Life lessons

Twenty-two high school and college-bound volleyball players have been added to the Native American Volleyball Academy family.

The students arrived at Navajo Preparatory School on Monday and began the three-day camp that was established by Nanabah Allison-Brewer, the second-year head volleyball coach at South Dakota State University.

At the camp students learn volleyball skills, meet new friends and learn the ins and outs of college scholarships and the college recruitment process.

Brewer said with this year's class, some old and some new, the camp was yet another success.

"It was great to have a lot of them e-mailing me, calling me, asking when the camp was going to be," she said. "A lot of them are starting to really enjoy coming out."

This year Brewer invited some regular staff members but also welcomed some new ones.

Helping her was Jaymie Swift, San Carlos Apache, a graduate assistant to Brewer at SDSU; Rhonda Morgan, Navajo, from Hastings University; Kerry Cuny, camp coordinator from Haskell Indian Nations University, and April Clairmont, Navajo, who played at Northern Arizona University.

Clairmont and Brewer played together and won in the 1997 and 2006 North American Indigenous Games.

"It was nice for (Clairmont) to be here to talk about her experience as an athlete, student-athlete and now as a coach back on the reservation," Brewer said. "She has been in Ganado also now in Tuba City."

Though the students are the primary focus of the camp, this year the teachers have become the students.

John Kessel, a USA Volleyball director for membership development and disabled programs, was another returning instructor.

Brewer said Kessel was a big part of teaching the students and the staff.

"He's been a big mentor to me since I was a sophomore in college," she said. "He really started and helped me in the coaching aspect. I am really excited to have him come out and help me.

"Not only does he help the girls but he helps out with our coaching staff," Brewer said. "He really is able to cater to all levels."

Kessel has worked with athletes in all levels and from many backgrounds but said he finds a special interest for those in the local area.

He said he's seen the potential in Native and especially Navajo athletes when it comes to volleyball.

"Our game is played by billions of people in the world but here in the Four Corners area there's a passion for sports and one of the sports is volleyball," he said.

"We wanted to make sure that Nana, who I've known since she was a player at UNM, was getting the most up-to-date research and science in the ideas we get at the Olympic level, rather than waiting for it to filter down," he said.

"We just come and teach it to them and talk to the coaches at the same time," Kessel said. "We want to see these kids able to succeed at a collegiate level. That's the other reason we come to give special attention here."

Kessel said although the athletes are still young they show great promise for the expansion of Native Americans playing college volleyball.

"They're talented athletes," he said. "What's wonderful is to see how skilled they are at volleyball and their spirit. There's some collegiate players in this mix."

Some of those talented players include Latifa Sam from Kirtland, N.M., and Naomi Tootsie from Kayenta, Ariz.

Sam attended the camp since it started three years ago. She's found many reasons to return.

"It's actually pretty good because of the cost," she said. "Usually it's about $400 for a Division I camp. It's really close to home. It's really fun to meet other girls plus you get to meet Division I coaches and it's all different coaches.

"And now I got quicker at it," she said. "It really helped me along the way. I'm a better passer, I'm a better digger than before."

A senior at Kirtland Central High School, Sam said she has found her calling in volleyball.

"When they told us they need more Native American coaches I thought if I go out there and have the experience then maybe I'll feel much better knowing that there are Native Americans going out there," she said. "I would feel more comfortable about it. I just really want to do out there and play volleyball."

Tootsie played on two state championship teams at Monument Valley High School and has found the camp to be valuable.

What stands out most to the upcoming junior is the student-teacher ratio.

"This camp there's not a lot of people so the coaches can really see what you're doing and critique you," she said. "It's less so there's a lot more feedback.

"This is really a great camp," she said. "I would recommend a lot of other girls to come. Everything you get out of this camp you can definitely take back to your team and it will help you."

It is Tootsie's first time at the camp.

"It really inspires me because you know there's other Native athletes that have gone far, gone beyond what people expect," she said. "It really drives me to reach my goal and maybe play college ball and maybe go higher. It's just really inspiring."

Inspiring is what Brewer is all about. Now that's she's inspired others she hopes that they too will go on and inspire more Native youth.

"It's not all about playing Division I," she said. "It's about playing the game and enjoying it, but also how they can utilize those as life lessons.

"I'd love for them to be a coach, to think about how they can be a coach in the junior high, middle school or the high school level," Brewer said. "That's why we do it, why we're here."

Back to top ^