At their core, high school athletics are designed to serve as a tool to help with the development of skills, teamwork and accountability. Those are crucial elements not only in helping kids learn the true ins and outs of their desired sport, but also how to operate in the world once they’re their athletic endeavors are over.
But sometimes there isn’t enough room for everyone.
There are some sports where roster limits can leave some kids on the outside looking in. It doesn’t just mean that they miss out on practices or games, but chances for physical and mental growth in the sport.
That’s where Gold Crown Foundation continues to be vital to youth sports in Colorado. Gold Crown’s fall girls volleyball provides a home for players who didn’t make their high school teams. It’s an ideal program to help with skill development and competitive reps that can be beneficial when next fall rolls around.
“I had so many parents calling me and telling me that these kids had nowhere to play,” volleyball coordinator April Thompson said. “And these are high school kids. We want to give them a chance. They’re young, they should be able to play. If we can give them a chance where it’s reasonable and low-commitment, that’s our goal.”
Gold Crown isn’t trying to act like a club program, nor is it trying to replace a club program. But the slogan of “Preparing kids for the game of life” still applies to those who aren’t able to play for their high school teams in the fall.
There will never be a day where sports-minded kids don’t feel the need to belong to a team. Gold Crown fills that void perhaps better than anyone across the state of Colorado.
“We’ve always started new programs by filling voids in the community,” marketing director Meghan Overton said. “At the time [we started volleyball in 2000], club didn’t exist and [our program] was just for middle school. It was modeled exactly after our basketball. It’s evolved and changed since then but that was why we dove into volleyball.”
The Gold Crown volleyball regular season begins on Sept. 29 and runs for about a month. A season-ending championship tournament will be played on Nov. 1 and 2.
The registration deadline for interested players is Sept. 20.
Overall, it’s a very cost-effective way to keep kids engaged in the sport and to help them develop their skills should they want to continue playing in the future.
“We’re giving kids a chance that if they didn’t make their team that they can come out, play, get better and maybe next year fully make their high school team,” Thompson said. “If not, they still have something to do to keep them busy, keep them positive and just keep them going.”
