Ava Finnerty may have found a new favorite sport: volleyball.
“I like volleyball because you get to connect with your friends,” she said. “It’s fun because you get to watch other people, try it, and see if you need to improve.”
Last year was Finnerty’s first year with the Emerson Recreation Volleyball program for kids in grades 3 to 8. She’s back this season for more bumps, sets, and spikes.
“I knew some of my friends were doing it [the clinic], and I wanted to see them and try to improve on a new sport because I did it last year,” Finnerty explained.
The clinic is run by current Emerson Junior-Senior High School head volleyball coach Kelly Wengerter. According to the Emerson Recreation Volleyball website, Wengerter is a former college volleyball coach. She also played as a college student at Lock Haven University in Pennslyvania. Her dad, John Wengerter, coached, too. The website said he was head volleyball coach in West New York, New Jersey, from 1983-2015.
“One of the winningest coaches in state history, he [Wengerter] was elected to the inaugural New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Coaches Hall of Fame in 1999,” according to the website.
The clinic is on Tuesday nights at Memorial School from January through March. There are two sessions offered: one for third, fourth, and fifth graders; another for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The clinic is open to any skill level.
“Give your kids the opportunity to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership through the sport of volleyball. Acquire the skills of volleyballthrough fun activities and team play,” states a flyer for the clinic.
They also have Emerson Junior-Senior High School volleyball players volunteering to help out.
