First the Pro’s.
The ability to keep a core group of girls together is desirable at first and CAN eventually produce a team that can win. They learn to work together and learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Knowing who is on the left of you and which hitter is going to be able to do what with the ball can certainly make getting to 25 points a lot easier. Traditionally the first part of any season is spent learning Rotations, discovering which lineup is most effective, and which offense/defensive system you are planning to run. If you have a team together (especially with the same coach) you can cut that chunk right off the top and move forward to progressing your team to the next level of the game through skill development or increasing the team’s game speed/strategic tool chest.
Groups that stay together will likely understand the club or team culture and you know what you’re getting into and with who (i.e. other parents, coaches, club directions). Also a bonus, the strangler parent or player who wasn’t on the same page will likely weed itself out or find another home that is a better fit for their family’s wants/needs. Bonds can be strengthened over good times and bad and lasting relationships are built.
Player development. Often as a coach, I feel like, “if i just had this group for another year”…. A lot of times in my world, I feel like I spend Year 1 getting kids to understand and play “my way” or building strong fundamentals of their basic skills and play. Getting them to understand what we do and why we do it. Breaking through mental barriers, like self-confidence or team unity. Maybe by the later half of the season or certainly into the 2nd year with a group feels like that is when you can really get into the MEAT of the volleyball game and move beyond hitting 5’s and 1’s and develop strategies and scenarios where players learn more than just what is happening in “their bubble” and start to play the WHOLE game on both sides of the court. When the lights finally come it’s like “YEAHHHHHHH”. So that is desirable for sure.
Now, the Con’s.
On the other side of the coin, players who have played with each other for multiple seasons can cause some longer-term cons. It’s all good if you work really well with that group… but what if you’re not in that group anymore? What happens to the athlete’s game then? Not learning how to hit off a different setter, you don’t experience what it’s like to work with higher/lower players which can develop players further increasing their knowledge of the game, court awareness, and flexibility, thus making dynamic players. A player gets hurt in the game, you have to change the lineup, and the whole team falls apart. The transition from one’s club team to your high school team and players may feel lost, out of it, disconnected, not as “Good”. This can/will happen anyway, but could it be made worse if they are playing with the same players every year?
It’s inevetiable that additonal players will be needed due to injury, age, moving etc. How or where does the one or two girls fit into the mix of the longer term girls? What if shes better and takes playing time from a multi year returner? What if she not better but still needed and doesn’t get to play much due to not being able to break into the new group. The team must have a very welcoming culture and not feel closed off to alow another player to break in. If not handled well you could end up fighting the same battle every season with one or two outliers who don’t quite fill the void etc. It could be pretty difficult to be that one new girl on a team of 10 returners. Additionally, what if there are better new athletes that could contribute more to the team but due to the longevity of the bonds the “TEAM” keeps returning player A whose played for serveral years over new player B that is a stronger better fit and could advance the team as a whole and the growth of multiple players? Tough call.
Broken record coaching. Are the same coaches saying the same things, year after year? If the coaching is not expanding and growing with the players and pushing athletes to do MORE. If the coach’s tool chest or technical skill knowledge and ability is not at the higher level are they able to help the advancing player grow up to the next level? Some coaches are much stronger with fundamentals and some are better with coaching the full team, strategies to win, and developing and advancing higher-level technical skills. If the team consists of the same coach, does the coach still have more to give to the team? Also I’m a big fan of players playing for multiple coaches and learning a lot and learning from multiple people.
There really is no right or wrong answer here. It’s more about what is a good fit for you and for how long. Some players only play club so having a solid, fun, postive experience is most important to them. Some players are looking to improve, get better and advance and play with the strongest athletes in the hopes to play further. Some athletes do well and progress regardless of the team and situations because they put in alot of extra work outside of their teams. Some athletes respond and grow with the same coach for years, other may need to hear or be shown coaching a different way. Do what’s right for you. Evalute your situation often.