On October 12, The Beacon School’s Middle School Girls team placed third and our Middle School Boys team won the championship at the Inter-Scholastic Sports Association (ISSA) volleyball tournament. It has been a couple of weeks since and we are still beaming with pride. After months of hard work, sweat, and dedication, our team brought home the win!
“We always knew our team had the potential, so as coaches, we had to be strategic in our approach. Our training this year required careful planning and collaboration among coaches. It was a blast working with all of them.” – Coach Gretchen
“We designed practices around core skills but at competition level. With a larger team this year, we incorporated more group drills and competitive practice to help familiarize our players with real game scenarios.” – Coach Mikki
“The 45 min training time for the players was one of our biggest challenges. That forced us to plan ahead so that we come to each session focused on a specific skill set or area for improvement. We continue to work on demonstrating drills more clearly and concisely because that is what our players pick up on and we want them to learn the right skills quickly.” – Coach JR
“Instilling discipline was another challenge. How do we teach our young students the right balance between work AND play? So we gave them the rules some of the best athletes abide by. When we call on them, they have to come. When we give them instructions, they have to follow. The more they talk, the less time they have for mastering the skills that are essential for winning.” – Coach Sophie
The players had been in serious prep mode – weekend practice sessions, intensive one-on-one coaching, and hours perfecting their serves and spikes.
“I would go to practice every time I could. I would usually spend 2 hours in training. We would do drills for teamwork and practice spiking and receiving. The overall value of team sports is that you get to learn from your mistakes and meet new people.” – Rafa
“Before our tournaments, we went through special school training for the team. During these training sessions, we got to work on drills that were tailor-fit to our needs. As a setter, I practiced drills that were essential to my role. This was crucial in ensuring that our team could convert the ball into a spike when the opportunity arose.” – Luis
“We had practice about 3-4 times a week. Sometimes I had to wake up early on weekends because of the competitions and extra training sessions.” – Rachel
But it wasn’t just physical. They worked just as hard on the mental game: staying calm under pressure, handling setbacks, and learning to work as a team.
“Working in a team has always been comfortable for me. I’ve been playing team sports for a long time and I’ve always liked it more than solo sports. It was no different in this experience. Working in a team and with coaches helped each of us improve as individual players, but it also helped us learn to work together.” – Hana
“Working with my coaches has been great. They offer valuable advice and are truly dedicated to helping us improve our volleyball skills. I love being part of a team, and it’s really nice to be experiencing everyone’s growth. The support we provide each other, especially during high-pressure games, really creates a positive and motivating environment.” – Maia
Everyone made sacrifices: study sessions missed, weekend plans canceled, and social lives put on hold—all for one goal: victory.
“Some stuff had to make way for my training. I was unable to attend some parties due to my competitions, and was coming home a bit later because of ASA and training with coaches.” – Ethan
“Volleyball training and matches meant less time to do homework, but this helped me develop my time management skills, which is useful for an MYP student. I also had to sacrifice out-of-school activities, such as football. Throughout the ISSA tournament, I wasn’t able to commit hours to football training because our volleyball game schedule coincided with it. But the sacrifice was worth it because we won 3rd place in our first time competing in the tournament.” – Siena
This win is HUGE, but the journey doesn’t stop here. The team is already talking about what to work on next—faster reactions, even more precise plays, and taking our teamwork to a nearly unbeatable level. Our students also took away some valuable lessons.
“To win more tournaments in the future, we have to keep practicing with intention. We should also look into organizing more friendly games with other schools to give players broader exposure and competitive experience. Strategizing plays during practice will be key to refining teamwork and adaptability.” – Coach Ricky
“Sports has taught me that you can’t achieve everything by yourself. You can’t win on your own. It’s better to lose to a strong opponent than to win against a team that didn’t make you stronger.” – Fonsy
To everyone who cheered us on and believed in us—THANK YOU! This victory is for YOU too.
Go Beacon!