New clubs are heavy hitters

Nolan Middle School seventh-grader Kelsie Roberts concentrated on becoming on a great middle hitter.

Then she met Perri Hankins.

Since joining Hankins' Ranch Academy of Volleyball Excellence (RAVE) four months ago, Roberts has switched back to the basics, learning to perfect every aspect of her game from hitting to blocking to dishing out assists. Eventually, she will be prepared for anything volleyball throws at her. 

“I have greatly developed as an all-around volleyball player, since I have joined RAVE,” said Roberts, who plays for RAVE's 13-and-under travel teams. “(Coach Perri) teaches us the game of volleyball, not just a position. Even though the coaching is strict, that is what made me a stronger volleyball player.” 

Hankins, who has been coaching the Lakewood Ranch High School varsity the past five years, founded RAVE at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year as a way to share her knowledge of the sport while continuing to promote and elevate the sport in the area. The club was created to bring a competitive travel volleyball club for middle and high school girls to the East County area. 

“For me, it’s a way to keep Lakewood Ranch a very good volleyball program, and also to keep building players, not necessarily just from this area.”

Hankins isn’t the only local high school coach looking to change the way players approach their respective sport. 

Toby Madison, who coaches Lakewood Ranch’s junior varsity boys basketball team, started Mid-Range Game, an instructional program offering advanced offensive basketball instruction through private lessons and shooting camps and clinics. 

His program began last summer and it wasn't long before his younger students began asking if there were competitive leagues they could join. 

Since Lakewood Ranch didn't have an AAU program, Madison created SkillsFirst, a multi-level travel program, which operates under the Mid-Range Game umbrella. Skills First, which officially launched March 9, is comprised of seven teams, ranging in age groups from fourth grade to ninth grade. The program trains out of Lakewood Ranch High. 

“They all had experience playing in the local recreation leagues and seemed to want something a little bit more challenging and competitive,” Madison said. “I did not anticipate it to happen this soon, but I feel we are off to a great start.”

Both Hankins and Madison saw a need to bring a competitive travel teams to the area.

Following its first mini-club season this past fall, Hankins and her coaching staff are now in the midst of their first indoor travel volleyball season, which began in January. In addition, RAVE also offers camps, clinics and private lessons for players. 

In its first season, RAVE already has five teams, 11U, two 13U teams, 15U and 16U. 

“I wanted to keep the teams small,” Hankins said. “There’s a lot of individual attention and players are not just sitting on the bench.” 

With a four-court facility at Lakewood Ranch High at her fingertips, Hankins, who coaches one of RAVE’s 13U teams, has been able to have all of her teams train at once. 

RAVE players train from 4 to 6 p.m. Sundays with an optional open gym session available after practice. Hankins also plans to incorporate additional conditioning and weight training sessions into the program to better prepare players for high school and beyond. 

In addition to the indoor season, Hankins also plans to introduce sand volleyball. Hankins, who has had several Lakewood Ranch players excel in sand volleyball, including Florida Atlantic University's Nicole Grant, has spent three years fundraising with the goal of getting sand volleyball courts installed at Lakewood Ranch. 

If all goes according to plan, Hankins anticipates having a pair of sand volleyball courts installed April 15 behind the school next to Lakewood Ranch’s practice football field. 

Eventually, Hankins hopes to run sand volleyball events at the school both as a fundraiser and a way to promote the sport in the hopes of it becoming a sanctioned sport. 

“I’m excited to see where the club teams go and I’m excited for this next year of high school,” Hankins said. 

Madison is also excited about where his program is headed.

Whether it’s dribbling out of pressure, learning proper footwork, shooting with more accuracy or boxing out for a rebound, every aspect of the program is geared toward creating all-around players. 

“I used to just shoot randomly and now I know when and how to shoot better,” 12-year-old Cameron Heald said. “When I watch film, I can see how I got better.” 

Madison stresses the importance of drills and skills as a means for future player development. 

“It is a whole new level of athleticism, intensity and talent,” Madison said. 

Ultimately, Madison wants to provide young players and their families with a positive basketball option. 

“We have closely followed the Lakewood Ranch high school team for a few years now, so I was very excited about a program geared toward youth learning the basics,” said Stephanie Heald, whose sons Cameron, 12, and Connor, 10, both play for Skills First. “The new travel team has grown since it started and it's neat to see all the ages come together with a common goal.” 

Three tournaments into the season, the entire SkillsFirst program has a .500 record. While most new programs typically get off to a slow start, SkillsFirst has seen success early on.

Both fourth-grade teams and the fifth-grade team have posted tournament runner-up finishes. SkillsFirst will return to tournament action in the Charlotte Shootout April 15, in Port Charlotte. 

“My program is designed to prevent them from being swiss cheese basketball players (holes in their game),” Madison said. “ We want them to be cheddar cheese players (solid, no holes). When these boys reach high school or middle school and are playing for their schools, I want them to be the most solid, coachable, and hardworking kids on their team.”