Inaugural First Level Event Lives Up To The Hype
Kevin Pratte
Over a yr in the past Kenny Rogers, the Windward Excessive Faculty assistant coach despatched a textual content over to fellow First Level Board Member and Weddington Excessive Faculty Boys’ Head Coach Sarah Conklin that expressed his curiosity in operating an Inaugural First Level Boys’ Excessive Faculty Event. The 2 set to work and on Friday, March 28th their dream turned a actuality. “We needed to placed on this occasion as a result of there has by no means been a really nationwide volleyball event for boys’ highschool groups, like there’s for membership gamers. First Level has helped develop the game over the past eight years, it has change into clear that bringing folks from completely different sates collectively to attach and share greatest practices helps states nonetheless pursuing sanctioning to maneuver nearer to the purpose,” stated Rogers.
Conklin and Rogers used their First Level connections to find out what highschool groups could be good matches for the event. They created two brackets; the Pioneer Bracket was designed for non-sanctioned highschool groups which can be nonetheless within the strategy of getting their state to sanction boys’ volleyball and the Legacy Bracket was stuffed up with all of the excessive faculties which have sanctioned volleyball.
The positioning was decided as a result of Austin, Texas is centrally situated and First Level board member Glen Lietzke supplied entry to his fitness center. The ability had a number of courts, loads of room for spectators and an accommodating occasion workers.
Pioneer Bracket
Austin Spartans, Texas.
Elberta, Alabama
Inexperienced Hill, Tennessee
Jenks, Oklahoma
Southside Slam, Georgia
Texas All Stars, Texas
Weddington, North Carolina
Valcano Vista, New Mexico
Legacy Bracket
Arizona School Prep, Arizona
Arvada West, CO
Maple Mountain, UT
Marquette, Mo
Oak Park, Mo
Salesianum, DE
Silverton, Oregon
Windward, CA
Friday, March twenty eighth
The doorways opened at 9 am for just a few of the groups to conduct a serve and cross. By 1 pm event play began, and 4 matches happened. The 4 faculties that received matches in on Friday had been Windward, Maple Mountain, Arvada West and Silverton.
It was clear that each Windward and Maple Mountain had been going to contend to win the Legacy Championship Bracket. Each have a number of athletes that play membership volleyball and members of their groups are headed to play on the school degree.
Arvada West performed with grit and keenness. Just a few years in the past Colorado sanctioned the game and lots of athletes of their state are taking part in in school. Setter Kei Martin ran an efficient offense all event for Arvada West. “The inaugural First Level Excessive Faculty event exceeded my expectations. From all of the particular occasions, actions, and degree of play, I’m not positive I may have requested for extra. The entire weekend had such a constructive vibe and I might encourage all faculties to attend if the long run if they’re fortunate sufficient to get invited,” stated Arvad West Head Coach David Zimmerman.
Silverton Excessive Faculty represented Oregon. By the top of the yr Oregon First Level rep Patrick Gibson is extraordinarily optimistic that the vote can be handed to sanction the game within the Northwest Area.
At 6 pm all of the groups gathered for a gap ceremony. Every workforce was acknowledged, and movie star Will Ferrell was a shock visitor for the ceremony. The comic supplied laughter to the group whereas hyping up every workforce that made the journey to Austin.
The ceremony was an unbelievable alternative to acknowledge boys’ highschool volleyball as one of many quickest rising sports activities within the nation. Every workforce lined up alphabetically with the host state Texas going first to be launched in entrance of followers and household. The groups walked into theme music that represented their state, holding their state flag and each member of the workforce was waiving mini flags to take pride of the place they had been from. Rogers and Conklin did a advantageous job creating an Olympic like setting for the First Level opening ceremonies.
So as to add to the joy Molten and Slunks sponsored the occasion. Molten supplied 300 volleyballs that had been used all through the event. Slunks donated uniforms for every workforce. The uniforms had been coloration themed with the state that the highschool was representing. “It was considerate that Slunks gave us tremendous cool uniforms. It exhibits that they’re keen to help the athletes and make investments into the way forward for highschool boys’ volleyball,” stated Mattias Ferrell, senior reverse from Windward.
The Kevin Pratte Basis awarded two scholarships to athletes to assist pay for his or her membership volleyball charges. Dr. Anititra Brockman was on the event the entire time to help First Level and recruit for the UMES NCAA Division I program that can be beginning up for the 2026 season.
Saturday, March twenty ninth
Pool play started at 8 am and the ultimate match was carried out round 11 pm. All through the day groups had been competing, and each match was stay streamed. I had the pleasure of calling play by play for a number of the pool play, the playoffs and championship matches. Dr. Brockman joined one of many matches to assist with the commentating, present her appreciation of First Level, focus on her new school program and let the listeners know concerning the documentary that’s popping out about her program in January of 2026.
The day was celebrated that Alabama introduced their first ever highschool workforce to the event. Packages from Tennessee, Oklahoma, Oregon, North Carolina, New Mexico and Georgia confirmed that they’d gifted athletes who competed at a excessive degree.
Via pool play it was clear that the groups from Georgia, Arizona, Missouri, Delaware, California, Texas and Utah had been going to make a push to win the championship trophy of their revered divisions. Delaware got here into the event because the 2024 state champs on a 20 sport successful streak. Maple Mountain from Utah, led by BYU dedication Trey Thorton had not misplaced a match for over a yr heading into the event. In 2024 Arizona School Prep was the 4A state champs.
After the groups battled for hours, Georgia superior to the Pioneer Bracket finals to tackle the Austin Spartans from Texas. The Spartans had full management of the match by successful the serve and cross battle. That they had great performances from their pin hitters Parfait Mugabo, Joshua Mugo and Trey Landord. Georgia confirmed a number of combat and had been led by their setter Kai James-David Morgan and outdoors Sammy Haggerty. The Austin Spartans got here out on prime beating Georgia in a clear sweep to win the Pioneer Championship Bracket.
The Legacy Bracket Championship finals was a 3 set thriller. Trey Thorton and his Maple Mountain squad got here out in set one bodily dominating web play and supplied service strain on Windward. Maple Mountain beat Windward in pool play on Friday and it appeared they had been going to cruise to a 2-0 sweep to win the championship. After set one Windward regrouped. Setter, Maxwell Stotsky linked effectively along with his pin attackers Mattias Ferrell, Jack Phelps and Rafa Milchan. In units two and three Windward did a significantly better job limiting their errors and containing the extremely gifted Trey Thorton. Set three went backwards and forwards. “We served harder within the final two units of the finals and took Maple Mountain out of system,” stated Coach Rogers. Windward finally made the clutch performs on the finish to earn the event win.
For the primary level of the event on Friday, March twenty eighth Windward’s Stotsky blasted a serve that created an overpass. Ferrell was anxiously ready on the web and put down an overpass kill. It was solely becoming that Ferrell completed the championship match with a kill to award the Wildcats the Inaugural First Level Championship Trophy.
Sunday, March thirtieth
The ultimate day of the event began with an award ceremony. The highest groups from every bracket had been acknowledged and given medals. An all-tournament workforce was named and to complete off the day every athlete was supplied the chance to participate in a coaching session with USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly and Assistant Coach Luka Slabe. Coach Kiraly was in a position to present the athletes his gold medals and subject some questions from the athletes earlier than they head residence.
First Level seized the chance to have fun highschool boys’ volleyball rising in america. Rogers and Conklin pulled out the purple carpet for all of the groups that attended. There was motive to have fun throughout this improbable event, however there’s nonetheless extra work to be carried out. The First Level basis continues to work diligently on beginning up males’s collegiate and boys’ highschool groups. Over the previous couple of years, Colorado, Utah, Ohio, and Missouri sanctioned boys’ volleyball. Texas, Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee, Georgia and lots of extra are at the moment within the strategy of attempting to get the game sanctioned.
There isn’t a doubt that the Inaugural First Level Event was a smashing success. Mother and father, followers, coaches and athletes are already trying ahead to the second annual event. Plans are underway to ask extra groups from extra states. I do know I can be on the event subsequent yr. I encourage school volleyball coaches and followers to checkout this unbelievable event.
Pioneer Bracket All Event Workforce:
Owen Conklin, Wedington, North Carolina
Joaquin Corrales, Valcano Vista, New Mexico
Samuel Haggerty, Southside Slam, Georgia
Hudson Heathrick, Jenks, Oklahoma
Parfait Mugabo, Austin Spartans, Texas (MVP)
Jonathan Ranger, Austin Spartans, Texas
George Stevens, Inexperienced Hill, Tennessee
William Wied, Texas All Stars, Texas
Legacy Bracket All Event Workforce:
Mattias Ferrell, Windward, CA
Ethan Huynh, Oak Park, Mo
Noah Landewe, Marquette, Mo
Kei Marrin, Arvada West, CO
Reid Maas, Salesianum, DE
Kaden Sander, Arizona School Prep, Arizona
Elisha Quick, Silverton, Oregon
Maxwell Stotsky, Windward, CA (MVP)
Trey Thornton, Maple Mountain, UT
Details gathered on the event:
Arizona, Maple Mountain and Delaware all got here in because the reigning state champions. Maple Mountain had not misplaced a match for over a yr going into the First Level event. The Delaware Salesianum Sallies went undefeated final season.
A few of the groups (Alabama, Georgia, Texas) needed to create all-star groups that represented athletes from a number of excessive faculties for this event. The hope is these states will ultimately have sanctioned volleyball. Getting these athletes taking part in at this event was a large step in the correct route.
On Saturday, March 29th the primary match began at 8 am and finals ended round 11 pm. 15 hours of thrilling volleyball!
North Carolina, Nebraska, and Tennessee are making large strikes to get the game sanctioned.
Feedback on the weekend:
After the ultimate match the Windward athletes and followers had been going nuts. Windward assistant coach and First Level Board Member Kenny Rogers was operating across the fitness center with a smile as large because the state of Texas. He ran over to me and stated, “It is a bucket record second!”
“What an unbelievable show of the expansion and expertise in boys’ volleyball. Seeing so many highschool athletes competing at a excessive degree with ardour, vitality, and camaraderie was inspiring. Occasions like this are very important for increasing alternatives within the sport and reinforce why applications like UMES Males’s Volleyball are vital in creating new alternatives. This occasion confirmed how shiny the way forward for the sport is,” Dr. Anitra Brockman, College of Maryland Jap Shore, Males’s Volleyball Head Coach.
“It was such an incredible alternative to fulfill Karch Kiraly, a very long time excellent of mine and an all time nice for our sport. First Level did a tremendous job with the Inaugural First Level Boys’ Excessive Faculty Event. My teammates and I’ll always remember this expertise,” stated George Stevens, Inexperienced Hill Captain and dedicated to play at Lincoln Memorial.
“One of the crucial significant issues concerning the occasion was seeing how the boys’ volleyball neighborhood exhibits up for one another. From First Level board members, to oldsters, coaches and legends of the sport. Karch Kiraly hung out watching matches and gave the athletes an inspirational speak on Sunday. That kind of private and real help is what makes the motion so highly effective. We’re not simply rising the game, we’re exhibiting that our neighborhood believes within the subsequent era of athletes,” Coach Sarah Conklin of Wedington and First Level Board Member.
“Inexperienced Hill was honored to participate on this occasion. We beloved that there have been non-sanction and sanctioned brackets on the event. First Level continues to develop the sport and we stay up for the day when all 50 states are sanctioning this nice sport. Due to First Level for the gorgeous opening ceremonies, Slunks for offering uniforms, Molten donating balls and Karch along with his USA workers placing on a clinic for the ultimate day,” Coach Tracy Stevens, Inexperienced Hill Head Coach.
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Kevin Pratte has enthusiastically been concerned in volleyball for over 23 years. Pratte began taking part in in center faculty and was lucky sufficient to play NCAA Division 1 volleyball at The College of the Pacific. After his taking part in profession Pratte received concerned in teaching volleyball. In 2009 Pratte was the graduate assistant coach for the College of Nebraska ladies’s volleyball program. Later in his profession Pratte made teaching stops at College of the Pacific, a number of neighborhood faculties and coached at WAVE Volleyball Membership for seven years. At present Pratte is a bodily schooling instructor within the San Diego Unified Faculty District, San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary member, a university volleyball recruiting coordinator, hosts a volleyball podcast present, the proprietor of the Center Hitter web site and runs a non-profit group to assist increase funds to present boys’ highschool volleyball college students scholarships to play membership volleyball. He’s excited to proceed writing for Volleyball Journal and is raring to cowl the sport.
Basis web site: www.kevinprattefoundation.com
Center Hitter Web site: www.middlehitter.com
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