A Chance to Fly

Beginning with a single San Diego team in 1996, today Starlings Volleyball Clubs, USA, is the largest Junior Volleyball program in the nation-serving more than 2,000 girls in over 30 cities. Starlings clubs are found in America's inner cities as well as on Navajo and Apache reservations in the Southwest. The Starlings program indeed stands out in a sport largely nurtured in America's well-to-do suburban neighborhoods-providing an opportunity for girls, ages 10 to18, to participate regardless of their socioeconomic background. Club dues are minimal and no girl is turned away because of inability to pay. Over 100 Starlings have received college volleyball scholarships. The philosophy is a holistic one: competition is good but sports should be fun too. A Starling girl is also encouraged to develop all her talents; thus, an annual Literary/Art Contest is sponsored. There are many ways a teenage girl can take wing, given the chance. To celebrate the Starlings 10th anniversary in 2006, a collection of essays, poems and art work has been selected from submissions to the 2005 competition. That year's theme: 'What Starlings Means to Me". As anyone will learn from this remarkable collection of works, being a Starling means a lot more than just playing volleyball.