FaR Out’s Foster didn’t rely on size to become one of the state’s best

<p>Volleyball coaches around the state had to wipe their eyes when they first got a look at Natalie Foster.</p> <p>Deciding to give a try to the sport in sixth grade after moving from the Chicago area, Foster stood 6-foot-2 and had a wealth of potential.</p> <p>“She walked into the gym about 6’2” and she was all arms and legs,” FaR Out Assistant Club Director Cam Rowland said when he first saw Foster. “She was not good and she was wearing basketball shorts all the time. So, the first goal was to get her dressed for volleyball. But, you knew that she certainly had size that you can’t teach, so it just became a matter of developing her athletic skill at the sport.”</p> <p>Years later, the now 6-foot-5 Foster finds herself as one of the top middle hitters in the state of Michigan and a player that still has a ton of potential to improve.</p> <p>“I had to understand that it was a process,” Foster said of developing her ability to her size. “In the end, it was about putting it all together over time and not just focusing on having to be perfect right away.”</p> <p>Most would look at Foster and expect her to be a natural at hitting and blocking with her size, but Rowland saw more in Foster.</p> <p>“Occasionally we would see her pick up a volleyball and start to dribble it between her legs and move really smoothly with the ball, so that clued us in that she definitely had the ability to be a tremendous player,” Rowland said.</p> <p>“The biggest thing for long, young kids is strength and understanding. We needed to get Natalie stronger and we needed her to understand that she wasn’t good at the start, but we wanted her to play on a competitive level because we saw a lot of potential in her. She had to understand that there would be some growing pains along the way because she was so raw.”</p> <p>After a few rocky years in club, Foster started to turn the corner as an eighth grader when she had to play up in age with the 15’s on FaR Out’s national team. He expanded role and playing against developed competition saw her make big strides as a player, especially with her movement.</p> <p>“That’s when she really made the jump to understanding the sport at a higher level,” Rowland said. “She really had to take on a larger role than she was accustomed to and it forced her to come out of her shell. You could see her really grow in confidence.”</p> <p>That confidence continued to blossom as she has continued to improve each year with FaR Out and also is excelling at the prep level as part of Mattawan.</p> <p>Foster has racked up the kills over her first three years with the Wildcats. After putting up 260 as a freshman, she had 416 as a sophomore and 497 this past fall as a junior. She also was the team leader in blocks while continuing to develop a powerful serve.</p> <p>“Her serve is lethal when it is in bounds,” Rowland. “Some days she gets on a roll with it while other days she is a little off. But, she has the green lights from us to grip it and rip it when she is back there.”</p> <p>Foster was named Second Team All-State in Division 1 this year as she helped guide Mattawan to a top ranking in the state at one point in the fall. The Wildcats reached the regional finals before losing to Gull Lake in four sets.</p> <p>“I am hoping that we can pick up from where we left off,” Foster said of her hopes for Mattawan in 2019. “We definitely lose some great seniors, but I think we have the potential to be really strong if we just work hard as a team.”</p> <p>Also a standout basketball player, Foster is now starting to get into the full swing of her club volleyball season with FaR Out 18 Black. Her focus remains on the details and improving every small aspect of her play over the club year.</p> <p>“I think I have a better understanding of the details that go into being a good volleyball player and a successful team,” Foster said. “It’s not just about the big picture. It’s about the energy you need to bring to the floor and the attention to detail in your execution and game plan. (FaR Out) have been great at really helping me develop as a person and helping my find out who I am and who I can be as a volleyball player.”</p> <p>Foster already has her volleyball future set, as she is committed to play for Wichita State starting in the fall of 2020.</p> <p>“I am excited to see what Natalie does when she gets to college and that will be all she is doing,” Rowland said. “I think that will be big for her, because she will be able to focus on just being a student and a volleyball player all the time while getting great coaching. Wichita State is a great fit for Natalie. She fits into their system beautifully.”</p> <p>Rowland credits Foster’s patience as to what really allowed her to blossom as a player. Though she had the potential, many in her position have come up short due to their inability to go through the difficult moments of developing as a player.</p> <p>“Yet is a word we emphasize a lot with our young kids,” Rowland said. “That was definitely the case with Natalie where we would have to say, ‘you’re not there yet, but you are going to get there.’ Natalie had to believe that, and once she did it really helped move the process along. Not every player wants to put in the time and focus on details. They want immediate results and that just isn’t realistic. Natalie also didn’t just rely on her size. She wanted to become the best player she could be and that’s a testament to the kind of person she is.”</p>