U17 BLACK TEAM VISION
Vienna Elite will be fielding a team of (11 or 12)* skilled U17 players. Our program is expected to be one of the most rigorous training programs in the Region. The team is expected to be a competitive team that will compete in selected multi-day tournaments and AAU and CHRVA tournaments (Refer to the tentative schedule below).
The U17 team is expected to practice twice per week. Team will have be offered fitness/conditioning on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7:15pm (starting 11/12 - ending 3/25). All fitness/conditioning program will be offered at The Nzone 14550 Lee Rd., Chantilly, VA.
During the training months of November and December, as well as on non-tournament weekends from January through May, the Club may also hold "Academy," which will focus on specific skills (i.e., serving, passing, setting, team defense, etc).
* At the discretion of the club, 1 or 2 "practice players" will be considered depending on the circumstances of the team. Practice players will not participate in any matches or tournaments unless specifically called upon by the Head Coach.
COACHES
RICHARD (BUZZ) LAIRD - HEAD COACH
Buzz Laird (USAV IMPACT Certified) was born and raised in Virginia Beach and is currently a math teacher at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. He grew up playing beach volleyball and then played club volleyball while at Greensboro College. He took a break from college to pursue a career as a professional baseball umpire. During this time, he was an assistant coach for the Kellam High School Boys’ Volleyball team that won a Virginia Eastern Region Championship and played in the Virginia State Semifinals.
He married and got a degree from George Mason University. While studying at George Mason, he refereed high school volleyball and was selected to referee multiple district and regional games. After teaching for a few years, the coaching bug hit him again. He has been a coach for the Stone Bridge High School Girls’ Softball team for five years and was the JV Girls’ Volleyball coach at Stone Bridge. Currently, Buzz is the Assistant Varsity Coach at Tuscarora HS. Buzz coached DMV Elite 17s for the past three seasons. He is looking forward to coaching the 17 Black team this season.
(Contact: buzz.laird@viennaelite.org )
EMILY ZOBY - ASST COACH
Emily Zoby was born & raised in Northern Virginia and currently works as the assistant director of Kenwood Elementary. She was introduced to volleyball at an early age by her older sister, and it quickly became a passion. She played through Junior High and 3 years of High School as a setter. In her senior year, she made the move to coaching Elementary & Middle School Rec volleyball. The experience of nurturing and instilling the love of volleyball in young players was immeasurable, and sharing her knowledge and love of the sport became a new passion.
Emily graduated from George Mason University with her BS in Interpersonal Organizational Communications and a minor in Tourism & Event Management. Through college, she played recreationally at GMU, Gamma Phi Beta intramurals, NVVA, and various other adult leagues. Emily has most recently coached as an Assistant Coach for Vienna Elite 16's and DMV Elite 17. Emily is very excited to be part of the Vienna Elite team again and can’t wait to see what this season has in store! Contact: emily.zoby@viennaelite.org
SCHEDULES
U17 BLACK PRACTICE SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
| DAYS | LOCATION | TIME | EVENT | NOTES | CONFLICTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays | The Dulles Sportsplex 21610 Atlantic Blvd, Sterling, VA 20166 | 7pm to 9pm | Team Practice | Practice on 11/25 | No practice 3/17 & 3/19 |
| Thursdays | The Dulles Sportsplex 21610 Atlantic Blvd, Sterling, VA 20166 | 7pm to 9pm | Team Practice | ||
| Wednesdays | The Nzone 14550 Lee Rd, Chantilly, VA 20151 | 6:30pm to 7:15pm or 7:15pm to 8pm | Fitness and Conditioning | Ends on 3/25 |
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
| DATE | TOURNAMENT | LOCATION | DIVISION | STATUS | NOTES/COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 17, 18, 19 | Volley by The James | Richmond, VA | Club | Accepted | |
| "January 24, 25 | AAU Blizzard Blast & Boys ECPL Grand Prix | Virginia Beach, VA | Club | Accepted | |
| January 30, 31, February 1 | National Harbor Showdown | National Harbor, MD | USA | Accepted | |
| "Februray 14, 15 | Patriots Cup | York, PA | American | Accepted | |
| "Feburay 21, 22 | The St. James & Boys ECPL | Springfield, VA (TSJ) | Club | Accepted | |
| "March 14, 15 | Shamrock Showdown | Springfield, VA (TSJ) | Club | Accepted | |
| March 20, 21, 22 | NEQ 17 | Philadelphia, PA (PA Convention Center) | American | Accepted | |
| "April 11, 12 | ACPL Richmond Grand Prix | Richmond, VA | Club | Accepted | |
| 25-Apr | MD JRS 17 Club | Jessup, MD (MD JRS Sports Ctr) | Club | Applied | |
| 9-May | MD JRS 17 Mixed | Jessup, MD (MD JRS Sports Ctr) | Mixed | Applied | |
| May 23, 24, 25 | East Coast Championships | Pittsburgh, PA (Convention Center) | Select | Accepted |