Volleyball Victories: Lincoln CLC serves up successful program for elementary students

March 12, 2025

Lincoln Community Learning Centers students were able to dig plenty of volleyball victories this winter in a new league full of encouragement and excitement.
 
Students at eight CLC sites participated in a pilot program that featured volleyball practices and games. Arnold, Campbell, Clinton, Everett, Holmes, Huntington, McPhee and West Lincoln held events as part of their after-school CLC activities. Dozens of children learned about teamwork, cooperation and physical fitness as they improved their skills each week.
 
Campbell fourth grader Niah and fifth grader Gloria were part of an eight-person team at the school. Both said they were happy they had decided to join the activity. Head coach Brandon Prater and assistant coach Sydney Youngclaus taught them volleyball fundamentals throughout the season, and elementary players were able to talk with students from other schools on game days.
 
“We get to play against different schools and we get to meet new people,” Niah said. “We get to play against kids we’ve never met before.”
 
“I wanted to try something different,” Gloria said. “I’ve played every other sport. I know how to play football, basketball and soccer, so I wanted to try out volleyball.”

 
On the other side of the net, McPhee head coach Kelsey Lubke led her team in a series of warmups before squaring off against Campbell. Lubke teaches first grade at McPhee and joined assistant coach Meagan Reimer at practices and games. She said it was rewarding to help all 12 Mustangs on the squad.
 
“It’s been so much fun to see them have fun with this,” Lubke said. “I think they’re getting a lot out of it. They’re building their confidence every time they step on the court, and they’ve been able to make new friends and have fun together. It’s been a really good experience for them.”
 
Lincoln CLC has been offering several new sport-based activities over the past two years as a way to increase physical fitness and promote lifelong skills. The organization started basketball and soccer games last year and added volleyball this winter.
 
The basketball and soccer leagues have both exploded in popularity, and many of the eight pilot schools in volleyball also saw encouraging interest. Many schools reached the maximum number of 12 players on their teams.
 
All volleyball games were held at Lincoln Public Schools sites. High school and college students and LPS and CLC staff members served as referees, coaches and event organizers throughout the season.

 
Nebraska Wesleyan University students Madison Mlady and Rylee Iberg are interning with Lincoln CLC this year. They helped set up training sessions for coaches, ensured each team had the proper volleyball equipment and scheduled practices and games at each school site. They also filled in on the sidelines if the regular coaches were unable to attend an event.
 
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Mlady said. “I find a lot of fulfillment through it. It’s what I look forward to every day, going to watch them and seeing how they’ve grown from the last time I’ve gotten to see them the week before.”
 
Iberg first joined Lincoln CLC as a basketball coach at Arnold last year. He enjoyed it so much that he opted to become an intern for 2024-25. His new position allows him to spend time with more students across Lincoln.
 
“I enjoy seeing the kids,” Iberg said. “I grew up in nothing but sports, so it’s really cool to see these kids get an opportunity to do it and get to travel and play other schools. Seeing them on a day-to-day basis is great.”
 
Lubke said she and Reimer watched many McPhee athletes improve dramatically during the season. Only two of the 12 Mustangs had ever played volleyball before this winter. The coaches taught them basic rules like where to stand on the court and how often a team can hit the ball before sending it over the net. They also learned how to do underhand serves, set a volleyball and use two arms to receive a serve.

 
Mlady said seeing that growth on a weekly basis from players on all eight teams has been inspirational.
 
“There’s nothing like it,” Mlady said. “It’s a joy that can’t really be compared to. When you watch a kid struggle with a serve for three weeks and then you come to a game and they serve their first serve over the net, you’re like, ‘Good job!’ It’s really fun.”
 
Players like Niah and Gloria also benefited from personal standpoints. Family members at a match between Campbell and McPhee welcomed players from both schools onto the court with tunnel walks, and they supported their daughters and sons from the sidelines on every point. Coaches emphasized perseverance, teamwork and good attitudes during the match, and students gave each other high fives and smiles after making positive plays.

 
Lubke felt the volleyball league has been a winning addition to the Lincoln CLC curriculum.
 
“I’ve just been really impressed with the way they’ve worked together and how much they’ve learned,” Lubke said. “Your goal as a coach is always to see them improve as players, and they’ve definitely done that, but they’ve also learned all of these lifelong skills that they’ll use everywhere they go. It’s been really awesome to be a part of this.”
 
Learn more about Lincoln CLC programs and how they benefit LPS students at clc.lps.org.

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