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Local volleyball players and fans rejoice: a brand new opportunity is coming to Warsaw.
The Northern Indiana Volleyball Association (NIVA), Team Pineapple and PSM Empowered AAU volleyball clubs are joining forces to create Midwest Premier Juniors, a new AAU volleyball club that will be based locally here in Warsaw.
The new club is in its infancy currently, but will provide the chance for athletes in the area to develop locally as opposed to having to travel to places like Mishawaka, Fort Wayne, Angola and Lafayette to play club volleyball. Alongside athletes from Warsaw, competitors from all surrounding school districts and towns will be able to tap into this resource as they either begin or continue their volleyball careers.
The newly-appointed director of the young Midwest Premier Juniors is a familiar name to residents of the Lake City. Chandra Hepler is heading into her seventh season as the head coach of the Warsaw Community High School volleyball team, having already won four straight sectional championships and five Northern Lakes Conference titles in her time at her alma mater. Her success is even greater in the club world, as she’s also spent the last 10 years coaching both of her daughters, Ellie and Eden at the Boiler Juniors AAU club in Lafayette. During that time, she’s coached 14 All-Americans, including both daughters, and has won three AAU national titles.
Hepler will continue coaching both the Lady Tigers as well as the Boiler Juniors, the latter as an assistant, this season as she settles into her new role with the new club. While she admits to feeling overwhelmed at times trying to juggle these various tasks, she says she is thrilled to be a part of bringing the Midwest Juniors to her community.
“This is something that has been in the works for the past couple of years, so it’s been on my radar but just a question of when,” Hepler said. “I think the timing is right and the talent is asking for it. We’re really excited for the opportunity to develop these athletes and have them be able to do so close to home.”
While Hepler has no plans to bring her coaching pedigree to the program just yet, she will be at the forefront of selecting each of the club’s leaders as they get ready to hold tryouts in a few weeks.
“It’s all about getting the right pieces in place. We can’t just be taking anyone. It’s not a one size fits all, so we want to make sure we are hiring elite coaches,” she said. “We want to make sure it’s a good fit for the parents and the athletes. The good news is we have a head start because of the resources provided by the other clubs involved.
“I’m hoping to start this very similarly to how I started at Warsaw. Building up a culture, putting the right people in place so that we can operate like a well-oiled machine,” Hepler said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about our players and their development so we want to put them in the best position possible to achieve that.”
That word, development, was one that popped up numerous times during the interview with Hepler. She says it is one of the most important aspects of what they are trying to build.
“Club volleyball is a business. People are looking for their return on investment. Obviously we want to make these athletes better, but it’s also about the relationships you form along the way too,” Hepler said. “Only a select few athletes make it to play college sports. If you do so, that’s great, but if not, we want you to feel like your investment was worth it. You made lifelong friends and memories. You became a better athlete and person. Whatever the end goal may be, I want people to feel like the journey along the way made it worth it.”
Tryouts for the inaugural Midwest Premier team will be held on July 19 at Warsaw Community High School. Tryouts for ages 10-14 will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., while ages 15-18 will begin afterwards, going from 5-7 p.m. There is a $100 tryout fee. Additional information about tryouts and the club can be found on the Midwest Premier Juniors Volleyball page on Facebook.
