AboutTom Houser Expertise I can answer any type of volleyball question: school, college, club, coaching, playing, etc. (I am not, however, a athletic trainer! haha)
Experience 23 years coaching varsity, JV, club.
You can see all about me at www.coachhouser.com There are also free downloads for coaches & parents, and hundreds of smiling faces for you volleyball players!
Publications www.active.com
www.yesIcansports.com
Education/Credentials BS degree from Va Tech in Math Education. MS degree from Va Tech in Secondary Administration. 28 years teaching high school math!
The Picture! The picture that you see is my team after winning the 52-team Capitol Hill Classic in February 2008 in Washington DC. We were the only undefeated team in the 15's division. However, they presented our awards to the team that won the SILVER division! haha So the tournament directors had to reorder our medals and our player's MVP trophy, then mail them all to us later!
Expert: Tom Houser Date: 6/14/2008 Subject: 13 yr old girls
Question Tom,
My 13 yr old daughter plays volleyball at a club. I hear the other teams do a chant or cheer to encourage each other. my daughter says her coach doesn't let them do that because he thinks it's bad sportsmanship. What do you think and do you know what they may be chanting?
Thank you, Lori
Answer Good evening!
The bottom line is: Is the chant meant to distract the opponents?
If it is, then yes it's unsportsmanlike. Very rarely have I ever heard girls chant, "Miss it, miss it, miss it". I have also never heard players holler "ONE," when the other team passes the ball, "TWO," when the other team sets the ball, and "THREE" when the other team spikes the ball. Both of those examples would be poor sportsmanship.
Softball teams do little cheers from the dugout all the time. I don't think it's meant to disrupt the opponents. In fact, in the College World Series, I saw the women cheering. No problem!
Your daughter may be describing the little cheers teams do after serving aces, spiking kills, or getting stuff blocks. Those are OK unless they're directed at the other team. Just last year, my team had an opponent that, after blocking us, would do a little cheer, which ended with them pointing at us. Oh, oh. Not a good idea. As a referee, I would warn them and card the team if I saw it twice (I referee in the fall.)
However, if it's just a celebration of a team's good fortune or a girl's strong play, then I have no problem with it. In fact, in my conference in Martinsville Va, my teams were the first teams to do it back in the early 90's. My A.D. came to me and said, "Other A.D.'s are asking me what those little cheers are during a match. What's up with it?" I saw college women do it, and I thought, "What a cool way to have fun!" And if the opponents don't like it, then that's their imagination playing games with them......b/c we're just having fun and we're not teasing them whatsoever. The local paper wrote a story on it. Jeeeze, we were just having fun! haha
Maybe your daughter can tell you more about what their doing. If I haven't answered your question, please ask again!
Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com. I think you'll enjoy it, and I know your daughter will! I start my 2nd of 7 volleyball camps on Monday. I can't wait!!
