Post by vbweit on Jan 26, 2004 15:38:41 GMT -5
After reading through this thread, I would like to comment on the actually topic, Cynthia receiving the award and speculation on where she might go to college. In Southern California, the concentration of junior age girl volleyball players is very high, therefore if you play high school or club, the odds of you meeting and getting to know a lot of other players, even high profile ones, is also very high. Over the last 5 years, I have met and talked to many of the top national recruits from this area and their parents. Cynthia is a very sweet girl, very friendly. Once she gets to know you, she will always say hi whenever she sees you, her parents are the same. She is frequently at Long Beach attending volleyball matches, and visits and chats with whomever is there. So the fact that she has spoken to many Long Beach fans is not surprising. I think Beachman's comments were his own speculation that if Cynthia's goals are to play on the international level, that statistically speaking the odds are high if she attends Long Beach, and that could be true based on the number of national team members from Long Beach State. However, the process of choosing a college, especially throwing in the athletics angle as well, can be a difficult one. Having been through it with three children, I can say that the bottom line is really where the player wants to go, where they feel they will be most happy (i.e. have the best overall college experience). Not everyone needs to go to Stanford for the best academic experience and not everyone needs to go to Long Beach for the best volleyball experience. You can rewrite this sentence and insert any school name and it would be true. It is what is best for Cynthia, and only she knows that (not even her parents, I am sorry to say, I know I have been there). As far as playing at the international level, that might not be much of a factor in her choice since she has already proven that she can play at that level. I always hope these girls being so heavily recruited pick the place where they will have the most enjoyment, college is a once in a lifetime experience and they deserve it as much as anyone else! It is sad when you see them having to transfer after a year or two.
