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N the Red
Oct. 7, 2019
Building Relationships Communication off the court helps team dynamic Carter Hanefeld
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Junior outside hitter Emily Waldrop goes to serve the ball at the team’s Sept. 5 game, winning 3-0, against the Noblesville Millers. Photo by Nya Thornton.
hanefcar000@hsestudents.org
n Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” Thor said that “the only permanent thing in life is impermanence,” and this quote applies to high school sports. With an ever rotating roster due to incoming freshmen and outgoing seniors, the upperclassmen have to act as both a guide and a mentor to the underclassmen. In the case of girls volleyball, the Tiger Cub program seeks to aid this recurrence. “Each upperclassmen is given a cub and that is the person we are responsible for,” junior defensive specialist Shelby Settles said. “We make sure that they’re doing okay and answer any questions they may have.” Varsity head coach Steven Peek emphasizes the importance of the girls talking to each other, not only in school, but outside of school as well. “It’s most important to give tigers and cubs time to talk face-toface,” Peek said. “They may have a class together, but that doesn’t give them uninterrupted time to talk about their days.” ophomore middle hitter laire heobald confirms that a great deal of time is given to the underclassmen and upperclassmen to talk to each other on a regular basis. “Tiger Cub my freshman year involved designated times to talk to upperclassmen and ask them questions about anything,” Theobald said. The program has worked well for the team, according to Theobald. The team’s record sits at 11-10 as of Sept. 30, but it is the girls’ character that stands out to Theobald. “They always lead us to do what’s right and they are kind,” Theobald said. “The underclassmen are also very respectful and never talk back.” While talking to their cubs is an important gesture, sometimes nonverbal actions are just as important as the verbal. “One of the seniors my freshman year led by example, as opposed to just verbally leading,” senior captain Emily Brewer said. Peek supports the idea that leading through physical actions is just as important as verbal communication. Without leading by physical example, the girls cannot improve upon their volleyball skills. “I want the upperclassmen to teach each other their successes and failures. If upperclassmen can hand down the lessons they learn, each underclassman becomes better equipped to handle the challenges and pressures of playing Fishers volleyball,” Peek said. “We have a challenging schedule and a culture that sets a high bar. I want kids to grow into young adults as they spend time in the program.” The Tiger Cub program has adapted throughout the years in order to adapt to each team and their needs. “We’ve gone through seasons where tigers got to pick cubs, where only varsity had cubs and where varsity and JV each had cubs,” Peek said. “This season, we mostly have an upperclassman Tiger with a sophomore cub and a freshman cub. But it hasn’t evolved too much, though. Spending time together and understanding others are two things that are still at the heart of it all.”
