Agoura Hills Nets a Volleyball Team

Agoura Hills will have its own volleyball team just in time for spring sports season.  The United States Youth Volleyball League (USYVL) is establishing a local team to meet at , beginning on April 7, said Trisha Ozawa, program assistant for USYVL.

"The League's mission is to provide every child between the ages of 7 and 15 a chance to learn and play volleyball in a fun, safe,  and supervised environment," said Ozawa.

One of the main tenets of the program is to encourage children to do their best with their abilities. With an emphasis on positive reinforcement, the program seeks to build confidence and self-esteem in each child, according to Ozawa.

The season will last for eight weeks and teams will be subdivided by age.  "We'll be meeting twice a week, Thursday evening and Saturday morning, which will include practice and competitions against neighboring towns," she said.  There will be 6-8 kids on a team.

Ozawa said the volunteer coaches receive extensive training and are on-hand to provide positive reinforcement along with good sportsmanship, teamwork and, most importantly, "lots of fun."

Local parent Susan Nathanson, whose 10-year-old daughter joined the league, will act as a volunteer site coordinator for the team. Her job will include player registration, check-in for practices and overall communication with the head office.  "This is a new sport for us, and we're excited about trying it out," she said.

Registration is $185, which includes a t-shirt and volleyball for each child.  For more information and to sign up, go to the USYVL website or call 1-888-988-7985.