Camaraderie is a sense of belonging and commitment that binds a seemingly unrelated bunch of people.
As volleyball families and participants, we support fellow teammates and parents. We support other teams from within our home club. But do we support each other on a regional scale? For instance, would you cheer on a team that goes to Nationals in your stead? Do you celebrate good plays from players on opposing teams? Do you say hello to parents from other clubs? Do you converse with the officials?
Does competition change the empathy levels of its participants? What if we were all looking out for each other the same way that we do in other areas of our lives?
By supporting one another we are creating a community bigger than ourselves, and at the same time teaching our children that sport is about more than one person, one team, or one club. By attending tournaments run by clubs within our Region we are providing an opportunity for our athletes to meet and play one another, and also supporting the growth of our sport.
When we actively have a conversation with one another we also foster a greater sense of community. How can we do this? Social media can be viewed as the bane of our lives, but it is also a great facilitator for conversation. Go ahead and “Like” a post or leave a comment for another team or club. Send a tournament a note on a “job well done”.
Join in a get-together or meetup. KRVA offers parents an avenue for just this through our Parents Group on Facebook. Go ahead and join the conversation.
We are all in this together.