MHAC Volleyball is proud to offer a competitive girls’ volleyball program based in Sandy, Oregon. As part of the USA Volleyball Association and its regional affiliate, the Columbia Empire Volleyball Association (CEVA), we provide athletes with opportunities to train, compete, and grow in a supportive club environment.
Our mission is to offer young women an affordable yet competitive club volleyball experience, giving them access to quality coaching and a pathway to improve their game. With guidance from our experienced coaching staff, players develop the technical skills, teamwork, and confidence needed to take their performance to the next level — whether preparing for high school competition, regional tournaments, or beyond.
At MHAC Volleyball, it’s about more than just winning games — it’s about building character, discipline, and a lifelong love for the sport.
The athletic triangle, consisting of the coach, athlete and parent(s), is a natural aspect of the youth sport setting. The coach’s and parents’ roles in this process are critical to the success of any program. If parents and coaches allow their roles to take priority, then we have an upside-down triangle that is referred to as the professional model. In the professional model, the adults form the upper two-thirds of the triangle with the athletes (the focal point of the triangle) attempting to balance the adults. In this model, the emphasis is placed on winning and it is easy to lose sight of the needs and interests of the young athlete.
However, in the right-side-up triangle, or developmental model, adults (coaches and parents) are supporting the young athletes. Sport programs using this approach remain child-centered and do not become adult-dominated. In the developmental model, parents and coaches work together to provide a quality experience. In this setting, effective communication between coaches and parents allows for each group to complete their respective roles and responsibilities.
While some parents may intuitively understand their responsibilities, or through past experiences with other children may have been informed about them, other parents do not know. Instead of becoming frustrated with parents for not understanding their responsibilities, take time to educate (or review) these responsibilities during orientation. Parents who understand their role or responsibilities are much more likely to be supportive of the coach – so the focus of the sport experience can be placed on the needs and interests of the young athletes.
Player Dana Welty and parent Angie Welty
