It’s hard to ignore the Baker Middle School volleyball team’s loud, excited energy on a Monday afternoon. They are playing a match at practice while their coach shouts feedback, which they take gratefully, with the motivation to improve.
Middle school sports, including volleyball, prepare these students for their journey through high school and beyond by teaching dedication and collaboration. The Baker Bulldogs are practicing these skills and maintaining a strong sense of community in their home court. They are preparing for high school, where it becomes much more difficult to make the cut and where student athletes have to learn how to balance the workload of school with sports and their social lives.
Joseph Iadarola has been working in Brookline for 11 years and is the coach of the Baker School boys volleyball team. Iadarola said the team used to be coed, but since numbers have grown over the past years, it was split into girls and boys teams.
“There was so much interest in volleyball that we were having 40 plus kids come to try out,” Iadarola said. “It’s been great.”
Olivia Barnes coached the Baker boys volleyball team for a year and now coaches the girls. Barnes said she played volleyball in high school. According to Barnes students learn a lot in middle school.
“Middle school is the perfect time to get started,” Barnes said. “Just go for it.”
According to Iadarola, the Baker School P.E. Teachers and PTO now provide volleyballs at recess to allow all students to play, even if they don’t make the team. Tryouts are competitive, as there are only 15 spots on each on the girls and boys teams.
Ryan Consolini, an 8th grader on the Baker boys volleyball team, said he joined the team in seventh grade when his friends were trying out. Consolini said volleyball teaches teamwork and perseverance.
“I doubted myself a couple times when I made mistakes, but I always bounced back,” Consolini said.
Peer pressure introduced Consolini to the court.
One of the hardest skills in volleyball, both coaches agreed, is serving. Barnes said many players underestimate its difficulty. According to Iadarola, many players focus excessively on it, specifically on jump serves.
“Many don’t necessarily realize that you can hit a very effective serve without jumping, especially at the middle school level,” Iadarola said.
Coach Iadarola said it’s important for players to practice, inside and outside of school.
“In middle school, you’re like a baby in volleyball, so you have to grow up into an adult. You just keep practicing and getting better as time goes on,” Barnes said.
According to Barnes, the Baker volleyball team bubbles with energy every afternoon at practice. The girls volleyball team shows their spirit by cheering and even singing a short song before serving.
“The girls are very into it,” Barnes said. “I love seeing the students progress and get better. They get so excited.”
In the spirit of their mascot, the Bulldog, the boys team uses a special volleyball for motivation, which they add paw print stickers to anytime someone makes a great effort to play, shows sportsmanship or embraces the values of the team. Iadarola said their goal is to cover the whole ball by the end of the year, and they are on their way with their first win of the season.
“I guess we have embraced the Bulldog mentality,” Iadarola said.
