libero camps

Question
please fill me in on good libero camps for Going to be junior, in illinois and other states, thank you,
Dale

Answer
Hello Dale, and welcome to www.allexperts.com!

Asking me about good libero camps is like asking me "What colleges are good?"  

Both libero camps and colleges are pretty much all good for you.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say all are at least an 8.  In fact, I think it's funny when people say, "XYZ University has a good education program."  Well, in my opinion ALL colleges have a good education program.  All have a good liberal arts program.  All have a good science department.  Are they great?  Are they incredible?  People don't usually ask for that.  Do you WANT a GREAT school?  Do you REALLY want the rigor that students get at Stanford, Duke or Northwestern?  Most students don't.

Finding a college that'll give you an incredible education is much easier than picking an incredible camp.  Why?  B/c there are dozens of people working at Harvard and Yale to ensure that their academic standards are ridiculously high.  There is no such quality regulation of their sports camps.  

So, where are we?  Not much further along then we were when we started.  OK, I have an idea.  How about you investigate camps at the colleges where great liberos continue to be produced.  How will you know what college those are?  Check out the USA National Team roster, and the history of the National Team.  To see that info, go to www.usavolleyball.org.  Where are their liberos from?  At this point, I think you'll be frustrated again to discover that one is from UGa, one is from Univ. of Minnesota, one was from USC, one was from Texas, one was from Va Tech, on and on and on.  

Oh, my.  Now we're at another intersection with a dozen different roads we can take. See?  This is hard.  It's not like math, where there is a 100% right answer.  But is it time to throw up our hands and take a chance on the university down the road?  No, not yet.

OK, let's say ABC University has produced 2 of the last 10 National Team liberos.  Sweet!  But to further complicate matters, just b/c a coach is a good recruiter of talent (which has more to do with that women making the National Team than the coach!), doesn't mean that coach can direct a camp of 200 kids.  There are dozens of variables: assistants may be lazy/inexperienced/poor coaches, not enough individual attention given to campers, gym and/or rooms are too hot, etc.  

OK, we're still at the intersection.  Let's make a decision!
* Go to the ABC Univ. website and learn if they offer a libero camp.  If they do, go for it.  
* If your goal is to play college ball, you may have to travel to libero camps at Louisville, at Penn State, at Ohio St, etc.  Do it!  
* If you discover that none of these schools has ever produced a National Team Libero, then find a libero camp at a university reasonably close to where you live.  There's UL, UNL, etc.  You don't know if they offer a libero camp?  Go through their athletic website.  Email the head coach.  There's a way to find out.

Is playing at the next level that important to you?  Then go for it.  Sure, you may go to a camp you hate.  But I bet it's still an 8!  

I hope you have a great day!  Please visit me at www.coachhouser.com.  I think you'll like the smiling faces!
Coach Houser