| Each
Fall, the Montgomery Village Sports Association (MVSA) holds a recreational
volleyball league for school-age girls led by experienced MVSA coaches.
This past season, approximately one-third of the players included girls
who were either deaf or hard of hearing. After a majority of them
attended a recent volleyball clinic at their school, Maryland School of
the Deaf, they were eager to register for this league to continue their
learning and enjoyment. Looking back, this season was a very rewarding
one for all.
These motivated players,
who participated in the league’s Elementary School Age Division, further
learned and improved their skills through structured practices led by helpful
and adaptive coaches. They taught the team members through visual
examples and sign language. In this learning environment, the players
were quite observant and readily caught on to the instruction. For
example, the coaches methodically demonstrated skills, such as the underhand
serve, to an attentive audience. These girls then quickly and eagerly
practiced what they’ve just learned, all the while receiving feedback from
the staff. Also, the coaches used diagrams as needed to communicate
team formations for serve-receive and attack. Lastly, several parents
supported the teaching by assisting in these weekly practices to promote
learning and team unity.
During actual league
competition, each girl enthusiastically displayed her skills in regulation
games. In the fast-moving play, the coaches uniquely offered advice
and praise to players by first catching their attention and then motioning
or “signing” their encouragement. And, at the end of each match,
win or lose, everyone was ecstatic. As the players, family members,
and coaches exited the court and re-lived the match while enjoying refreshments,
each girl’s already strong esteem and pride was undoubtedly further reinforced.
Please feel free to contact
me if you would like additional information concerning this league.
I can be reached at 301-879-8702. |
