Burris has done it again. Not that we weren’t expecting them to, it was just the icing on the cake. Two Saturdays ago, the Lady Owls won their 11th State Championship against Brownstown Central. For us, it was the classic ending that we had been anticipating from the beginning of the semester.
Way back in August, I was one that was hoping to be impartial the entire time we were filming. The game, the girls, the essence of what the school was and is – that was our subject. We, the Virginia Ball Center, were planning on doing a documentary from an indifferent stand point. No one was going to get “too involved.”
On November 2nd, I was the red-head with the “Owl Eyes” shirt on, screaming my head off (and loosing my voice a few times) because the refs didn’t know an “out” call from an “in” call.
As you can see my hope in the “stand by and watch” documentary was no more. I had become a fan, a fan of Burris volleyball. Not just the game, but the entire process of how it’s played the team members and coaches. I’d even gone so far as when someone would ask if Burris was going to win, I would say yes, and proceed to knock on wood.
The overall experience has made me realize that even when documentarians attempt to film their “subjects” from a bipartisan view point, it’s practically impossible. You have to completely take yourself out of the emotional aspects of everything that you film. Now we are in the process of putting the film together. Because it’s a “documentary” one would hope that we show a film that shows the straight facts, but I can say confidently, that the pride we have for Burris will shine throughout the film.
Showing posts with label volleyball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volleyball. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
I totally dominated Final Cut Pro!
Yep, you read right. The philosophy/psychology major has mastered professional editing software. Well, maybe I didn't master it, but it feels like I did! This past week I spent most of my time working with Teri and Samantha D on the behind-the-scenes documentary. During the all-nighter we started to pull together all of the footage of the class that has been taken thus far. We soon realized that while we had lots of footage of classmates doing things, we didn't have anyone talking about our project. We decided at that point to do a couple interviews with Aaron L. and Rachel. We also created a list of all the subjects that we needed people to speak on so that we can 1) use the footage we already have and 2) create a documentary that is representative of our creative process. At this point we want to interview our classmates on the subjects of interviewing, the reunion, the Tennessee trip, frustrations with the project, learning new skills, our own attempts at playing volleyball, and our enhanced appreciation and excitement for Burris volleyball. I'm sure we will add more subjects as the semester progresses.
On Wednesday, Samantha D. and I discovered that Kecia expected a clip of the behind-the-scenes documentary by next Tuesday. We looked at the mess before us and decided there was no way to we could create a trailer that hit on all the subjects that we wanted to cover. We had been working intensely on a small section devoted to the all-nighter narrative meeting and came up with the idea to just focus on that section for the Tuesday screening. It was very important to us to create a trailer with structure as we need to get used to envisioning the project, itself, as a story. We added an introduction and a nice wrap up, as well as a few surprises of which I am quite proud. By the time we were finished we had created a trailer with a little story line and even some music.
The completion of a 3 minute and 42 second trailer might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for me it was. I had spent most of the semester completely avoiding anything associated with technology. I was convinced that I would break or mess up any of the great work that was being done by my more technologically savvy classmates. Tackling this fear was a huge achievement for me. I also experienced the reward that comes from creating something tangible. Most of my college experience has been spent reading and writing papers. A whole semester may result in one paper that I actually like, but this was totally different. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but I finally felt like I had something to show for all of the work I (and the others) had done. It is simply different from turning in a paper at the end of the year, or giving a presentation. I was so excited about what I had completed that I told everyone I saw and even called my mom. That's something I have never experienced with a good paper and it's awesome. I can't wait to continue working on this part of the project!
**And thanks to everyone who popped in and imparted some of their wisdom on us: Adam, Dan, Aaron L., Blake, Laura Huffman, and anyone else I have forgotten**
On Wednesday, Samantha D. and I discovered that Kecia expected a clip of the behind-the-scenes documentary by next Tuesday. We looked at the mess before us and decided there was no way to we could create a trailer that hit on all the subjects that we wanted to cover. We had been working intensely on a small section devoted to the all-nighter narrative meeting and came up with the idea to just focus on that section for the Tuesday screening. It was very important to us to create a trailer with structure as we need to get used to envisioning the project, itself, as a story. We added an introduction and a nice wrap up, as well as a few surprises of which I am quite proud. By the time we were finished we had created a trailer with a little story line and even some music.
The completion of a 3 minute and 42 second trailer might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for me it was. I had spent most of the semester completely avoiding anything associated with technology. I was convinced that I would break or mess up any of the great work that was being done by my more technologically savvy classmates. Tackling this fear was a huge achievement for me. I also experienced the reward that comes from creating something tangible. Most of my college experience has been spent reading and writing papers. A whole semester may result in one paper that I actually like, but this was totally different. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but I finally felt like I had something to show for all of the work I (and the others) had done. It is simply different from turning in a paper at the end of the year, or giving a presentation. I was so excited about what I had completed that I told everyone I saw and even called my mom. That's something I have never experienced with a good paper and it's awesome. I can't wait to continue working on this part of the project!
**And thanks to everyone who popped in and imparted some of their wisdom on us: Adam, Dan, Aaron L., Blake, Laura Huffman, and anyone else I have forgotten**
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
My New View of Volleyball
If you had asked me what I thought I would gain from this project, I would not have said an interest for volleyball. I’m not much of a sporty person, at least that’s the evidence of my past, but I have fallen into the net so to speak.
Many interviews I’ve seen and read, whether from teachers at Burris or parents of players, seemed to express the same surprising change. Volleyball wasn’t on their radar until they saw the Burris women play. Perhaps any sport, if it has the skill and drive set into its foundation, will gather a community around it. Or is it a supportive connected community that fosters a successful sport?
Either way, watching Burris volleyball was an experience I was not expecting. In particular I am thinking of the Central versus Burris game. Wowee. Instead of yawning like I did at high school football games, I was anxiously wringing my hands.
It was really interesting to see a contrast from the intensity of the biggest game of the season to seeing Steve’s 5th grade gym practice. He worked on the basics with the kids. These kids were so organized and attentive, it seemed as though Steve’s focus infected everyone in the room. My gym classes were rather scattered and not very productive. I never learned a drill or skill, just that I couldn’t do a chin up.
Although being a spectator is a blast, I am very glad that everyone is doing such a good job of logging all our footage because stopping play by play to type what happened can be taxing. But transcribing and reading all our hours of footage so far is like the practice for our documentary. If we keep the focus and dedication during these “drills,” our biggest event will be a wonder to watch.
Many interviews I’ve seen and read, whether from teachers at Burris or parents of players, seemed to express the same surprising change. Volleyball wasn’t on their radar until they saw the Burris women play. Perhaps any sport, if it has the skill and drive set into its foundation, will gather a community around it. Or is it a supportive connected community that fosters a successful sport?
Either way, watching Burris volleyball was an experience I was not expecting. In particular I am thinking of the Central versus Burris game. Wowee. Instead of yawning like I did at high school football games, I was anxiously wringing my hands.
It was really interesting to see a contrast from the intensity of the biggest game of the season to seeing Steve’s 5th grade gym practice. He worked on the basics with the kids. These kids were so organized and attentive, it seemed as though Steve’s focus infected everyone in the room. My gym classes were rather scattered and not very productive. I never learned a drill or skill, just that I couldn’t do a chin up.
Although being a spectator is a blast, I am very glad that everyone is doing such a good job of logging all our footage because stopping play by play to type what happened can be taxing. But transcribing and reading all our hours of footage so far is like the practice for our documentary. If we keep the focus and dedication during these “drills,” our biggest event will be a wonder to watch.
Monday, October 15, 2007
1982 Reunion
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!
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!
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.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
"Gone Fishing"
This evening I feel like I got a glimpse of just how good this project is going to be. Blake, Kecia and I went to Steve's condo to get some footage and an interview. I was super excited to see Steve in an environment other than the gym and I definitely was not disappointed.
The first exciting point of the night was that when we arrived, Steve told us he was watching game footage from the Ben Davis tournament. Kecia immediately seized the opportunity and asked if he would continue to do so while we filmed him. This provided some great insight into Steve's volleyball knowledge and his thoughts on some of the players. Also, we got to see the inside of his condo which is bare except for one wall that is covered in plaques, awards, and pictures from his career at Burris. All in all I felt like it was a rare moment to be able to get inside the head of a genius and hear what he thinks when he watches a match.
Then he took us out to the pond and we watched him catch a few fish. We were able to do an interview with him as well while he fished and I was really happy with how easy he was to talk to. My favorite part of the interview was when he talked about growing up with his dad and always being around volleyball. We got some great stories about him getting stuffed into lockers by the BSU team when he was a kid and about how he and his friends were beating the college club teams when they were in junior high. To top it off, all through the interview we had a perfect shot of the sun setting right behind Steve as he fished. We couldn't have asked for anything better.
Hearing the kind of stories and experiences Steve has had made me really excited about the project. I hope everyone else's interviews are going as well.
-Maholo
The first exciting point of the night was that when we arrived, Steve told us he was watching game footage from the Ben Davis tournament. Kecia immediately seized the opportunity and asked if he would continue to do so while we filmed him. This provided some great insight into Steve's volleyball knowledge and his thoughts on some of the players. Also, we got to see the inside of his condo which is bare except for one wall that is covered in plaques, awards, and pictures from his career at Burris. All in all I felt like it was a rare moment to be able to get inside the head of a genius and hear what he thinks when he watches a match.
Then he took us out to the pond and we watched him catch a few fish. We were able to do an interview with him as well while he fished and I was really happy with how easy he was to talk to. My favorite part of the interview was when he talked about growing up with his dad and always being around volleyball. We got some great stories about him getting stuffed into lockers by the BSU team when he was a kid and about how he and his friends were beating the college club teams when they were in junior high. To top it off, all through the interview we had a perfect shot of the sun setting right behind Steve as he fished. We couldn't have asked for anything better.
Hearing the kind of stories and experiences Steve has had made me really excited about the project. I hope everyone else's interviews are going as well.
-Maholo
The Stories of Don Shondell
My interview with Don Shondell on Thursday the 13th was quite an eye-opener. For nearly four weeks we have been researching, discussing, and filming from a distance. However, we knew we were missing the key human aspect of our story (in the making). Interviews were to be the next step. Don Shondell was a perfect choice for the first of the interviews. He took me through fifty years of his volleyball experience. His stories ranged from coaching in the army to watching his three sons play announcer at pretend volleyball games to his seven granddaughters volleyball successes. (The eighth granddaughter is too young to play yet, but given the Shondell history, one can assume volleyball is in her future!)
I found Don’s take on gender in sports one of the most intriguing parts of the interview. Men’s volleyball has had a rocky history that continues still into the present. Issues range from a reputation as a “hit and giggle sport”, as labeled by Don’s first athletic director, to facing serious threat of being cut in very recent years despite the program’s overwhelming history of success.
However, the biggest stressor for the Men’s Volleyball program seems to have stemmed from Title IX, the piece of legislation passed in 1972, providing that no state-funded program can discriminate on the basis of gender. In trying to accommodate that, many less acclaimed sports got pushed aside in the effort to equally fund women’s sports. Don talked of scholarships being cut from the men’s teams as well as reoccurring threat of cutting the sport altogether. Obviously as a long time coach and lover of the game, this has been extremely difficult to swallow for Don and so many others. Yet, he spoke of it with no bitterness in his tone. He also mentioned more than once how great it has been for females to finally get their chance, including his granddaughters. In summation, he noted realistically and calmly that he could only do his best and work with what he had, no matter the situation.
My own conclusion was that only a true lover of the game could not only handle turbulent times but prevail during them. Interviewing Don was a joy. I only hope we manage to capture his enthusiasm in our film.
I found Don’s take on gender in sports one of the most intriguing parts of the interview. Men’s volleyball has had a rocky history that continues still into the present. Issues range from a reputation as a “hit and giggle sport”, as labeled by Don’s first athletic director, to facing serious threat of being cut in very recent years despite the program’s overwhelming history of success.
However, the biggest stressor for the Men’s Volleyball program seems to have stemmed from Title IX, the piece of legislation passed in 1972, providing that no state-funded program can discriminate on the basis of gender. In trying to accommodate that, many less acclaimed sports got pushed aside in the effort to equally fund women’s sports. Don talked of scholarships being cut from the men’s teams as well as reoccurring threat of cutting the sport altogether. Obviously as a long time coach and lover of the game, this has been extremely difficult to swallow for Don and so many others. Yet, he spoke of it with no bitterness in his tone. He also mentioned more than once how great it has been for females to finally get their chance, including his granddaughters. In summation, he noted realistically and calmly that he could only do his best and work with what he had, no matter the situation.
My own conclusion was that only a true lover of the game could not only handle turbulent times but prevail during them. Interviewing Don was a joy. I only hope we manage to capture his enthusiasm in our film.
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.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Summer News Story
Over the summer I shot and edited a story about Steve Shondell (Burris Volleyball coach) winning the National Volleyball Coach of the Year Award. The story aired June 28, 2007 on Newslink Indiana (WIPB-TV). My reporter, Brad Underwood, and I attended two summer practice sessions in June and interviewed Steve and some of his players. Just watching the interview with Steve should give you a decent grasp on his personality.
Here is the link to watch it (Quicktime required):
http://wbbrenneman.iweb.bsu.edu/SteveShondellNLI062807.mov
Let me know your thoughts.
-Blake Brenneman
Here is the link to watch it (Quicktime required):
http://wbbrenneman.iweb.bsu.edu/SteveShondellNLI062807.mov
Let me know your thoughts.
-Blake Brenneman
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