Prep Dig Wisconsin Approaching 6 Years
In 1 short month Prep Dig Wisconsin will be 6 years old. About a year ago Chris Fitzgerald wrote about Prep Dig Wisconsin celebrating 5 years. I had every intention of following up shortly after but here we are 11…
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Continue ReadingIn 1 short month Prep Dig Wisconsin will be 6 years old. About a year ago Chris Fitzgerald wrote about Prep Dig Wisconsin celebrating 5 years. I had every intention of following up shortly after but here we are 11 months later and it’s well overdue. I want to start with how I started with Prep Dig because I actually get this question a lot. I used to coach for a small high school in central Wisconsin but dealt with some of the worst politics you can imagine. In 2018 I was looking for something different within the world of volleyball. While earning my MS in Sport Psychology, I did a substantial amount of writing. I was looking for opportunities to research and write again since I enjoyed the process. I was brought on board in March of 2018, four short months after Prep Dig Wisconsin posted its first article about the high-level Class of 2018 prospects. I finally jumped in with both feet and wrote my first article in April of 2018.
It wasn’t long before I knew I had found the place where I could learn and grow along with my lifelong love of volleyball. The role as a writer and a scout gave me more than I could have hoped for and has been a vehicle to create a positive impact in people’s lives. While I was looking for a place to belong I also found some of my favorite people. Chris Fitzgerald has been a mentor, a shoulder, and a champion for the sport of volleyball. The growth of Prep Dig across the nation has a lot to do with “Prep Dig Chris”. Rachel Kass completed our trio and has turned into the photographer extraordinaire, a new mother, and is transforming a high school program creating amazing new opportunities for young women. Thank you Chris and Rachel for always listening and being willing to collaborate. Together we have done some pretty amazing things.
Almost 2,000 articles later and we still cheer on the successes of the extraordinary Wisconsin women. We share screenshots of Instagram posts declaring a college commitment and celebrate all the big plays on the way. I don’t think any of us expected for Prep Dig to turn into a passion that we are incredibly proud of.
What Were The First Events That You Covered?
I got things rolling by covering the USAV Girls’ 18s Junior National Championships from afar along with the Sky High and Juniors Pre-National Tournament as well as the Asics Junior National Championships. Before I knew it I was researching those competing at State Track, as well as events ranging from the Marathon Summer League to AAU Nationals. This is where I first learned about about Emily Scott, Riley Kindt, and Emily Banitt. Names that went on to make some pretty great impacts in their college programs.
Who Are Some Of the Early Players You Remember?
Monica LaFleur was a blip on my radar in June 2018 as a Milwaukee Sting 15 White player standing at 6’2. I knew there was a ton of potential and even more so after I had the opportunity to work with her at Badger Region High Performance camp. She was intense, focused, and driven. Nothing was going to stand in her way. She committed to Texas Arlington and then transferred to SIUE.
Jordan Karlen was an AAU All-American in 2018 as Capital 14 Navy took 3rd place in the 14 classic Division. Ever since then she just seemed to get more and more impressive each time I saw her play. Even when she decided to shed her headband. She always played an age up which made her play even more impressive. I enjoyed working with her through the Badger Region High Performance program and got to see she was worth all the hype and excitement. She was the real deal and I think she’s more than proven that at Tennessee Tech.
I am so privileged to have witnessed the evolution of Aspen Jankowski. She went from a smaller pin hitter to setting at Arkansas Tech. Jankowski was another player I worked with at Badger Region High Performance and I loved her adaptability and drive to compete at the next level.
What has changed since writing for Prep Dig Wisconsin?
The Badger Region Power League, Qualifier, and Championships have been growing. The Championships have been growing so much that with the current construction at the Wisconsin Center they have to move them for 2024 to multiple sites on different weekends to accommodate. Surrounding states have also adopted early tryouts in the summer right after nationals which is creating more pressure on border clubs to either go the JVA/AAU route or put pressure on the region to make changes.
We’ve seen a number of bigger clubs fade out with others taking their place. Big clubs have expanded to have more teams in-house as well as satellites. LOVB has exploded on the volleyball scene with their support for their member clubs. There has been a huge boom in clubs having their own facilities including Madtown Juniors . Athletes Unlimited has also made a big splash in order to give American volleyball players an opportunity to play at home. With an extremely entertaining format that keeps things new and fresh you see new teams and standouts each time they play.
Players are getting smarter and more creative about using social media to promote themselves. They are not only utilizing Hudl and Twitter (X), but also Instagram. Most athletes are able to get their highlights in front of college coaches as they are scrolling through their social media.
Biggest Challenges?
I also took on writing and rankings for Prep Dig Minnesota and getting to know the volleyball landscape there took some time. It was easy with Wisconsin because I grew up in the volleyball world here. I challenge myself to find the players that haven’t been written about and that isn’t always an easy task. Not because they can’t be found but it’s not always easy to find more information on them.
I also think trying to stay objective can be tough because no matter how hard we try there tends to be some internal bias. I work for a certain club, and I’ve coached kids through the Badger Region or formed friendships with coaches, parents, etc. These can be great for getting information but I still want to remain neutral in a lot of venues. This is one of the reasons I choose not to coach at a high school in the fall and instead do some officiating to see players from another perspective.
What Is Your Favorite Part About Writing for Prep Dig?
Everything and everyone. The Prep Network has been incredibly supportive of Prep Dig and there is nothing quite like getting a text from your Editor-in-Chief or Senior Editors telling you that you’ve been crushing it or that they love an article you wrote. Chris and Rachel are like family and that’s something I never would have had without Prep Dig.
This has been the perfect avenue for me to express my total volleyball nerdiness and share with like-minded individuals. Prep Dig has provided opportunities to travel to different venues, cover more athletes, and meet and connect with high school, club, and college coaches. I love our events, whether it is a tournament or a showcase there is great energy and smiles and a ton of fun to be had while volleyball is being played. All I’ve ever wanted is to share my love for the sport and have a positive impact on this world somehow. It amazes me how we follow so many player’s journeys through high school and we feel for them in the highs and lows and they likely never know. We are always cheering for them!