TK Volleyball
Rise up!
01
OUR MISSION
To create a mentally and physically healthy environment for young athletes to test themselves through challenging training and competition. Athletes will be encouraged each and every day by a supportive staff of coaches who will seek to actively improve the overall lives of these athletes by being positive mentors who both know the game and seek to create balance between sport and life.
THE STORY BEHIND "TK"
What does “TK” mean? TK is short for “Talitha Koum” or “Taley Koum” (masculine) which when translated, means “Little girl/little boy, get up, arise.”.
01
OUR MISSION
To create a mentally and physically healthy environment for young athletes to test themselves through challenging training and competition. Athletes will be encouraged each and every day by a supportive staff of coaches who will seek to actively improve the overall lives of these athletes by being positive mentors who both know the game and seek to create balance between sport and life.
THE STORY BEHIND "TK"
What does “TK” mean? TK is short for “Talitha Koum” or “Taley Koum” (masculine) which when translated, means “Little girl/little boy, get up, arise.”.
Our mission statement is clear. We want to provide a healthy environment where athletes can be challenged - and challenge each other through the practice of healthy competition. We started this club as an alternative to those that already exist because we know that our methods work, and we know we can provide exactly what athletes want. They want an environment that is both tough and disciplined while at the same time being fair. They want an environment based on support and encouragement where every athlete knows exactly where they stand and what they need to work on individually at all times.
Our mission statement is clear. We want to provide a healthy environment where athletes can be challenged - and challenge each other through the practice of healthy competition. We started this club as an alternative to those that already exist because we know that our methods work, and we know we can provide exactly what athletes want. They want an environment that is both tough and disciplined while at the same time being fair. They want an environment based on support and encouragement where every athlete knows exactly where they stand and what they need to work on individually at all times.
here are just some of the things that make us unique
Team-Only Practices
No master coaching sessions or otherwise "shared" sessions unless preparing for competition through a scheduled scrimmage.
Strength and Conditioning
We have an on-site strength and conditioning trainer who will be with us at least twice a week for a minimum of 30 min per practice. In addition to conditioning, they will also train body mobility and prehab for injury prevention. We will take an early assessment of your athlete and his/her mechanics to identify strength deficiencies so we can then build those weaknesses and avoid injuries due to poor mechanics and/or overuse.
Mental Training
Yes, we are going to address the mental aspect of sports and will train our athletes in basic visualization skills as well as help to rewire some of the negative dialogue that goes through their minds under stress and fatigue with a positive script that will be valuable both on and off the court.
Balance
We are truly attempting to create a better sense of balance for families and their committed athletes. With careful attention to detail in regards to scheduling, as well as the opportunity to discuss and vote on the addition of AAUs, we feel that we will be able to better create the season that will be best for our athletes and families.
Rejuvenation and Recovery Phases
We will work hard in the gym—but more is not necessarily better. Muscles aren't built during a workout; they're built while we sleep. Rest is even more important than the reps we take in the gym. Overtraining leads to fatigue, which leads to acute injuries and chronic pain - both of which contribute to an athlete's learning to dislike the game. Because of this, key rest and rejuvenation periods are built into every single age group’s training plan.
Athletic Trainer
We have a full-time athletic trainer on our staff. He will be in the gym 30 minutes prior to every single scheduled practice, through the entire practice and then 15-30 minutes after each practice for ice and rehab. None of our coaches will be in the position of having to assess an injury to a player during practice. Furthermore, if a player does suffer a serious injury, our trainer will be able to monitor rehab and can communicate directly with their doctor throughout the rehab process to ensure a safe and effective return to play.
Mentoring
Not only will our older athletes act as mentors to our younger athletes, but we will also be bringing in veteran parents to assist parents new to club volleyball or to any parents who just want a sounding board in regards to recruiting, the stresses of travel ball and/or what it means to be the mom or dad of a teenager. We will have seminars, meet-up, and even a moderated online forum for parent support. Our goal is to offer a place where parents, players and coaches can empower each other.
Real Life
Monthly seminars regarding time management, stress reduction, leadership, positive self-talk and other pertinent topics as deemed necessary by individual coaches to their particular team.
Academic Recognition Program
We will provide 2 award ceremonies for academic achievement—1 in December and 1 in June. We will identify all of our athletes who achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.5 in a semester. They will be recognized at the end of practice and will receive a certificate, their name on a TK Honor Roll banner on the website and in the gym, and will receive a commemorative pin for their backpack. While we understand that many in club VB pursue athletic scholarships, we feel that our athletes’ work in the classroom is of utmost importance in allowing them and affording them more opportunities and choices that could yield a better fit for them and their future.
Recruiting
We will offer to our athletes and families, a trained professional who has the means in which to create a dynamic experience for every single athlete, regardless of whether they want to go to a top D1 program or have something smaller and more intimate in mind such as a D2 or D3. We feel that our athletes and families need guidance through this arduous process, so we went and found the best in the business and have him available. He will host free seminars and workshops for parents of rising 14 to 18 year olds to assist them with learning about the process. He will also be available on a private-consulting basis for more in-depth 1-on-1 assistance.
Parent Involvement
At TK Volleyball, we realize that what we are doing involves more than just training an athlete. We are helping parents to instill in their children the mindset and tools necessary for dealing with real-world issues. Volleyball is the vehicle, but it is neither the trip nor the destination. And their family is along for the ride - more often than not clueless as to how this whole thing works. As such we think we owe it to them to do our best to help them through the process.
The Meaning of TK
What does “TK” mean? TK is short for “Talitha Koum” or “Taley Koum” (masculine) which when translated from Aramaic, means “Little girl/little boy, get up, arise.” And while it comes from a Biblical story, our club is not affiliated with any church or religious organization. Rather, the phrase is what serves as the inspiration and foundation to the club—“Little girl, get up”—“Little boy, get up”. What other lesson could we possibly want our athlete to know and fully understand than to always seek to rise again when we fall—when we struggle—when difficulties and adversity come our way?
TK is committed to strengthening each of our athletes inside and out so that when they leave the program, they have a much stronger sense of who they are and what strength they have—both as an athlete and as a person.
The Bird, the Flame, and the Ball
The bird is a Phoenix – a mythical creature that (depending on the country/culture of origin) lives for a period of time, dies, and then rises in a burst of flame to be transformed anew.
The Phoenix is a symbol—and has been for centuries—of humankind’s indomitable will. We want our athletes to feel powerful and capable of total transformation. We feel the Phoenix is the best symbolic representation of this mindset.
The flame is part of the process that the Phoenix utilizes in its transformation but the flame also carries a bit deeper meaning for Suzanne—the creator of TKVB. Throughout her childhood, she had a horrible fear of fire having grown up in Southern California where wildfires would rip through mountain ranges near and dear to her home. It was somewhat ironic that she would later have to confront that fear and have to literally befriend fire and understand its true nature when she was in the Marine Corps. It was at this time that Suzanne fully understood that life brings us lessons and experiences that we must overcome so that we can become stronger and defeat those imaginary fears—and in so doing, when we confront and conquer those fears—we liberate others to do the same. The flame is a symbol of conquering fear and using obstacles as fuel for transformation.
Finally, the ball. It is of course a volleyball. And this represents the canvas that we use to create the better version of ourselves.