The Story Behind The Class of 2021 Rankings
How did I get over 90 names and possibly rank all of these players in a short amount of time? Gym time, lots and lots of gym time well spent.
I’ve always been the type where I believe, “If you are going to commit to something, do it well, and do it the right way”. The same mind set was applied to the Class of 2021 rankings. I started out watching the Wisconsin Volleyball Academy Scrimmage in the middle of December and from there I have seen this class play multiple times since at the Wisconsin Juniors Winter Classic, Great Lakes Power Leagues, JVA Jamboree, and most recently the Wisconsin Dells Mizuno Showcase. Sometimes 12 hours of watching volleyball on a Saturday. I have also reached out to clubs asking for input on top players in their clubs and in other clubs around their area as well as college coaches on how they evaluate their recruiting, especially at the 15s level. I have learned so much in the past three months and have met some great people in the volleyball community!
I was asked a great question, “Do you base your rankings on where they are currently, or where you think they will be when they graduate?”. I base the rankings on where they currently are. I see the athletes play and don’t always know that their aunt ended up being 6’2 and played Division 1 volleyball. I don’t know if this athlete or that athlete is done growing, or that they have played on a 1’s team since they were 10. I take them at their current state. I also had a quote from a parent that I’m sure a lot of parents can relate to at this level, “Somedays I watch my daughter play volleyball and she’s really good, and somedays I watch her and it looks like she doesn’t know what volleyball is.” I know that’s how it can be sometimes, that’s why I try and see teams multiple times.
I will be constantly reevaluating and making notes on the Class of 2021 as well as the other classes. There can be so many changes at this level. Over the course of the next few months I’ll be at Badger Region, Great Lakes Power League, Northern Lights Qualifier in Minneapolis, JNC in Rosemont over Memorial Day, High Performance Training, and plenty of high school leagues and summer camps. Yes, I am a volleyball nerd with the purpose of promoting the high quality volleyball we have in Wisconsin.
There are still gems that are hidden in the Class of 2018 and 2019, and I know there are more than plenty in the younger classes as well. I’m excited to see how these athletes continue to evolve as individuals and athletes. I’m a firm believer that anything that is successful takes time, improvement is a process, and success is even tougher to sustain. Good Luck to the Class of 2021 in your volleyball careers whether it is to earn a college scholarship or simply make the varsity team.
See you at Badger Region!
Chris Fitzgerald
Prep Dig Wisconsin