Jeff Potter thought it was about time to start a volleyball club in Maple Valley.

Potter, who has lived in the area for nearly 20 years and played volleyball even longer, is no stranger to starting up programs in the area.

A decade ago he started an elementary volleyball program that runs for six weeks every spring in cooperation with Tahoma Learning Communities.

“It’s an introduction to the sport,” he said. “We have 100 girls every spring. It’s basically through word of mouth.”

Over the years he has also coached club and recreation level teams in the area. After his most recent experience with a local club, Potter “saw some things that I thought we could do differently.”

He worked with a group of parents to start a club in Maple Valley that builds on what the girls learn at the spring program while providing a competitive level of play in the backyards of local kids who may otherwise have to travel quite a ways to participate in on of the other 60 Puget Sound area clubs.

They are also working with the Tahoma School District to find facilities and other support for this new club dubbed Synergy Volleyball.

“I look at it as more than just coaching,” Potter said. “Like it or not, when you’re an adult working with youth, you’re a mentor. Coaches have that responsibility whether they know it or not.”

Synergy will offer an opportunity for coaches and players to enjoy the sport while having the opportunity to play good teams, but at the same time make it less expensive than other clubs, Potter said.

“I wanted to provide a place for these girls to play in a competitive environment where they can learn those skills,” he said. “We also wanted to make it affordable

And that’s where we need the help of the community. We really do need the support to make this successful.”

What Synergy does have, Potter said, is plenty of interest from players.

In order to make it affordable, he explained, the teams will not travel all over the country. Instead, the U-12, U-14 and U-16 squads will primarily stay in Western Washington to keep costs down and because “there’s plenty of competitive volleyball to be played in the Puget Sound region.”

If, however, a team is particularly strong then there is a possibility for looking outside the region for tougher opponents.

Potter said that for a U-12 team member the projected cost would be between $1,000 and $1,200 for a seven month season while the players on the other teams would pay a bit more. The costs would cover travel, uniforms, insurance, team equipment, and other costs.

“Creating a Maple Valley based club should at least provide less traveling for practices alone,” Potter said.

Synergy is a non-profit and Potter has registered with Washington state as well as with Puget Sound Region-USA Volleyball.

Tryouts, as outlined by the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association, will begin after the regular volleyball season ends in November.

Specific dates will be announced on the website in October, most likely, as information is passed down from the WIAA to club teams.

“What day (tryouts are held) depends on when a club can get a gym,” Potter said. “We’re going to post that information on our web page as soon as it’s available along with registration forms.”

Potter is in search of coaches who share his philosophies of coaching — a subject he has written pages of notes about.

“Success is not going to be measure by your trophies,” Potter said. “It’s going to be measure by how much you develop as a player. That’s a big reason why we’re doing it but we need coaches who understand that philosophy and are excited about that philosophy. It’s a positive experience that we’re looking for.”

For more information log onto www.synergyvolleyball.org or send e-mail to mv.volleyball@comcast.net.