It’s been a good year for Synergy volleyball.

The club volleyball program fielded three teams — a U12, U14 and U16.  For a seven month program that began last November it has had significant success.

Started by Jeff Potter a year ago, the club is gearing up for its second year and tryouts are planned for November.

Potter has lived in Maple Valley for 20 years and played volleyball longer,

“The first year went well,” Potter said. “We proved that by the numbers that showed up at tryouts there is a demand out here.”

There were 46 girls who showed up for the U16 squad tryouts while 42 showed up for the U14 squad.

And while 19 players competing for 12 roster spots on the U12 team may not seem like much, Potter said, “other clubs barely have enough girls try out to fill out a roster”

“That’s a good sign, but, that’s just the beginning,” he said. “We have to do our best to make it a good season so they’ll stick with it.”

Potter coached the U12 and U16 teams. He hopes to focus on the U12 squad this year.

But, the U12 squad did well, racking up five tournament wins and finishing fourth in the region.

“We’re not trying to win all the tournaments,” Potter said. “We’re trying to make it a good place to learn volleyball and have a good time doing it, which is not easy.”

Support from the Tahoma School District, which has provided gym space for Synergy, as well as from parents and school program coaches has been crucial.

“The school district was pretty darn supportive once they figured out they had some gym time,” Potter said. “Parents were really supportive of the program once they realized what we were in it for and what we were trying to do.”

The key to Synergy’s success in its first year, however, was the players.

“The girls were great,” Potter said. “And that makes all the difference in the world.”

And that makes it easy to continue with Synergy because the club is doing what Potter set out to accomplish a year ago.

“Originally I set it up because I wanted a place to be able to coach here in Maple Valley and we knew a lot of girls who wanted to play here,” he said. “I want to create a quality atmosphere where the girls can learn volleyball and have fun doing it.”

As Synergy gears up for tryouts with a solid first year behind it, Potter said, the focus now is to find coaches who know volleyball but more importantly are committed to the players experience.

“I’ve got everything else figured out,” Potter said. “So, it comes back to coaching. Basically our coaches have to come from the local community. We still have to discover who is out there that has an interest. I know we have skilled volleyball players out here, adults, but it’s looking for skilled volleyball players who can coach, that’s what I’m looking for.”

Potter explained he doesn’t have a long term goal of offering a dozen Synergy teams particularly because there just isn’t enough gym space for that in Maple Valley.

But, he also feels smaller numbers means quality coaching which leads to a better experience for the girls.

This year the aim is three or four teams.

Tryouts for the high school age players, as outlined by the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association, will begin after the regular volleyball season ends in late November. Players interested in the U12 team will likely have tryouts in early November.

“That’s all determined by the Puget Sound Region of USA Volleyball,” Potter said. “Hopefully they’ll tell us soon because I need to reserve gym space.”

Tryout information will be posted on Synergy’s website, www.synergyvolleyball.org, some time in September.

“We’re excited about this next year,” Potter said. “We want to keep building on this. It’s one of those things you’ve got to love to do. As long as we keep getting quality players and plenty of support… I don’t see stopping it any time in the future.”

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