By Lauri Schwartz
Madison Starlings Volleyball Club
Madison Starlings is a volleyball club open to all girls and boys in middle school through early high school. Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC) is one of our home bases.
Practices began in October but students are welcome to join any time. Youth can practice only, if they prefer, and not play in tournaments. Scrimmages at KEVA Sports Center and with other local teams are provided to non-tournament team members.
This year one or more teams may attend and compete in the National Starlings Tournament in San Diego in June 2018
Starlings’ mission is to provide club volleyball experience to underrepresented minority and low income youth. The cost to join and participate in practices and scrimmages is $50 per year or $25 for free or reduced lunch qualified youth. The traveling tournament team is $400 for the year, but an option to pay that fee through volunteer hours with the club is available. A parent meeting will be held Sunday, Dec. 3, 1‒3 pm, at WPCRC.
Starlings, like the bird it is named after, stays together and does not leave anyone behind. We focus on team, leadership, confidence, goal setting and self-esteem, as well as volleyball skill building. Former and current high school coaches, club coaches and current adult players volunteer their time and lead the teams and practices.
We hold practices in multiple locations in order to provide as much accessibility as possible to as many children as possible. The club is open to all.
Practices are held Sunday mornings (boys only), 10 am‒12 pm, at Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa St.; Sunday afternoons, 1:30‒5:30 pm, at WPCRC; Monday evenings, 6‒8 pm, at Goodman Community Center; Tuesday evenings, 6‒8 pm, at Salvation Army, 3030 Darbo Drive; Thursday evenings, 6‒8 pm, at Salvation Army; Thursday evenings, 5:30‒8:45 pm, Wright Middle School, 1717 Fish Hatchery Road; and Thursday evenings (boys only), 5:30‒7 pm, at Wright Middle School. Tournaments are held beginning in January.
Madison Starlings began in 2012 at O’Keefe Middle School. The club is a local of the national Starlings program. Students at Madison schools wanted to extend their volleyball season after the fall MSCR season ended, and Starlings Volleyball fills that need.
Madison Starlings was started, coached and is now directed by Lauri Schwartz. Schwartz is an adoptive parent, a foster parent, a former college volleyball player, and a retired Madison police supervisor who wants to reduce the disproportionate underrepresentation of low income youth in the sport that provided her increased health, opportunity and friendship throughout her life.
For more details, email madisonstarlings@gmail.com or visit us at madisonstarlings.com, Facebook madisonstarlings, or the national organization at starlings.org.