Legend: 12s = 4th, 5th & 6th graders; 7th is 7th graders; 8th is 8th graders; HS is all High School girls; Lucy-only is Lucy’s 18U team.

All activities on the calendar are at the Boys & Girls Club of East County located at 7600 Junior High Drive, La Mesa.  

Online registration via League Apps platform and JVA waivers via Junior Volleyball Association’s platform. See the  registration flyer attached to prior post regarding registration links and instructions. 

Attached below are two downloadable word documents: one provides information about the club and the upcoming season; and the other lays out the registration process that is noted below.  

We are about ready to start with our free open workouts/training sessions. To participate in these training session, you need to do two things. You will need to complete the online registration for Mission Trails Starlings and the online JVA (Junior Volleyball Association) waivers.  Please note that completing these items does not bind the girl to play for the club, nor does it bind the club to place the girl on a team.

Attire for the training sessions: gym shoes with laces; knew pads; shorts; t-shirt (no tank tops); water bottle, and NO JEWELRY.

In February we will have a parent meeting, and open registration, i.e. accept registration payments. Payments can be made via cash, check, money order or Zelle. For those that need financial assistance, go to https://www.starlings.org/support . Print and complete the application form. Provide that, along with supporting documents, to me via email (mtstarlings@gmail.com) or mail: Ken Rutan, 7288 Margerum Ave., San Diego, CA 92120. DO NOT SUBMIT THEM ON-LINE DIRECTLY TO STARLINGS VOLLEYBALL, USA. Please note that, except for rare circumstances, grants generally don’t exceed 50% of the total registration fees. Further, financial assistance applications are now being accepting, so get them in now.

Unlike prior years, our fee open workouts/training sessions are not going to be only on Saturdays for everyone. To start things off we have the first sessions set for:

1/04/24 Thursday: 7pm-9pm: High Schoolers and 8th graders

1/06/24 Saturday: 8:30am-10:30am: 6th graders and below

1/08/24 Monday: 7pm-9pm: High Schoolers and 7th graders

All training sessions will be conducted at the Boys & Girls Club of East County located at 7600 Junior High Drive, La Mesa, CA. The gym is across the street from the back parking lot of Helix High School.

We will be using the gym Monday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings. However, the times for various age groups may vary, as well as the day that an age group works out.  

If you have questions, please contact Ken Rutan, 619-742-9418, mtstarlings@gmail.com

We have closed registration for the 2023 season. We have 143 players this season, formed into 15 teams. We have three 12U teams, eight 14U teams (four with only 7th graders and four with only 8th graders), three 16U teams and one 18s team. 

LOOKING FOWARD TO ANOTHER GREAT SEASON

We are starting our free open Saturday workouts January 7 and will be running them until registration for the 2023 season is closed. If interested, contact Ken at mtstarlings@gmail.com Also, we are looking to add new coaches to our ranks, and specifically looking to add to our list of alumni that have returned to coach for us.

Ken Rutan, Dennis Herrmann and Marv Coppess are the directors of what, until the 2022 season, has been known as Navajo Starlings-SD.  We are a non-profit corporation and a registered affiliate of Starlings Volleyball, USA, a national organization. To learn about Starlings, check out Starlings Volleyball, USA . We started out in 2002 with a single 14U team and went by the name of Allied Gardens Starlings. We practiced at the Allied Gardens Rec Center, and our players went to Marvin, Lewis or Pershing. As our club grew, the geographic scope of our players increased, and various practices sites were used. We changed our name to Navajo Starlings to better reflect the breath of our club. For various reasons, another name change was done before last season and our club name is now Mission Trails Starlings.

We start things out in early to mid-January with free open workouts one day a week on Saturdays at the Girls & Boys Club in La Mesa. The workouts are run as clinics, last 1.5 – 2.0 hours, with the girls split up by grade. We have a registration/information meeting in February, and will be closing registration in late February. At that point we form the teams, and teams have two practices a week in the evenings. Practices run 1.5 – 2.0 hours. Evenings in which we practice are Monday-Thursday. Our anticipated practice sites for the 2023 season are the East County Boys & Girls Club in La Mesa next to Helix HS, Helix HS, and the Joan Kroc Salvation Army Center on University Ave. Often times, two teams in the same age group will share a court during a practice.

In club volley, divisions are based upon age (12U, 14U, 16U & 18U). However, at Mission Trails, with some exception, 12U is for 5th & 6th graders, 14U for 7th & 8th graders, 16U is 9th & 10th graders and 18U is for 11th & 12 graders. Occasionally, we will place a 4th grader or two on a 12U team. At the high school level almost all of the players have some level of volleyball experience, and a vast majority of the girls have played on a high school team. In the 12U & 14U level, the range of experience varies anywhere from having never played to girls that have played for many years. With our 8th graders, our girls have s high rate of success in accomplishing their goal of making a high school squad their freshman year. This includes 8th graders that were new to the sport when they started with us as an 8th grader.

We do not play in a league format. We play tournaments, which involves pool play, on either a Saturday or Sunday. Teams play three matches in a typical tournament, with each match being best 2 out of 3 sets. A team can play 6-9 sets in a day, and referee one or two matches a day. Tournaments generally last 5-6 hours. Our first tournament will likely be outdoors on the grass in late March. We will play four tournaments at a 12-court facility at Alliant University located in Scripps Ranch. In late May or early June, we will play a true one day-tournament, the County championships. For these tournaments, with some exceptions, the only participants will be Starlings clubs. This will include Starlings clubs in San Diego County (Mission Trails, Eastlake, Mission Bay, Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, Clairemont, Nestor, Spring Valley and Mt. Empire), and Starlings clubs from Salton Sea, Saddleback, Holtville and Tijuana.

The season will end in mid to late June with a National Tournament comprised of Starlings clubs from across the country. Traditionally, the tournament has been held in San Diego. However, this season the tournament will take place in Irvine, with all matches played in a single large gym. For the 12U group, tournament play will be on just Saturday and Sunday. For all other divisions, play will start on Friday.

It is anticipated that the per player season fees at Mission Trails this year will be $525-$800. Last year the fee was $525. The likely increase from last season, and potential fee range has to do with having the Nationals in Irvine. We need to work some things out about nationals (i.e. whether all teams participate as in the past and whether girls stay in Irvine vs. drive up and back daily). A minimum $350 payment will be required to complete registration, with the remainder due May 1. For those in financial need, upon completion of a scholarship application, funds can be obtained from the National Club to pay part of the fees based upon need. Here is the link to the application: For Parents & Athletes (starlings.org). Applications should be emailed to mtstarlings@gmail.com .

Fees include: uniform shorts; uniform jersey; practice t-shirt; one pair of uniform socks; and Nationals t-shirt. Sweatshirts are optional.

As noted, our season starts with free open workouts. To participate in the open workouts, all that is needed is to register your player on-line at San Diego Club Information for Parents (starlings.org) ( click on PLAYER REGISTRATION AND FORMS, print the forms and then click on REGISTER WITH MISSION TRAILS (NAVAJO) ,  complete the on-line registration, complete and sign the printed forms and turn those in at the first workout the player attends. With registering on-line, the player is not committing to play with our club, and the club is not obligated to place a player on a team. However, no additional paperwork will be required to complete the registration process. The only additional registration step will be payment of fees once we commence accepting payments at the registration/information meeting that will be held in February. For various reasons, we cannot guarantee that every player that is fully registered will be placed on a team. However, in our 21 years we have not had to turn a registered player away.

Once dates are set for our open workouts, notice will go out to all on my contact list. That list includes all those that played with us last season, those that have registered on-line, which can be done now, and those with whom I have asked to be placed on our contact list for the 2023.

Hope to see your player in the gym in January, and look forward to you and your player being part of the Starlings Family.

This photo is of the Navajo Starlings at the 2019 grass tournament with most all in their Coach Darina Coach Darina Memorial T-Shirts.                                                                                                                                                                

Our first open/free Saturday workout on 1/15 was amazing. We usually have 25-35 girls show for the first workout, which number doubles in size before registration is closed. However, we had about 80 girls in the gym on Saturday. Historically, we have placed every girl that completes registration on a team. I mention this as, while we have a good stable of quality coaches, it appears that we will need more. If you know of anyone that you think might be a good fit to coach with us this year as a head or assistant coach, please provide me with their name and contact information. For example, in the past individuals that coach middle school teams at a private school have joined our coaching staff. We have also had parents with a volleyball background step up and coach with us as a head or assistant coach based upon their qualifications.

As things stand, we have 76 players that have registered on-line, and that number will undoubtedly increase before we close registration. We are going to have our open workouts Saturday morning through at least the end of February. They will be at the Boys and Girls Club of East County – La Mesa Clubhouse. It is located at 7600 Jr High Dr, La Mesa, CA 91941. It is near the back parking lot for Helix HS. Below is link with its location.   

Boys and Girls Clubs of East County La Mesa Clubhouse - Google Maps

Unless informed otherwise, we will keep the schedule for the workouts as:

4th-7th graders will go 9-10:30 am

8th-12th graders will go 10:30 am.

Arrive early to get checked in. Further, for those new to the club, early arrival for the first wave is needed to get the nets set-up and broom the floor, and the second wave won’t be departing at noon as the girls need to get the nets done and the gym cleaned.

There is no fee for the open workouts, and there is no commitment required to play with the club this season.  However, for players to participate in the workouts, the on-line registration needs to be completed, AND two JVA forms need to be signed and the hardcopies turned in at the first workout the player attends. They can be found on the website. If you don’t have the ability to print the documents, copies will be available at the gym (another reason to arrive early). Registration will not be completed until fees are paid, and registration won’t be closed until either February 26 or March 5. We anticipate having Saturday open workouts thru February 26 or March 5. On the weekend that we close registration, we will also form the teams. The following week will start with evening practices twice a week for each team. If your player can’t make a Saturday workout, there is no need to let me know. While all the Saturday workouts will be in the same gym, please note that there might be variations as to which wave a girl should attend based upon her grade.

Although things may change, for now masks are mandatory for those that enter the gym. However, COVID testing (required last year) and vaccinations are not required. Each player should have their own personal closable top liquid container. Girls are not allowed to wear jewelry or tank tops. Shoes need to have laces. Although the girls need not wear volleyballs shorts, shorts need to be worn and knee pads are highly recommended.  

Hope to see you and your player soon.

Ken Rutan, Director

Mission Trails Starlings

MTStarlings@gmail.com

619-742-9418 

As things stand, we have 56 players that have registered on-line, and presume that that number will reach 80-100 before we close registration. We are kicking off the season this Saturday, January 15 at the Boys and Girls Club of East County – La Mesa Clubhouse. It is located at 7600 Jr High Dr, La Mesa, CA 91941. It is near the back parking lot for Helix HS. Below is link with its location.   

Boys and Girls Clubs of East County La Mesa Clubhouse - Google Maps

For the fist workout 1/15:

4th-7th graders will go 9-10:30 am

8th-12th graders will go 10:30 am.

Arrive early to get checked in. Further, for those new to the club, early arrival for the first wave is needed to get the nets set-up and broom the floor, and the second wave won’t be departing at noon as the girls need to get the nets done and the gym cleaned.

There is no fee for the open workouts, and there is no commitment required to play with the club this season.  However, for players to participate in the workouts, the on-line registration needs to be completed, AND  two JVA forms need to be signed. Although they can be found on the registration page on the website. I just realized that they have not been undated for the current season. Just cross-out

2019-20 and write in 2022. If you don’t have the ability to print the documents, copies will be available at the gym (another reason to arrive early). Registration will not be completed until fees are paid, and registration won’t be closed until either February 26 or March 5. We anticipate having Saturday open workouts thru February 26 or March 5. On the weekend that we form the teams, which will be the same weekend that we form the teams, teams will start with evening practices that following week. If your player can’t make a Saturday workout, there is no need to let me know. While all the Saturday workouts will be in the same gym, please note that there might be variations as to which wave a girl should attend based upon her grade.

Although things may change, for now masks can be worn during the workouts, but are not mandatory, and COVID testing and vaccinations are not required. That said, each player should bring a mask to the workout, as well as their personal closable top liquid container. Girls are not allowed to wear jewelry or tank tops. Shoes need to have laces. Although the girls need not wear volleyballs shorts, shorts need to be worn and knee pads are highly recommended.  

 Tournaments will start in late March.

Hope to see you and your player soon.

CONTACT

Director: Ken Rutan
Phone: (619) 742-9418
Email: MTStarlings@gmail.com

Schedule

Coaches

For the 2022 season, registration is CLOSED.  We have 10 teams this season: two 12U teams; four 14U teams; three 16U teams; and one 18U team. 

The 2023 season will commence in January 2023 with free open workouts on Saturdays. If you are interested in the 2023 season please sent an email to mtstarlings@gmail.com and provide the player's name, grade during the 2022-2023 school year and school.