College Volleyball Hopeful Started with AEF Middle School Sports

“The connections you make with your teammates and the experiences and conflicts you have to overcome definitely stick with you.”

Many student-athletes who begin their sports careers in AEF’s Middle School Sports program go on to serve as coaches and referees when they reach high school. Currently, Encinal’s coach is a former participant and the ACLC/Nea basketball and track programs regularly include former players in coaching roles.

We connected with one of these high schoolers, Naomi White, who is currently a senior at Encinal High School. Naomi started playing volleyball at Wood Middle School with the AEF Middle School Sports (MSS) program and continues to be involved in the program as a referee. We asked Naomi what impact the MSS program has had on her life as an athlete.

AEF:  How did playing volleyball in middle school impact you?
Naomi: The experience encouraged me to continue playing throughout high school and eventually find a passion for playing and learning the game. Now I am on the way to trying to play further at the collegiate level.
AEF:  How does it feel now to be ‘on the other side’ as a coach or a ref?
Naomi:  It is definitely eye-opening, especially since now you see how you might have made other referees feel in the past when you argued with their calls. But now it’s fun to be in control and feel like the bigger person while monitoring the game and making sure everyone is having fun. (I’m also more aware that some parents aren’t that nice as well.)
AEF:  What have you learned by coaching or reffing?
Naomi:  I have learned how to be a leader and how to stand my ground. I have also learned how to deal with different types of conflicts and situations where a judgement call is needed to continue further in life.
AEF:  How do you think the experience of coaching or reffing will impact your future (job apps, college apps, etc.)?
Naomi:  It will definitely play a role in all of those things since I have already taken on multiple coaching jobs and have considered incorporating those experiences into my college applications. It had already been a big part of my life and I think I’ll plan on keeping it that way, and hopefully will continue coaching.
AEF:  How valuable do you think participating in Middle School Sports is for kids?
Naomi:  I think it’s pretty valuable. The connections you make with your teammates and the experiences and conflicts you have to overcome definitely stick with you and allow you to develop fundamental life-skills down the line. Plus, it’s fun!