Class of 2019

March 18th, 2019

Leadership

A Culture of Effort

Persistence

Determination

Connection

Relationships

Another season has come to an end as the Lady Vikes lost to defending state champion Manasquan Friday night. The finality of a loss on the state tournament is tough, especially for the seniors. In a week or so we hope they will be able to see the total picture and feel good about all they have accomplished. Twenty wins in a season is a significant accomplishment. In their years at Voorhees they have experienced the highs and lows of athletic competition and, in the end, pulled together to create some memorable experiences. For these seniors there’s a lot to feel good about. They were the 3rd generation of One Voice players. The 1st was a small group of girls who wanted to improve their skills. On many nights we had only 1 or 2 girls in attendance. Then a couple of parents, concerned about the decline of play in the program, asked us to expand. The 2nd generation of players, anchored by large contingent of kids from High Bridge, followed. That group became the teams that went to the state sectional finals 3 consecutive years, winning in 2016. Their success generated a renewed interest in playing basketball for the Lady Vikes. Our numbers grew a little each year. Then came the class of 2019 with a balanced representation from Woodglen, OTS, CPS and Hampton. As 8th graders and freshman they got to see some pretty good teams and players perform. The upper classman embraced them when they arrived and they totally brought in. During their time with us our numbers doubled and daily average attendance tripled. While in the early years we were exclusively high school players, we are now 60% middle school players. With an average of 20-30 kids per night the program also went through some changes. In 2010 we were literally a one to one instructional program. With the increased numbers that became more difficult. We needed help. The class of 2019 embraced the concept of owning the program and their responsibility to those who follow them. They showed up. All seven seniors earned a black jersey for attending more than 50 workouts. They mingled with the younger girls before the workouts began, they helped them with ACL warmups and footwork drills, and they were always supportive of their efforts. They filled the gap while we figured out how to adjust to the changes. And I think we are a better program because of their investment. These girls have been a joy to work with. They are engaging, funny, smart and athletic. They are leaving the jersey in a better place. For One Voice and Voorhees their playing days have come to an end but they will always be a part of what we have become and what we hoped to be. When we stated this we hoped to create a connection between the players of the past, the current players and the players of the future. As Caroline, Kayla, Colby, Mary Kate, Sydney, Jenna and AJ transition from current players to players of the past we hope they remember that they are always welcome to stop in, say hello, tell the younger players stories of their time, help coach them or just hang out. They are, and will always be, part of the continuum of commitment that makes ordinary programs great.

Bob Peterman