Young athletes recently spent three days sharpening their volleyball skills, making new friends and embracing a mindset of continuous improvement during this year’s Little Spikers Volleyball Camp.
Now in its sixth year since Coach Monica Halverson launched the camp after coming to Lovelock in 2018, the annual event served girls entering grades 6 through 9, with Pershing County High School volleyball players helping coach and mentor the younger athletes.
The camp focused on the fundamentals of passing, setting, hitting, serving and game play while encouraging teamwork and confidence on and off the court.
This year’s camp centered on the theme “Mustang Mentality,” inspired by the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality.”
“The summarized version is to be 1% better every time you step on the court,” Halverson said. “Whether it is pushing yourself to do better, be a better teammate or your overall attitude and drive for positive progression.”
Halverson said each season’s theme has a personal connection, and this year’s message encourages athletes to strive for steady improvement every time they step on the court.
Coach Dara Moura, who coaches middle school volleyball alongside Halverson, helped lead the camp. Halverson said Moura’s experience was especially valuable because most campers are middle school students.
The camp also aimed to encourage more boys to give volleyball a try as boys volleyball continues to grow across Nevada.
“We were really trying to get boys to the camp because it is a growing sport in Nevada,” Halverson said. “I hope to one day have a boys program in the spring at PCHS. I have to get interest from the younger boys to build something if they want to participate.”
Although no boys attended this year’s camp, Halverson said she remains optimistic participation will grow in the future.
The three-day camp featured themed dress-up days to keep the atmosphere fun and energetic. Monday was “Basic Boot Camp,” with campers wearing their camp T-shirts. Tuesday featured bright colors, tie-dye and Hawaiian attire, while Wednesday’s campers wore grade-level colors and showed off creative hairstyles. Each participant also took home a camp T-shirt designed by Halverson as a keepsake.
“Our camp was an overall success and so much fun,” Halverson said. “The girls worked hard on the basic skills and game play. I’m so excited for the future of Mustang Volleyball, and I am fortunate to be a part of it.”
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