(Photo courtesy of Northwest Iowa Community College)
Sheldon, Iowa – More than 60 young athletes from communities across northwest Iowa gathered on the Northwest Iowa Community College (NCC) campus July 7th to July 9th for the inaugural Thunder Youth Volleyball Camp.
Led by Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Mark Kirlin and members of the inaugural Thunder volleyball team, the three-day camp gave students entering grades 3–8 an opportunity to develop fundamental volleyball skills, gain confidence on the court, and build new friendships in a fun, encouraging, and energetic environment.
The camp also marked one of the first opportunities for the inaugural Thunder volleyball team to connect with the community. Throughout the week, student-athletes demonstrated skills, coached drills, encouraged campers, and served as positive role models, helping inspire the next generation of volleyball players across Northwest Iowa.
Parents said the camp made an immediate impact on their children.
“My daughter absolutely loved the camp,” said Miranda Griffith of Matlock, whose 9-year-old daughter, Mia, attended. “She wanted to come back for the second day. She is really bashful, but she’s meeting new girls and having a blast. She even asked to set her alarm to make sure she wasn’t late this morning. Now she wants knee pads and wants to keep playing.”
Kim Sneiderman of Sheldon said her 8-year-old daughter, Mya, came home excited each day.
“She absolutely loves this,” she said. “She came home talking about proper form and technique, and she loved that the NCC volleyball team helped coach the camp. They are great role models for the girls. We’ll definitely be back. Coach Kirlin is great. He’s patient, and you can tell he’s worked with young athletes before.”
The excitement was equally evident among the campers. For many, it was their first volleyball camp, while others discovered a new favorite skill and looked forward to returning next year.
“I wanted to try volleyball,” said Brielle Vanden Bosch, 9, of Hull. “I really liked it. I like volleying the ball back and forth. This is my first volleyball camp.”
“My favorite part was spiking, and I’m having a good time meeting new people,” said Aspen Veltkamp, 8, of Hull.
“My favorite part was spiking the ball,” said Keaton Michels, 8, of Spencer. “My sister played volleyball last year and my mom was the coach. Sometimes when they needed more girls, I could get in and play. I like trying new things. I’ll definitely be back next year.”
Kirlin said the enthusiasm shown by campers made the inaugural camp a memorable success. ” We were excited to welcome so many young athletes to campus for our first youth volleyball camp,” Kirlin said. “The campers embraced every opportunity to learn, encouraged one another, and had a great time. It was rewarding to watch their confidence and skills grow throughout the camp. I was also proud of our Thunder players. They did an outstanding job and had fun connecting with the campers, and you could tell they genuinely enjoyed helping them learn the game. We’re already looking forward to next summer.”
In addition to the youth camp, 12 high school student-athletes from Iowa and Nebraska attended NCC’s Prospect Volleyball Camp July 8–9. The camp gave prospective recruits in the graduating classes of 2027–2029 an opportunity to experience collegiate-level training, interact with the Thunder coaching staff and student-athletes, and learn more about the College’s inaugural volleyball program.
The success of the inaugural camps reflects Northwest Iowa Community College’s commitment to growing volleyball throughout the region while creating meaningful connections with future student-athletes and their families. With its first season just weeks away, Thunder Volleyball is already making an impact both on campus and in the communities it serves.
