On behalf of the Central Coast Spikers Volleyball Club I would like to thank you in advance for the opportunity to present our request for sponsorship of deserving athletes. If approved, your sponsorship donation will go directly to our “Scholarship Fund” and will not, in any way be used for general operating expenses or salaries.
The Central Coast Spikers Volleyball Club Mission Statement:
The mission of the Central Coast Spikers Volleyball Club is to promote and develop, through its members, the sport of volleyball and to support parents in guiding each athlete to achieve their highest potential. The club recognizes that participation in any sport encourages physical, mental, and social development. The Central Coast Spikers Volleyball club is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3), instructional and high performance volleyball program for boys and girls ages 18-and-under.
Club Overview:
The Central Coast Spikers Volleyball Club is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) Non Profit that was established 7 years ago with two teams of just 9 girls. This past season (2014 – 2015) we have offered competitive athletic opportunities to 100 boys and girls ranging in age from 8 to 17 years old. Our recruitment area, while primarily the Santa Ynez Valley of Central California, also draws athletes from Lompoc, Santa Barbara and the Santa Maria areas. Each year of our existence has seen a doubling of our numbers, staff and requests for financial aid. Our volunteer Board of Directors, consisting of 6 members, oversees the overall operation of the club, and provides direction to the club director. At this time the only source of funding is from Program Fees paid by the parents; we receive no other assistance.
Our practice schedule consists of two evenings per week (4 hours) of gymnasium practice and one evening per week (1 hour) of Performance Fitness activities. We are proud of our partnership with Rob Rosenberry’s Performance Fitness Center. In cooperation with the Performance Fitness Center we have developed the only “Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention” exercise program in Santa Barbara County that is specific to the volleyball athletes.
Our coaches are all advanced degree professionals with at least a Bachelors of Science degree; most have played volleyball in college. The coaches set individual and team goals then design instruction to meet these goals. Part of this instruction is the utilization of video via an iPad for the recording of skills sessions so that the coaches can provide immediate feedback to athletes during development drills. Each team is assigned one primary coach, one assistant, and 25% time from our head coach who oversees all athletic training.
As young boys and girls enter our program in the elementary and junior high years, they
will focus on the basic skills necessary to play the game. They will learn rotation and position play and perhaps gain experience playing a position they did not intend to consider. They will experience, perhaps for the first time, competition in a “tournament environment” in the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara and the Los Angeles areas. We offer traveling as well as non traveling teams at all competition and experience levels. Our non travel teams play in the Santa Barbara “Blenders” tournaments and our travel teams compete in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas. Because of this excellent experience opportunity we are considered by many as a necessary stepping stone towards college scholarships for our athletes.
We operate under the direction of USA Volleyball with local oversight provided by the Southern California Volleyball Association (SVCA). USA Volleyball provides our insurance and background clearance for all personnel. We are assigned to the Northern Coastal Region which currently has 26 other teams in competition. The club volleyball season runs from the beginning of December to approximately the first week of June.
Team Opportunities:
Last season (2014-2015) we had 7 teams including, for the first time, a boys Junior High and High School program. The team age range runs from U12 to U17/18. During the summer we have offered both indoor and “beach” volleyball clinics to anyone who wished to participate. We are currently the only “all inclusive” Club Volleyball program in Santa Barbara County, serving boys and girls from the U10 to the U18 age range.
The teams are all coached by fully licensed and IMPACT certified experienced coaches who have demonstrated not only their expertise on the court, but they also serve as extremely positive role models for the athletes.
Education Opportunities:
One of the goals of an athletic club program, regardless of the sport, is to prepare the athletes for eventual competition at the college level. This process includes several elements including, but not limited to, recruitment, financial aid and scholarships which the athlete will need in order to be successful. The Central Coast Spikers have developed and provide a program to our athletes unique to club sports in general, and specifically club volleyball. We offer a free seminar “Understanding College Financial Aid” and “The College Recruitment Process”. This program is presented by professionals currently working in the field.
Mr. Paul Rivas has worked in NCAA Division I Athletics for 20 years. He teaches study skills at UCSB and is responsible for ensuring that all UCSB student-athletes have the academic skills necessary to be successful in college. He has worked with everyone from walk-ons to All-Americans, and specializes in preparing blue-chip high school athletes to be immediately successful academically at the university level. He has a BA in Mathematics, Sociology, and Spanish from UCSB, and an MA in English Teaching from the New School in New York. He has been to 40 countries and is an expert on study abroad. His talk, “Academic Success for Athletes”, introduces high school students to proven strategies for achieving their academic goals in college.
Mr. Michael Miller is the Director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He came to work at UCSB after graduating from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Mr. Miller started working in financial aid as a freshman in college and aside from a four year hiatus to serve in the United States Army from 2001 to 2005; his entire professional career has been in higher education and financial aid.
Mr. Julio Molina presents his knowledge and experience in to the college recruitment process. Coach Molina is beginning his 6th season as the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Allan Hancock College. He was named the Western State Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year for his efforts at Hancock in 2010.
Thank you Barclays and anyone else who reads this and will support our mission. We have an outstanding, growing program. As the program grows so do the requests for assistance. We sincerely appreciate your consideration.
Don Barkas
Club Director