Code of Conduct

In High School there always seems to be the question of drinking or doing drugs. Whether you have participated in this before or not, I'm sure it has crossed your mind. Drinking in High School seems to be a common trend that a lot of students do. I am not one to tell others how to live their life, but jut be smart and know the consequences.

Drinking in high school is very illegal and if caught you could get into serious trouble. If you are an athlete the consequences could very unfortunate for your career plans. Athletes who are caught breaking the code of conduct can be forced to sit out of their sport's season, or at least part of it. This will also tremendously affect your future plans if you want to play in college. 

Drinking doesn't make you cool or get you in with the so-called popular group. People do have their reasons for drinking, but I think there are other ways to solve your problems. If you're doing it just to have fun, you're probably not thinking about the consequences. I am not trying to bash people who drink or make you feel awful about yourself, because it's not my future that is at stake. If you are an athlete the stakes are a lot higher and really could put your athletic career at a downhill slope. The first offense punishment is to sit out up to one third of the season. The second offense has an athlete sitting out up to half of the season and three or more offenses can have an athlete sitting out for up to a year. Think about your plans for the future before making one of these kinds of decisions.

Not only will drinking or doing drugs affect your playing time and college career, but the way your coaches and teammates look at you. Your coach might not trust you at all anymore if they find out and your teammates, I hope, would be disappointed. Your teammates are playing for you and expect you to be there for them as well. By breaking the code of conduct you are letting you and your team down. Think about your actions and the consequences they bring with them before making an executive decision. If you can accept the consequences then so be it, but remember once respect is lost it is hard to earn back.

Stats: Good or Bad?

Any high school sports team that is somewhat high up in the rankings takes stats and is fairly good at being consistent. Whether it is free throw percentage or number of kills in a game, these statistics help show not only coaches, but players how they are doing on the court. Statistics are a great thing to have, but they can sometimes have a negative effect on athletes and the way they think.

Statistics are a way to show coaches which of the players has the highest percentage in certain areas. This helps coaches make difficult decisions when deciding who to play. Most coaches I have had do not rely only on percentages to decide the starting lineup. They look for who works the hardest, is the most dedicated, has the highest skill level, and then go to the statistics for a final decision. Stats are important, but not overly important to the point that you should worry about them. Your stats do not make or break you as a player.

Stats can become something that fuels you to do better, but you should not focus on just getting good stats. With time and dedication your percentages will rise on their own. If you focus on the game and your team you will soon see an increase in your stats. Stats are a way for individuals to see what they need to work on, but should not become something that takes focus away from your team. Your team is the most important thing. Athletes need to always be playing for their teammates, and stop playing for themselves.

Statistics can be both a good and bad thing to have, depending on the way you use them. Statistics do not define an athlete and should only be used to better the team. Yes, it is nice to have a high digging percentage or the top number of block assists, but this does not tell your story as an athlete. Your story is what you make it and how you carry yourself. Athletes need to understand that it is not all about being the best on the team, but about being the best leader for your team. Someone who always has a positive attitude, focuses on helping others, and simply loves the game itself is the kind of person coaches want on the court. Good statistics is just the icing on the cake.

Mental Connection to Injuries

Many athletes have experienced some type of injury during their career that might prohibit them from playing one hundred percent like themselves. It's not fun to not be able to do what you once did before. Some athletes are more unlucky than others though. They get hit with constant injuries, but it is important to determine the seriousness of an injury. For example in volleyball you should treat someone who has an ACL injury differently than someone who simply broke a finger. It is still very possible for the person with a broken finger to play, while an ACL injury takes months of rehab before getting back on the court.

An extremely important factor when it comes to injuries is the athlete’s mentality. You don't want to push yourself past the limits of your injury, but you also want to be smart about your playing time. I see too many people sit out of practice because their stomach hurts or they have a headache. Yes, migraines are a little different and can become very serious and should be taken seriously, but a minor headache is not a reason to sit out. Your mind can control how you're feeling. If you tell yourself you're okay and push yourself to do your best it will definitely pay off in the end. 

When pushing yourself, mind and physical body, you should do so in a safe manner. Be smart. If your doctor recommends you don't play, you probably shouldn't play. If you have a simple stomachache do as much as you can at practice and who knows, you might forget about it. 

Mental toughness plays a very important role at practice. Half of the problem is your mind. If you're thinking about the pain, it's going to make it worse. Athletes can cope with their injuries a lot easier if they just have a positive attitude. Positivity will go a long ways. Your mind is a powerful thing, but so are you. Put the two together and you can truly make a difference. Mental toughness is a necessity when it comes to sports. If you believe you can do something, you’re already setting yourself up for success. Don’t cave in to the little pains you get while playing, because everyone gets those. Sports aren’t supposed to be easy. You have to push yourself to achieve your goals. They won’t be handed to you.

Fund Raising

Athletes play sports for the love of the game. If your heart isn't in the game at all times there's no point in wasting money just to take up your free time. Sports do cost a lot of money and can be hard to make fit in your budget. If you decide to play club as well, which is recommended if you want to play in college, it gets even more expensive. The costs cover the trips, hotels, souvenirs, coaching, equipment, uniforms, food, and entry fees. There are lots of ways you can spend your money when you are an athlete or a parent of an athlete, but there are also ways to earn money for your sport.

Fund raising comes in many shapes and sizes. You can sell foods for example. This can be anything like cookies, cakes, pizzas, or candy bars. Most teams have a fund raiser that they give out to provide athletes with a way of paying their fees. Coaches know sports are expensive and will do whatever it takes to help an athlete out, if they are kind and hard working. 

Another way to earn some money is to go out and sell bench warmer tickets. Only some schools have things like this that you can go out and sell to people in the community. It connects directly to the NFL season and can earn buyers money. It's kind of a gamble, but that's what makes it fun.

Asking for donations isn't always too in the list of ways to earn money and is usually a last resort. It is somewhat uncomfortable to ask people to just hand out money to you and can be embarrassing if you truly need help, but there are ways to make it less awkward. There are now websites out there that are used to fund people in whatever they want. It provides people with a way to get some donations. The best pet about this is that you don't even have to know who it came from. Some people like to leave anonymous donations. It is truly heartwarming when someone gives to others in need. 

Now I know sports aren't a necessity and athletes should choose who they play for wisely. When I say this I mean athletes should take their family's finances into consideration. Sports are expensive, and your family should always come first in my opinion. There are other ways to play the sport you love without it costing so much and if you put in some hard work you can achieve a spot at a more expensive place.

Not all athletes need help with raising money for their family, but I think it is a good thing to do either way. Parents put so much money into athletes and I'm sure would love a little help. It's always nice to give back to your parents who are, in fact, your biggest supporters. By raising a little money you can make it a little easier on your parents. Sports are pricey, but if you truly love them it is totally worth every penny spent.  

Pep Assemblies

Most schools have a ton of sports to choose from. Athletes can participate and earn state championships or achieve their own personal goals. Sports are a big part of high school, especially if you're an athlete. Many schools focus a lot of their attention to sports, but others don't. A great way to get the school more involved in sports is by hosting pep assemblies. Pep assemblies are a great way to give recognition to hard working teams and athletes. There are many other great aspects of pep assemblies as well.

Pep assemblies are extremely fun and a way to make great memories. If your school is really into school spirit you can have little competitions to make the assembly even more entertaining and something to look forward to. Some schools have a spirit stick award that goes to the winning class. It becomes a huge competition to see, ultimately, which class is considered the best. It can get pretty heated and is so fun to be a part of. This gets people to have more school spirit and get excited.

Another reason pep assemblies are great is because it gives not only athletes, but other students recognition for what they do. Many people put a lot of time and hard work into their extracurricular activities because it is something that they love. Overall, pep assemblies are somewhat educational and inspiring, yet you really do look forward to it.

Who wants to sit through a boring assembly where they just rattle off a bunch of names and send you on your way? These assemblies can drag on and seem to last forever. Administrators can spice up their assemblies and create a new tradition that will definitely be something students remember. Plus who doesn't want to see a little friendly competition? It doesn't hurt anything and can really get everyone pumped up and maybe even persuade them to attend some of the extracurricular activities that are talked about. Pep assemblies are a way to bring everyone together. It unites students and brings a more family-like bond. The closer students are, the stronger the school is.

Student Sections

There are many sports that high schools have to offer as extra-curricular activities and provide entertainment for fans. Not only does this give athletes something to do with their free time, but students at the school who do not participate something to do as well. Watching sports can be just as fun as playing them, if you plan it well enough and get enough people to go.

The main contributor to the crowd usually seems to be the student section. Many schools have certain games that they all plan to wear the same thing, whether it is your school colors, a camouflage out, jersey out, black out, white out, costume out, or other choice of clothing. A lot of people also choose to wear face paint or bandanas to events like football games to add to the fun. There are other ways you can make games fun to attend as well.

Many students like to bring things like baby powder, signs, and towels to wave/throw around to add color to the crowd. The brighter your section looks the better. It's all about intimidating the other team and having the most school spirit. You can also show your schools spirit by making up your own cheers. Getting the entire crowd to participate in cheers will definitely show school spirit. Cheerleaders can help get cheers started as well. The louder the better!

While it may not be easy to think of things to do for games, there are ways to plan it out. You can share your thoughts on social media. Some schools have their own personal student section twitter page to give out information about upcoming and past games/events. This is not only a way to organize your ideas and get out information easily, but to show your school spirit even more. This might create a little competition among student sections and bring the intensity of the game up a notch.

Sports are fun to play, but they might not be for everyone. Having a very involved student section will provide students who can't play sports, or just don't, with a fun way to spend their free time. This will bring students together to create a more family-like environment and increase support for sports. Student sections can play a big role in the outcome of a game, because it truly does add to the intensity. Sports are a way to bring many different groups together!

Starting Out Young

There are many athletes out there that can say they have played the sport they love their entire life. Their parents must have started them out young and somewhat influenced the passion their child has for the sport. It is great to start children out playing multiple sports to get them interested early on. This will help them later when they are wanting to decide what to play in high school, if they choose to stick with sports. Knowing what practices are like will help kids get an idea of if they will enjoy playing in high school.

Some high school athletes cannot say they have played the sport they love for most of their life. Some of the best athletes have only started their sport right into high school. I'm not saying you shouldn't encourage your kids when they are young, because I am all for that. Some athletes are naturally talented and I think it is good to spark a love for the sport early on to get kids working hard young. Sports aren’t for everyone though and shouldn’t be forced upon others.

Sports take a lot of time and dedication, but you don't want your kids to get burnt out early on. I have seen athletes lose passion for the sport they used to love, simply because they have been doing the same thing for so long. Other athletes could never get burnt out and keep going strong throughout the years. This all depends on the person and can't really be determined when they're kids. It is all up to the parents to see if they want to encourage sports soon. It can lead to a world of success and ultimately determine your kid’s future.

I, truthfully, am for getting kids to try sports early on, but if they do not want to do it or do not enjoy it you shouldn't force it. Some kids are more into the arts, or simply don't like to be involved. Let kids choose who they want to be. You can encourage them to be involved, but I do not believe in forcing children to participate in extracurricular activities. Sports are a way to make friends and memories throughout the school years, but some people just aren't in the sports world like us athletes. Not every single person's world revolves around sports, unfortunately, although we’d like to believe it does.

Volleyball in Iowa

Iowa is stuck in the middle of the country, landlocked and dead center. Volleyball in Iowa is different than other states, because we have different things to offer. You tend to see that teams on the east and west coast are extremely good and have some of the best teams in the country, but that doesn't mean we are out of the competition. One of the things I'd like to confront is the lack of men's volleyball teams in Iowa.

Men's volleyball in Iowa is very small. I do not know of a school in Iowa that has a guys team as well as a girls. Illinois is full of men's volleyball teams, yet they are right next to us. This makes no sense to me, other than it's just not Iowa's tradition. I would really enjoy seeing more men's teams pop up in our state. Going into the regional finals of men's club is somewhat sad. The teams aren't as advanced, because the numbers of guys who want to play are slim.

Iowa is very unique, because we do have some very good players. Most of our excellent players end up going to schools on the east or west coast though. This is not meant to put down any of our teams, because the schools in Iowa have outstanding volleyball teams, but it just seems to me that we don't get the recognition we deserve. Iowa is full of amazing, hardworking players, but it's not something we are known for. I think Iowa is on the rise and is hopefully going to be known for some good volleyball.

Playing volleyball in Iowa is an amazing thing. With women's volleyball on the rise, men's is starting to go down in Iowa. Men's volleyball is one of the best things to watch. I highly recommend watching a men's volleyball game if you get the chance. These guys jump extremely high and can put the ball down in the blink of an eye. This is not to put down the women’s teams, but it is just a whole different environment.  Both women’s and men’s volleyball is extremely interesting to watch and can truly amaze you. The athletes put everything on the court and never give up. Volleyball is just amazing as a whole. It is the best sport out there in my opinion and teaches you amazing lessons that will follow you through life.

The Cost of Playing

Athletes put their time and effort into the sports they love. This takes a lot of dedication and is something you must be committed to if you intend on playing in college. Not only is dedication a big part of playing sports, but money. You must always take into consideration the costs of playing sports when deciding whether or not you want to go out or play. Whether it is for equipment or the coaching, sports do cost quite a bit, especially if you play club sports. For example, club volleyball is pretty expensive.

There are a lot of things you need to play volleyball, whether it is club or not. Just the basic necessities to play volleyball can get to be a little pricey. Volleyball shoes can cost up to two hundred dollars, with the minimum being around eighty dollars, unless you find a good deal. This and the price of socks, spandex, and knee pads might be a little too much. Spandex cost around thirty dollars each and you usually need at least three pairs.

Another thing you must take into consideration when deciding to play club volleyball is the price of playing alone. The costs of playing club range anywhere from eight hundred dollars to two thousand. This does not even include the price of staying at a hotel, getting food at tournaments, or buying souvenirs. Sometimes clubs even add in another price for jerseys, separate from the total cost. All in all playing club volleyball is extremely expensive, especially if you buy a forty dollar sweatshirt at every qualifying tournament.

The costs of playing sports shouldn't be a huge deal breaker when choosing whether or not to play, but it definitely needs to be something somewhat in your family’s budget. You don't want to make your family financially unstable just because you want to play a sport. There are many ways to get deals and clubs usually understand if you cannot afford it. The cost of playing sports is high and does take a lot of dedication, but if you truly love it, it is worth every ounce of money and time you put into it. Sports can bring a lot of joy into your life and even lead to scholarships in college. It all depends on how committed you are and how much time you are willing to put into the sport. Sports might be a little pricey, but the athlete determines how much they get out of their money.