2009 Club Tryouts.........

The choice to play club volleyball is one that requires a commitment and this commitment can be a demanding one, not only for the players, but also for the parents and families.

The Articatz program is one we feel has a great deal to offer each athlete, at Articatz Volleyball, our program strives to develop each and every athlete in every area of volleyball to best of their ability.

Our philosophies involving the methods and teaching of the basic skills and techniques, as well as our practice planning and implementation are different from other programs in the area and we hope to help you understand why we feel that our program has great things to offer each athlete.

Our goal is and will always be to provide the best club experience for our athletes and develop their skills as volleyball players and their integrity as young adults.

We want athletes to improve and grow as athletes and at the same time,

expose them to a new level of competition.

While many of our players simply want to be the best they can be for their high school teams, some of our athletes are preparing for competition at the collegiate level.

2009 TRYOUTS FOR ARTICATZ

for 9th/10th/11th graders

Tryouts~ November 22, 2008
(will do some training in Nov thru December; once a week if possible)
Location~ The “W” in Gwinn (Directions on http://www.articatz.com/)
Times~ 2-5:30pm

Training facility: The “W” (Gwinn) and Baraga Gym (MQT)

Club Training dates~ Tuesday (the “W”) &

Fridays from 6-9pm (Baraga gym)
Skill Training dates~ Saturdays (to be announced soon)
Club season~ January thru second weekend in June

Club Costs~ will be available on the website soon

Tournaments: We will attend 3-4 tournaments in the surrounding areas ~ Duluth, WI and Chicago

FAQ: Can my daughter play other sports and be a part of club volleyball;
Answer~ YES, as long as she attends one practice a week and when other sport ends then full commitment is expected

Fundraising Opportunities: We run many fundraising events to help with the overall cost of the club. Because we don’t want anyone to miss out on this great opportunity

To learn more visit our web sites www.articatz.com - hope to see you on the court!

If you want to be updated on programs, events and fundraising opportunities please go on to our website and register to become a member.

Upcoming Fundraising Opportunities.....

Our Fundraising Opportunities have started and I am looking forward to success on every level this year.

Econo Foods Receipt Program~We can earn 1% of all the receipts we collect throughout the year. Econo will cut a check twice a year for what we have collected. Because there are Econo Foods stores in a few different UP cities, most of the girls should be able to collect receipts and turn them in at practices. I will be sure to have a collection box located at each practice. Tell all of your family members to collect as well and the totals really do add up quickly.

Grocery Bagging day~In conjunction with the receipts program we are looking to set up a grocery bagging day or two in the MQT store. We are hoping to set that up grocery bagging days in other stores as well. The girls will bag groceries for customers for tips of cash and/or the customers’ receipts! If your local area doesn't have an Econo store, maybe your local grocer would allow the girls to bag groceries for tips on a Saturday morning.

Grocery Bagging date:
December 13th

Econo Marquette
(please make sure that you can be available)

- Please email Amber Bell if you are interested in attending

2008 Recruiting Combine & UP Exposure Classic..

Articatz Volleyball Club is pleased to introduce its

second annual Recruiting Combine on Sat., December 6, 2008

and its first annual “UP Exposure Classic” on Sun., December 7, 2008

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What is a Recruiting Combine & Exposure Classic?

A Recruiting Combine is a day which has a combination of physical testing and volleyball skill testing. An Exposure Classic is a day of play that is observed by college coaches who are interested in recruiting athletes to play volleyball at their college.

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Who is eligible to attend?

Any 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade volleyball player from any High School. You do not need to be a member of Articatz VBC. This combine is open to ALL players regardless of club or high school affiliation.This is a perfect opportunity for those players who would normally have limited exposure to college coaches because of their outstate location, or because they are playing in a club that doesn't travel to any of the major junior events (Qualifiers).It is also a perfect opportunity for club players who want additional exposure to college coaches. You will be on the court at the combine, and not sitting on the bench.

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What colleges will be there to watch me?

We hope to have anywhere from 40-100 college coaches to attend this event. Division II, Division III, NAIA, all levels are invited to attend. We hope to have a list of coaches whom will be attending. Please be aware that many coaches won't register until just a few days before the event.

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What happens at the combine?

When they arrive players will register and be given a color coded shirt. They will then go through a series of physical tests and skills tests in the morning. After a break for lunch players will be put on teams and will have the opportunity to practice with their team to get ready for Sundays competition.

Recruiting Combine ~rough time table for the day, Sat December 6th,
8:00 am Registration
9:00 am Physical Testing
11:30 am Individual Skills (Combine done)
12:30 pm Lunch Break
1:30 pm UP Exposure Classic Team Practice
4:00 pm Finish

(click here for information test administered)

*The information is then sent to all college volleyball programs in the country in order to assist in evaluating athletes for the purpose of recruiting. Each athlete will also have their own individual profile, which contains the Combine test information, academic and athletic achievements, high school and club coach contact information, as well as their picture and season stats.

“UP Exposure Classic” ~will be help on Sunday, December 7th, 2008 and it will begin at 10am and end around 4pm. ______________________________________________________

What is the cost to attend the Recruiting Combine & Exposure Classic?

The cost for a player to attend the combine is $105. (Combine $75 and Exposure $30) You will receive a color coded shirt that identifies you to the coaches.
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How do I register?

All players must register online. This allows us to gather your information for the college recruiters.
(Click Here)

Youth Program Information..........

Updates on the Youth Program and Location:

This years Fall programs for our "Volley Tots" and "Middle Diggers"

will remain at Baraga Gym in Marquette.

We will look at the "W" for a Winter Youth program as well
as Marquette.

The more youth playing volleyball the better
success or the sport in our area.

The youth program has started but if you are still interested
please don't hesitate to come to the next training session.

Our Fall Youth Program:
Dates: Sept. 26th and end on Nov. 7th. *NO practice Oct. 31st*
Days & Times: Friday 6:30-8pm
Location: Baraga Gym (300 W. Baraga Ave, MQT)

These dates are for the "Volley Tots" and "Middle Diggers".
~We will allow late registration for the youth programs~

The "Junior Spikers" (7th/8th grade) will start after basketball season
Dates: Nov. 14th and end on Dec. 19th
Days & Times: Friday 6:30-8pm (@ "W" to come)
Location: Baraga Gym & possibly "W"

The best way to stay up to date with the latest news about Articatz Programs and Events is to become a member on our website.

2008 Articatz Autumn Classic.........

First and foremost, I wanted to thank the coaches, teams and helpers for making the 3rd annual Varsity Tournament a huge success.

I know our staff was worried about the tournament when I got the phone call from Bill Hill about the "W" closing. But thanks to the amazing support of the AD at Gwinn High School for allowing us to host the entire tournament at his facility.

With the outstanding guidance and help from two main individuals the tournament once again ran smoothly (Mike Morgan and Amber Bell). We also had great help from many parents and players to work the concessions and door.

This years Articatz "Autumn Classic" had 12 teams divided on two courts. We ran two 6 team pools. Pool play matches were 2 games to 21 points. With so many teams we wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to get in as much competition in as possible.

We took the first two teams out of pool play to compete for the championship.

Pool Play Results:

POOL 1

Sault St. Marie 9-1

Houghton 8-2

Carney 5-5

Marquette 4-6

Munising 2-8

Rapid River 2-8

POOL 2

Calumet 10-0

Engadine 6-4

Cedarville 5-5

Superior Central 3-7

Chassell 3-7

Gwinn 3-7

Semi-Finals:

#1 Sault St Marie vs #2 Engadine

(25-14, 24-26, 15-7)

#1 Calumet vs #2 Hougthon

(14-25, 25-14, 15-9)

Finals:

Calumet vs Sault St. Marie

(25-18, 27-26)

Once again all the thanks to the teams and coaches that attended, AD at Gwinn High School, Gwinn Varsity Volleyball team and all the Articatz Parents & Players for making the 2008 Articatz "Autumn Classic" a huge success.

The Future of Youth Vollleyball..............

Well if you have been listening to the radio today you have heard that the

West Branch is officially closed.

It stated that it would close in 30 days but if you have driven past the doors they are chained and locked from the inside.

So much for 30 days.

The future of our Youth is at stack. I still plan on having our youth volleyball clinics. The clinic will be held at the Baraga Police Station Gymnasium in Marquette.

The "Volley Tots" and "Middle Diggers"

will still start on Sept. 26th thru Nov. 7th (6:30-8pm Fridays).

The "Junior Spikers" will start on Nov. 14th and go till Dec. 19th (6:30-8:30pm Fridays)

I will be putting an ad in the Mining Journal next week and if you know of anyone that is interested please forward this blog to them.

I really appreciate your support and I look forward to continuing the growth of volleyball and the youth in our area.

Click Here for Fall Youth Program Brochure

The Future of Articatz............

School is beginning and it is already time to let everyone know about

the future of the Articatz Volleyball Club.

We recently were informed that the status of the West Branch Fitness Community Center is in question. Barry Bahrmann resigned as the director of the facility as noted in the Mining Journal towards the end of our season last year, he was integral in the establishment and viability of the facility. Without that strong leadership, there has been a large amount of instability in support for the WBFCC on the part of the West Branch Township Board.

Given this instability, we have decided to look for an alternative training facility. After considerable time and discussion we have been able to attain time slots at Northern Michigan University for the Articatz Volleyball Club to train. Tentative days for practice are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9pm. These are tentative and will be subject to change based on other events that may be scheduled by the University.

We are excited about the prospects of being able to train at these top notch facilities (Vandament Arena is one of the best volleyball facilities in all of NCAA Division II).

"We believe that it will make the program that much stronger."

We look for everyone’s support of this change in venues for our program.

We will be providing much more detail as things continue to unfold in this new chapter for Articatz Volleyball.