On Sunday, October 7th, the first Burris state championship team gathered at the Virginia Ball Center. Throughout their day at the VBC, they reminisced about old times, recalled fun memories, and caught up on the lives of their former teammates. Little did they know how much we, as students, enjoyed watching their interactions and listening to the recollections of that memorable season back in 1982.
The team had loads of memorabilia which was fun, not only for them to look through, but also for us to see as students. Through countless interviews, we have heard a lot of stories and remembrances from that year but being able to see the pictures and watch the actual footage from the game really made the stories come alive.
One of my favorite events from that evening was sitting in on the women as they watched the state championship game from that year. It amazed me how much some things have changed 20 some years later, but also, how some things have not changed at all. While the intensity of play, the uniforms, the rules, and several aspects of the game are now different, I still saw the same Steve on the sideline with his ever calm demeanor and the same passion on the faces of the team that I continue to see on girls today.
The following day, the women were recognized at the Burris vs. Muncie Central game. I think it was great, not only for the women, but for all those in attendance to remember that year and reflect on the remarkable tradition that everyone now knows as Burris Volleyball. And what a better game to solidify exactly what tradition and volleyball means to Burris!
All in all, it was a celebrated weekend for all involved. Good luck to the Burris squad as they begin sectionals and the upcoming state run!
Showing posts with label match. Show all posts
Showing posts with label match. Show all posts
Monday, October 15, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Storybook Ending
Monday night's match between Burris and Central was perfect. With the Owls down 2-1 after the first three games, we were talking amongst ourselves saying, "They just can't lose tonight, especially before sectionals." So much for being impartial as filmmakers.
My first experience with the Owls was at Cathedral. Being an extremely competitive person, I was a little upset about the loss, but never expected to become this involved and attached to the success of the team. While Aaron and I were shooting behind-the-scenes footage we didn't have to try hard to capture the emotions of our peers as they were engrossed by the games. I particularly remember Audrey walking out of the gym after Burris' second loss of the night, returning with more pep to cheer the girls on, and even getting frustrated when the Central team cleared the bench and blocked her view. Few of us came into this project with a great understanding of volleyball, but as the project moves along with us becoming more involved, we want them to come out on top more than anything.
Witnessing the dedication of these girls, Steve, and other community members to the team is also amazing in itself. I grew up in Northwest Indiana, which is a softball breeding ground. I began with t-ball and continue to play intramural tournaments, so I understand what it is like to be a part of something you love dearly and want to see succeed. However, I have never seen a volleyball following like this. The intensity of the crowd in Ball Gym on Monday was awesome, and reminded me of high school basketball games. I can't stop thinking about how privileged these players are to have such a great coach and program within this community.
Talking with the 1982 players who returned for the reunion also reinforced the whole community aspect. The women were so excited to see Steve again and reminisce about their playing days. I am extremely grateful to have spoken with some of them about their experiences with athletics at Burris and later in their lives.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Wendy Jones, who was only a freshman on the State Championship team, but had a lot to contribute. Jones went on to play volleyball at Tennessee and was able to witness how support for teams fluctuated throughout the country. She is also a mother of two children with a husband who coaches them in his spare time. Jones and I spoke about athletes in the news recently, Marion Jones in particular, and how they influence players today. She spoke a lot about the impact athletics have on our youth, and how important it is to present sports to them in a positive way. I was impressed with her knowledge on Title IX and feel she offered a lot of information pertinent to our project.
We are all very pleased with how well the reunion went, and we appreciate the time they spent with us. Hopefully, they enjoyed themselves as much as we did.
I also want to say thank you to Steve Shondell and Wes Lyon for their cooperation. They have been wonderful dealing with us, which probably isn't the easiest along with their already busy schedules, and we are thankful.
Good luck tomorrow night Owls, and stay strong during sectionals!
My first experience with the Owls was at Cathedral. Being an extremely competitive person, I was a little upset about the loss, but never expected to become this involved and attached to the success of the team. While Aaron and I were shooting behind-the-scenes footage we didn't have to try hard to capture the emotions of our peers as they were engrossed by the games. I particularly remember Audrey walking out of the gym after Burris' second loss of the night, returning with more pep to cheer the girls on, and even getting frustrated when the Central team cleared the bench and blocked her view. Few of us came into this project with a great understanding of volleyball, but as the project moves along with us becoming more involved, we want them to come out on top more than anything.
Witnessing the dedication of these girls, Steve, and other community members to the team is also amazing in itself. I grew up in Northwest Indiana, which is a softball breeding ground. I began with t-ball and continue to play intramural tournaments, so I understand what it is like to be a part of something you love dearly and want to see succeed. However, I have never seen a volleyball following like this. The intensity of the crowd in Ball Gym on Monday was awesome, and reminded me of high school basketball games. I can't stop thinking about how privileged these players are to have such a great coach and program within this community.
Talking with the 1982 players who returned for the reunion also reinforced the whole community aspect. The women were so excited to see Steve again and reminisce about their playing days. I am extremely grateful to have spoken with some of them about their experiences with athletics at Burris and later in their lives.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Wendy Jones, who was only a freshman on the State Championship team, but had a lot to contribute. Jones went on to play volleyball at Tennessee and was able to witness how support for teams fluctuated throughout the country. She is also a mother of two children with a husband who coaches them in his spare time. Jones and I spoke about athletes in the news recently, Marion Jones in particular, and how they influence players today. She spoke a lot about the impact athletics have on our youth, and how important it is to present sports to them in a positive way. I was impressed with her knowledge on Title IX and feel she offered a lot of information pertinent to our project.
We are all very pleased with how well the reunion went, and we appreciate the time they spent with us. Hopefully, they enjoyed themselves as much as we did.
I also want to say thank you to Steve Shondell and Wes Lyon for their cooperation. They have been wonderful dealing with us, which probably isn't the easiest along with their already busy schedules, and we are thankful.
Good luck tomorrow night Owls, and stay strong during sectionals!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Starting Early
Sam E. went to interview Don Shondell a few weeks back, and I decided to tag along, I'm so happy I did because now I have that connection. Sam and I went to the 8th grade Burris game vs. Delta this evening. We got there a little early and had a chance to watch the 7th grade team, I was impressed seeing the potential that these girls had. I was astonished when it came time to watch the 8th grade team. The level that the 8th grade team was playing at was very competitive. Just watching the girls pepper and seeing the ball control they had fascinated me. During warm up when the girls where doing a passing drill, they were passing with such precision, they took the top spin off the pass!
I started playing volleyball in maybe 5th or 6th grade, at this little private school in Ft.Wayne. My 8th grade year, I wasn't nearly the athlete that these females are. I remember just playing the game without really thinking about it, no strategy. At one point, Delta and Burris had this extremely long rally. Morey was playing middle back, and on the first touch instead of passing the ball to setter, she freeballed it into the deep corner. At that moment I thought, "WOW" what a smart play! That is the one play that really sticks out in my mind, but there were other examples of how these middle school girls were playing the game smart, not just at a high skill level. I look back on when I started and how I played, and wish that I had the training these girls have. I didn't even know what it was to snap my wrist until High School.
These girls are so incredibly lucky to have these opportunities. Nowadays, sports are so incredibly competitive, the only way to compete is to become a specialist at a certain sport as early as possible. I wish I would have known that when I was younger, I wish that I would have started to play the game more strategically earlier. The Burris team is very fortunate, and they may not realize it just yet, but they will.
I started playing volleyball in maybe 5th or 6th grade, at this little private school in Ft.Wayne. My 8th grade year, I wasn't nearly the athlete that these females are. I remember just playing the game without really thinking about it, no strategy. At one point, Delta and Burris had this extremely long rally. Morey was playing middle back, and on the first touch instead of passing the ball to setter, she freeballed it into the deep corner. At that moment I thought, "WOW" what a smart play! That is the one play that really sticks out in my mind, but there were other examples of how these middle school girls were playing the game smart, not just at a high skill level. I look back on when I started and how I played, and wish that I had the training these girls have. I didn't even know what it was to snap my wrist until High School.
These girls are so incredibly lucky to have these opportunities. Nowadays, sports are so incredibly competitive, the only way to compete is to become a specialist at a certain sport as early as possible. I wish I would have known that when I was younger, I wish that I would have started to play the game more strategically earlier. The Burris team is very fortunate, and they may not realize it just yet, but they will.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Victory!
Burris Dominated...
From Prepvolleyball.com:
Class 2A top-ranked Burris won all four matches to win the Ben Davis Invitational. The Owls defeated Zionsville 25-10, 25-14, McCutcheon 25-18, 25-13, Jennings County 25-17, 25-13, and Martinsville 18-25, 25-17, 15-12. Taylor Unroe topped Burris with 38 kills and 26 digs.
For me, these scores show that Burris is in control of the court. They play at a highly competitive level throughout nearly entire tournament and dominate other teams. The determination to win and play at such a high level of intensity is a major reason as to why Burris wins state championships.
The fact that I get to follow such a competitive and accomplished team is very rewarding because my high school volleyball played the same way. There are not many opportunities to see high school girls working so incredibly hard and putting forth so much effort. Volleyball is definitely a sport where you can see true dedication and intensity.
These girls have pressures in all areas of life (school, what to do after high school, parents, friends, social pressures, appearance, etc...). On top of everything that goes along with being a high school female, this group of girls dedicate hours upon hours to practicing and playing volleyball.
In my opinion and from my own experiences, it takes a huge amount of dedication and determination to stick with this sport at such a competitive level. If you are not playing to achieve high goals then you should probably get out. I cannot compliment the Burris girls and others teams enough for pushing themselves to the limit in volleyball.
From Prepvolleyball.com:
Class 2A top-ranked Burris won all four matches to win the Ben Davis Invitational. The Owls defeated Zionsville 25-10, 25-14, McCutcheon 25-18, 25-13, Jennings County 25-17, 25-13, and Martinsville 18-25, 25-17, 15-12. Taylor Unroe topped Burris with 38 kills and 26 digs.
For me, these scores show that Burris is in control of the court. They play at a highly competitive level throughout nearly entire tournament and dominate other teams. The determination to win and play at such a high level of intensity is a major reason as to why Burris wins state championships.
The fact that I get to follow such a competitive and accomplished team is very rewarding because my high school volleyball played the same way. There are not many opportunities to see high school girls working so incredibly hard and putting forth so much effort. Volleyball is definitely a sport where you can see true dedication and intensity.
These girls have pressures in all areas of life (school, what to do after high school, parents, friends, social pressures, appearance, etc...). On top of everything that goes along with being a high school female, this group of girls dedicate hours upon hours to practicing and playing volleyball.
In my opinion and from my own experiences, it takes a huge amount of dedication and determination to stick with this sport at such a competitive level. If you are not playing to achieve high goals then you should probably get out. I cannot compliment the Burris girls and others teams enough for pushing themselves to the limit in volleyball.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Burris Invitational
The Burris Volleyball Invitational gave me an opportunity not only to experience another High School volleyball game, adding up to two total games in my life, but also to see tournament style competition.
I have been so impressed by the level of play and athleticism that has been displayed in the few examples I've witnessed. Volleyball had been a leisure sport/activity, up until the first time I saw Burris play. You could set up a net in the backyard and just have fun - in no way is volleyball the same as that when you enter a gym. I especially felt that way at Ball Gym with a home crowd backing the Owls.
The final games against Assumption (the # 1 ranked team in the nation!) were so close. Burris looked very strong going against such a formidable opponent. You can read about it in an article that ran in the Star Press here:
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=11B7F9B4387EE7E8&p_docnum=2&p_theme=gannett&s_site=thestarpress&p_product=MSPB
Though it is unfortunate they lost, as it always is, I don't think Burris has much to feel bad about.
When I don't have my hands on the camera, I'm having a hard time keeping my eye off the game. I should be looking for shots, but often am too excited about what is going on on the court. I find myself clapping and getting nervous about crucial points and think, "What am I doing?" But I really can't help it. Though I probably won't be cheering in an Owl suit with the students , I don't think my excitement will stop even as I get more attuned to the world of High School volleyball.
I have been so impressed by the level of play and athleticism that has been displayed in the few examples I've witnessed. Volleyball had been a leisure sport/activity, up until the first time I saw Burris play. You could set up a net in the backyard and just have fun - in no way is volleyball the same as that when you enter a gym. I especially felt that way at Ball Gym with a home crowd backing the Owls.
The final games against Assumption (the # 1 ranked team in the nation!) were so close. Burris looked very strong going against such a formidable opponent. You can read about it in an article that ran in the Star Press here:
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=11B7F9B4387EE7E8&p_docnum=2&p_theme=gannett&s_site=thestarpress&p_product=MSPB
Though it is unfortunate they lost, as it always is, I don't think Burris has much to feel bad about.
When I don't have my hands on the camera, I'm having a hard time keeping my eye off the game. I should be looking for shots, but often am too excited about what is going on on the court. I find myself clapping and getting nervous about crucial points and think, "What am I doing?" But I really can't help it. Though I probably won't be cheering in an Owl suit with the students , I don't think my excitement will stop even as I get more attuned to the world of High School volleyball.
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