Scouting OnLine

Woodlands Stars Volleyball Club clinches first at Junior Olympics

by LAURIE QUOYESER

July 23, 2008 - It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. That may be true, but winning is certainly rewarding, and that is exactly the type of season the Woodlands Stars just completed.

Ranked as one of the top clubs in Texas, four teams from the Stars earned the opportunity to compete at the U.S. Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Championship with the best athletes in the country. This marks the third year in a row the Stars have competed at the Junior Olympics.

This tradition of success is the result of “a lot of hard work and effort,” said co-owner and coaching director Marie Andersson.

“Getting to J.O.s and placing well is not just about one player,” Andersson said. “It takes a whole team. And in this case that team entails the players, the parents, the coaches and the directors.”

Contending at this year’s Junior Olympics were 788 teams consisting of more than 8,500 athletes.

It turned out to be the perfect opportunity for The Woodlands Stars to shine.

The 17 Gold players won first place in the American Division, the 16 Gold team earned fifth place honors in the American Division, the 14 Gold players were fifth in the Open Division and the 15 Gold team took 14th in the Open Division.

Taylor Bustamento (17 Gold), Ali Insell (17 Gold), Breane Matula (17 Gold) and Marissa Wixson (16 Gold) received All Tournament Honors and were selected to play on the American Division All Tournament Team. Taylor Bustamento was named All Tournament M.V.P.

Not only did thousands of volleyball enthusiasts flock to the Games, but so did hundreds of college recruiters. Part of Andersson’s focus is to put players in opportunities to be offered scholarships. By keeping in contact with schools and recruiters throughout the year, setting up video taping for girls to highlight their talents, and producing cream of the crop players, this year six seniors received college scholarship offers. Next year the plan is to have streaming videos and bios for players on the Stars’ Web site, which could offer a unique advantage.

The Stars show no sign of slowing down. Summer camps and skill sessions are going throughout the summer and invitations to next year’s players have been sent. However, there are some positions still open.

Young ladies who are interested in trying out should attend a skill session at the Legends Sports Complex, home of The Woodlands Stars. Many participate in skill sessions to develop fundamentals and focus for tryouts for their prospective school’s volleyball team.

According to Kris Lartigue, coach of the 16 Gold team, their organization attains “a level of athlete that is more gifted,” and whose hard work throughout the season “really paid off.”

“(Andersson) gets really good coaches and gives them the freedom to coach,” 18 Gold coach Lonn Collins said. “We have made giant leaps and bounds in the club as far as rankings in Texas. It is remarkable.”

This fall will mark the seventh year for the Woodlands Stars and the second year at Legends Sports Complex, the largest multi-sport and fitness complex in southeast Texas. As this season winds down and the next one is gearing up, Andersson reflects on the club’s success.

“Each season is full of differences because there is always change, and change is good,” she said. “We get better every season through ups and downs. Sports are like life...there is never a constant up or a constant down. The Stars’ focus is about building up athletes of character, who enjoy and succeed at a high level, where they also learn about life.”


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