Hi Tony,

  This is Jayne,  Meagan's mom.  I just recently watched a tape of Meagans signing from last year, and thought about you and everything that had happened over the last year and wanted to tell you that I am still so very grateful to you. 

  It has been one heck of a year for my girl, and low and behold she has came through it all with the grace of God and with EVERYTHING you had ever taught her. 

  Had you not taken her (and me) under your wing she might not be where she is today.  And I say that with so much sincerity.  Spirit, with you and all the coaches, made learning volleyball not just a volleyball experience but a life experience as well.  I know that MY PRECIOUS ANGEL may not have been an angel to some at one point or another, but I followed your advice and believe it or not Meagan has also followed your advise, and she is such a better person and player for that.  She has played vb since 6th grade, and has so much potential still.  When you helped her to Ursuline College, you changed her life.  You knew her potential also and I thank you.  But coming from a high school such as Admiral King, I knew it wasn't going to be easy for her especially since she would not be able to lean on me for help.  But although she probably had the most trying year of her vb career, she has managed to over come so much diversity and managed to grow up and grow in her skills that I can only believe in my heart that it is truly you that I am to be grateful to.  My daughter once in college took on an attitude that I didn't even see coming.  Not so much an attitude but maybe a defensive mode.  But Tony even you probably didn't think she would pull through all the drama that she and just being in a college athletic atmosphere created.  But I wanted you to know that she has made it through her freshman year.  One month to go and then she gets a summer break and its right back in the fall. 

  Her and Donna Day have made amends and are working together, and its more than a mom could ask for.  I know that Meagan still has growing to do, but if we ever get a chance to sit and talk I would love to tell you all that she HAS accomplished this year.  Its amazing that she made it through as gracefully as she has.   Meagan will say things and do things that I know she learned from Spirit and you.  And I just wanted to thank you again and tell you that we still love you and always think about you. 

And I will forever be grateful to you and your club.  You truly changed one girls life in the most positive way possible. 

Meagan and her "blue bird" send their best wishes and she said she wants to come visit you soon....

 

Love always to you and Deb,

Jayne Morales

 Yea, just a little hectic yesterday.  But I really had a great time, not only yesterday but during every day of this, my first JO season as a parent!

 I have a few things that I'd like to say..I'll try and keep this brief.

 

First, I consider it a privilege to have had the opportunity to meet you and talk with you.  It is obvious to anyone with half a brain that you have a wealth of knowledge re: volleyball and also with coaching youth.  What may not be apparent to most at first blush...you know how to combine the two into an effective approach.  I feel very lucky indeed, that my daughter had the chance to leap to the next level in her game with you pointing the way.

 

Katie never played VB until 7th grade.....she simply told me that she was going to try out for Bay's Middle School team.  She went to a 4 day camp that Tony had and that was the total of her exposure to the game prior to tryouts.  Lo and behold, she made the team and promptly fell in love with the game.  As for the rest....well, here we are today.

 

As a youth coach myself, I do notice the little things.  I found that Katie, even though there were times that she was actually afraid of you, started to look at volleyball as she has softball over the years.  She became a "student" of the game.  She would come home from a Middle School practice, tell me it was ok, then plop down and do homework.  She came home from JO practices and would talk for an hour about what you had them do, what her teammates did and were like........and I saw an even bigger smile on her face.  She fell in love with VB.

 

Second, thanks for the time you spent with Katie one on one at practices.....she often remarked that she got more out of an hour with you than she did at weeks of MS practices.  I remember the clinic you did in December on the weekends....Katie told me she wanted to attend.  She never mentioned "oh, I'll see if any other of my friends want to go".   She pointedly said, "I want to go."  She began to soak up the details....and I saw her confidence rise.  During MS ball, if she made an error, the coach would say something to her...but rarely spent the time to "coach and teach" in the situation.  You could see her, and many of her teammates start to cringe....they didn't want to be singled out.  But at JO, she found that she would not only get the "Katie, what are you doing?"....but she'd also get the "Katie, this is what you should be doing.....and you'd teach her.  I have not seen her cringe at a mistake since then.  She did the "Katie" thing.....get the instruction....process it...and do it.  Katie is making her decision about your "Yes I Can" camp.  I think she might like to participate.

 

Third, thanks for the "one on ones" that you and I had.  At the last Cloverleaf tournament, you made the comment that I was like an asst. coach for you to bounce things off of before making a decision.  I appreciated that...I never sought that role.....heck, after one season, I still can't tell you when a back row set can be made .....but I'm honored that you felt that way.

 

Fourth, thanks for the little tidbits I picked up from you re: coaching.  Little things....but I'm going to incorporate them this summer with the travel softball program.

 

Coach, you created a pretty successful team out of a bunch of girls from what, 6 different schools?  The girls got along so well; you should have seen the bunch of them who stayed at the hotel after the tournament.  Katie, Kiki, Lauren, Kendyl, Kristen and Maria were like peas in a pod..swimming, talking, gossiping, playing hide and seek in the hotel.  When I was finally ready to turn in after the Cavs game, I was walking down the hotel hallway to my room and what did I see?  6 teammates, sitting on the floor, bunched together, talking, laughing and more. They made sure they had each others cell numbers and I encouraged them to stay in touch.

 

I always have felt that the biggest thing to come of this JO experience for these girls is the opportunity to meet the other girls and build friendships.  I think in this case it will continue.

 

Finally, we talked the one day, I think it was at Ashland, about next year.  One never knows what the future holds, but the parents as a group do feel that we would like to see this particular group of girls kept together as a team if possible and assuming that they all return next season.  And, we would like to see you coach them again.  We are going to go to Tony with this thought.  Personally, I hope it can work.  I have a great deal of respect for you and it would make me very happy indeed to have Katie under your tutelage for another season.

 

We parents sat yesterday, talking and almost stunned that the season was over.  As a group, we got along tremendously.  No one parent(s) ever tried to play the "my daughter is the best" game.  They talked about all the girls, cheered for them and cried for them. When Katie made a play yesterday to save a ball and went diving into the net at the end of the court and was able to pass the ball back as she tumbled into the nets and got tangled, I felt so good as the parents all cried out her name and cheered for her.  We did that for every one of the girls.  They deserved it.  And every set of parents should be very proud of the young ladies they have raised.

 

Ok, I'm finally getting to the end.  Bear with me.

 

It's been a wonderful 6 months.  I can't believe it's ended for this season.  Katie and Diane came over a little while ago to view the CD program that Joe Grecol did for everyone.  You should have seen the smile on Katie's face as she hollered out her teammates' names.

 

Then, as they were getting ready to leave, Katie turned to me, looked at me and with a hint of a tear said, "Dad, I'm so sad.  I can't believe that JO is over.  I'm ready to keep on playing.  I'm going to miss it."

 So am I.

 But next season is only 6 months away.

 I gave you my daughter......willing to learn and make the sacrifices.

 You gave me back a volleyball player......and a much more confident young lady......

 Katie has already decided that she's playing JO with Spirit again.

 I hope it will be with you.

 Thank you...for everything.

 

Bob MCFeeley