Members of the Maine State Volleyball Association (MSVBA), Maine Volleyball Coaches Association (MVCA), the Maine Association of Volleyball Officials (MAVO), The Maine Recreation and Parks Association (MRPA), Maine Juniors Volleyball Club, recreation department leagues, tournament operators, venue owners, vendors, sponsors and more, will be on hand at the Maine Volleyball Summit.

By bringing everyone involved in our sport today together the organizers of the Maine Volleyball Summit are confident that a road map can be developed to make advances in Maine volleyball with everyone "pulling on the same end of the rope." We'll be combining resources, developing networking opportunities, creating new events and programs, and more.

Around the country and certainly within our own state we have seen over the past two decades the excitement and enthusiasm generated by comparatively new sports introduced at youth, high school, collegiate, and adult levels which have gained ground and considerable steam over a relatively short period of time. Sports like soccer and lacrosse have made huge inroads in the mid-1990s across the Pine Tree State. How does this happen?

Organization, promotion, cooperation, building databases for coaches, venues, and tournaments, as well as a good old fashioned passion for the sport that transcends self interest.

The Maine Volleyball Project is poised to help pull together all of those entities with even a small interest in seeing the sport develop, grow, and flourish in our state. Combining the resources and databases, and mailing lists, and social media efforts under a single umbrella (these groups and clubs and teams and individuals, etc. will still run their own show), can create a synergy that is ready for the expected explosion in volleyball in Maine.

Coordinating the creation of recreation department leagues for youth, middle school, high school age kids, can result in an economy of scale for purchases such as equipment, net systems, volleyballs, uniforms, etc., and can lead to bigger and better things for our sport. The future of volleyball in Maine, as with any other lifetime sport is going to be built on youth athletes and their families. Developing opportunities for kids AND adults in places where volleyball never previously existed isn't all that difficult. "If you build it, they will come!"

That phrase has been seen in communities across the southern and northern areas of volleyball for a while now, but still some communities and schools lacked the equipment, gym time, proper instruction, and/or desire to create opportunities. In Saco last year, Thornton Academy had over 50 young women sign up for the first Golden Trojan volleyball club team. This year, more than 90 student-athletes arrived on the first day of practice. Up until that time, nobody really knew how much the students AND the community wanted volleyball.

Later this fall a half-dozen or more middle school volleyball teams in Southern Maine, from Brunswick to York County will be playing in their first tournament.

How can the existing Maine volleyball community get ahead of this wave that will soon be crashing on our shores? The Maine Volleyball Summit is the first step. Bringing together those with a passion, expertise, enthusiasm, and skill as players, coaches, officials, administrators, directors, etc., can and will help us develop over a short period of time, a comprehensive plan. Your involvement as a "volleyball person" is important, and essential in the development, growth, and explosion of our sport in our state.

Long and short-term goals of the Maine Volleyball Summit and the 

The Maine Volleyball Project is presenting the inaugural Maine Volleyball Summit through the cooperation of Colby College, in Waterville, Maine. The Maine Volleyball Project is part of the Maine Games, a non-profit organization which is a member of the National Congress of State Games. The NCSG is a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Multi-Sport Organizations Council. Across America State Games organizations provide grass roots opportunities for amateur athletes of all ages and abilities to compete on a statewide stage, to develop, promote and exhibit good sportsmanship, and to develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime.