Dorothy Hamilton's dad's Volleyball team!

23/2/23

By: Caitlyn Bayne

Hit, pass and spike are terms Dorothy Hamilton, a 6th grader here at EJHS knows very well. Dorothy Hamilton plays volleyball with her dad, Dan Hamilton as her coach. Her dad has been coaching volleyball for her and her team for the past 2 years, this is his 2nd year coaching. Dan Hamilton has been coaching many people, including Dorothy, Savanna Posey, and Ally Shrader. There are a lot more people on their team but those are a few from Edgewood. The team plays at Ellisville Christian Church on Saturdays and practices on thursdays.

Dorothy's team during a game.

Dan Hamilton team age range is between 4th-6th grade, so if you or someone you know is between 4th-6th grade then I would recommend it. The next volleyball sign up time in the fall, so at least try volleyball. In fall there are skill tests, to see how good you are at volleyball and what grade level volleyball skills you have. The team spends so much time practicing and at games.

If you haven’t already learned, volleyball is very hard sometimes. The way that they play volleyball is 3 in front and 3 in back and if there are any people left then they sit out for that time period. The team has a total of 8 people, that means if everyone is there then 2 people would sit out. The person in the back right hand corner will serve 2-5 times then the other team will rotate and serve, when it comes back to our team everyone moves clockwise, the person in the back left hand side will sit out and one of the people sitting out will move into the top left hand space.

“Volleyball is very fun, but it can be very hard and sometimes confusing,” Said Dorothy Hamilton when I asked her about her thoughts on volleyball. I can definitely understand that from there being some really confusing terms like Spike, pass, and MINE. These words may seem very simple but they can be very confusing when you are in a game or getting tested on some of your volleyball terms. If you don’t already know, spike means hitting the ball from the top to go straight to the floor. Pass means to hit the ball from the bottom, and mine is just calling the ball to let your team know that you can get the ball.

"I love coaching. It's been very rewarding coaching these girls as their volleyball skills have grown a lot. Our new teammates this year get along really well and it's a lot of fun." Say's Dorothy Hamilton's dad, Dan Hamilton.

At the end of each season, they have this very fun party where the team does a game one last time then party, listen to music, and have some good food. This little party is called the end of the session party. It is one of the best things that Dorothy remembers from doing volleyball from last year. “I loved the last parties so I can’t wait for this year's party, it is going to be awesome!” Dorothy said with excitement.

“Volleyball is very fun, but it can be very hard and sometimes confusing,” Said Dorothy Hamilton.

Dorothy’s dad is a huge part of the team, his coaching can change how the players play and everything about the team. When I asked Dorothy's dad, Dan Hamilton, about why he started coaching he said, “My older sisters played volleyball when I was a kid and I was dragged around to all their practices and games. Dorothy said she was interested in volleyball so she played through the school. Coaching has given me more time to spend with Dorothy.” The players like Dorothy aren’t the only ones having fun. When I asked Dorothy's dad if he liked coaching he said, “I love coaching. This season is my second season. Dorothy, Alley and Kimmie are players returning from last season. It's been very rewarding coaching these girls as their volleyball skills have grown a lot. Our new teammates this year get along really well and it's a lot of fun.”

In the end, Dan's volleyball team is awesome, they have won many games and have made many memories. Everyone on the team has had such a fun time between the fun events and the many long hours together to make a great team. Even if you do not go to church, you can still join. The joining dates start sometime in the fall and it ends in the early summer. When I asked dorothy's dad about one last thing to anyone that considers doing volleyball he said, "I like to have fun and want to make sure everyone around me is having fun too." to top it all off he said,"Coaching a positive environment where we focus on having fun and supporting each other is the most rewarding." So even if you do not have Dan Hamilton as a coach or one of your parents, then it is still a great time.

Contributors bio:

Caitlyn Bayne is an 11 year old girl in 6th grade who loves to write articles and do art in her free time. she also loves to get away from electronics and spend time with her family. She also plays the trumpet in a brass band with a couple of her friends.

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