Madison Starlings in Wisconsin has received great support from USA volleyball over the past few years, giving coaches training through the Coaching Accreditation Program for reduced rates. In recent news, USA Volleyball generously sent important concussion information clipboards to Madison to educate coaches on the signs and symptoms that players with serious head injuries may display.

Extra volleyballs included in the boxes with the clipboards came in handy when Madison Starlings began, for the second time, a summer program offering volleyball in some neighborhoods where players live.  This summer, players Esther Wolobah (far right) and Yahaddey Manneh (center) spent their weekends helping to teach volleyball to kids in their apartment complex.  Madison Director Lauri Schwartz  played a huge part in the program, joining Esther and Yahaddey with another coach for the weekend sessions, bringing a short net and plenty of volleyballs from USA Volleyball. "We had a blast.  We were teaching the kids how to not argue or fight for touches on the balls.  Esther is on our 16's team  this year, and did 23 hours of volunteer work last season when only 16 hours were required.  This year she is beyond 30 hours of volunteer work and we have only had our first tournaments.  Yahaddey brought 4 younger siblings to the practices sometimes.  Yahaddey & Esther have been such positive role models, there are now 5 girls from the buildings around them in Starlings," reports Schwartz.  The balls from USA volleyball were given to kids who came to more than one  summer session, and had showed promise and effort.