the parents were great. You were really supportive of not only your daughters and teams, but also the entire club. I had the opportunity to chat with many of you over the weekend and the positive energy was phenomenal. I can’t tell you how much influence that has over the team and the coaches. I know we are all excited about the potential for the season ahead and the future beyond!

Go PLA!

Michael Carter

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Today is Monday, December 12. After tonight’s practice we will have had a total of 15 practice days. One thing we like to do with our club is to hit the ground running. There isn’t anyone around who has been in the gym working hard on their volleyball skills as much as we have. Not even close.

At ProLink, we have a very specific curriculum and we’ve managed to cover a ton of material since the beginning of practices. The girls and the coaches have been focused and have worked extremely hard to make this happen. All of the teams have been getting to know one another, learning how to practice, working on fundamentals, implementing our basic offensive and defensive systems, and learning the drills and the rules we like to use. For the new players, I’m sure the experience is completely different from what they are used to. For the returning players, we’ve definitely ramped up the expectations. Everyone seems to be adapting quickly.

That said, I’d like to share a few thoughts and observations with everyone. At ProLink, we train the athletes to be great volleyball players. Not just girls who play volleyball. Sometimes the amount of information we give them and the standards at which we ask them to perform can seem daunting. They WILL NOT be good volleyball players in the beginning, regardless of their age and athletic ability. That is just the nature of volleyball. Learning and acquiring volleyball skill is a growth process that the players must go through. There is no way around it. The real question is how long does the process take.

Answer: Certainly not overnight. The majority of our 17 National team has been together for 3 and 4 years now. Most of the girls started playing when they were 14s. That year they had a lot of fun and learned a ton about volleyball, but didn’t win very much. Second year, the team made some big jumps in skill and knowledge and was competitive, but still inconsistent. Third year, the players made another huge leap forward and became more consistent. At this point, the team was able to compete with any opponent they came across.

That brings us to year four. The players have worked extremely hard for a long time now. They have faced many obstacles and have dedicated countless hours in the gym working on their game. They still have a lot to learn, but now they have reached a level of experience, skill and knowledge that will allow them to reach some of their lofty goals such as winning tournaments and playing in college.

The team participated in a scrimmage recently. It was as if all the hard work we had been doing for such a long time finally came together. The girls played very sharp volleyball. Their fundamentals were sound, they stayed focused the entire time, and they were able to execute our systems at a high level. Because we train the players to be complete players (not just one dimensional athletes), the team was even able to play many of the girls out of position. The results were the same. All of the girls are now experienced enough that there are very few situations they can’t handle.

The way the team performed at the scrimmage was a lot of fun to watch and was very rewarding for me personally. Not just for the 17s, but for the whole club in general. We’ve got a lot of young, aspiring volleyball players with the club now. The successes of the 17 National team should be a glowing affirmation to everyone – players, coaches, and parents – of how good our players can be if we just give them time.

Becoming a great volleyball player is a long and involved process. The journey isn’t always easy and it doesn’t happen overnight, but it sure is fun when it all comes together. The future is bright and teeming with potential. Go PLA!

Michael Carter

The program concluded with a championship match, with the winners receiving their tournament championship t-shirts!!

Director Mike Carter led the Buford Middle School team to a record setting season of 16-2.


Coach Emily Castleberry led the Horizon Christian Varsity girls to a season record of 8-8 overall, …

Continue reading »]]> Congratulations to several of the ProLink Volleyball Club coaches for successful seasons coaching in local area school programs.

Director Mike Carter led the Buford Middle School team to a record setting season of 16-2.


Coach Emily Castleberry led the Horizon Christian Varsity girls to a season record of 8-8 overall, 6-2 in region and the Junior Varsity went 10-4, 8-0 in region. They will be hosting the State Tournament this week. Good luck Horizon Christian!

Just come out and let’s play!!!

Every Sunday, Sept 11th through Oct 9th, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
$10 (cash ONLY)… Church of the Good Shepherd.

Private Lessons available before and …

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Hey, who’s ready for some hard hittin’, ball slammin’ volleyball?  Bring your friends, bring your PLA teammates, bring your school teammates…

Just come out and let’s play!!!

Every Sunday, Sept 11th through Oct 9th, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
$10 (cash ONLY)… Church of the Good Shepherd.

Private Lessons available before and after the Open Gym. Email training to schedule your lesson.