Rose basketball highlights
THU.| 5-1-25 | SPORTS
In 2022, coach Danny Callis joined the new beach volleyball team at Rose as assistant coach, and since then, the program has been growing and thriving. Junior Vernon Childs has led this team for three years, establishing himself as a key player on the team.
Childs hasn’t always played beach volleyball, but when the coach’s son Isaac Callis gave him a call to be his partner, he was ready to join.
“At the time [Isaac] did not have a partner and we were close friends, so he decided to ask me to play,” Childs said.
Childs stays motivated throughout the season because he recognizes his
role in growing the team to what it is today.
“Just to be a part of something that Isaac and I have started is pretty amazing,” Childs said.
Danny is in his third season as the head coach, after previously serving as the assistant coach in 2021.
“[Former coach] Dave Perkins stepped down... creating a void for the juniors who want to play,” Danny said. “Being passionate about the sport as well, I stepped into the offer, giving my time and support for the opportunity for both them and myself.”
The team got off to a slow start in the early years of Danny’s coaching tenure, but this year the girls and boys teams led both of their respective conferences.
“This season is better than last season; we’re doing better and hopefully going to secure a bid to the states,” Childs said.
Danny is faced with many challenges every day, including inconsistent team attendance.
“It’s a club sport, so you never know who’s going to show up in the season… it’s always a joy for me when there’s a good turnout,” Danny said. “But I’m always understanding when there’s conflict and they need to prioritize that, or even if they play a school varsity sport.”
Despite this, the team is taking this season seriously with intense training.
“We play for two hours Monday through Wednesday, putting in serve returns, hits and placement of serves,” Childs said. “Really just getting ready for the weekend.”
Danny likes to point out the importance of repetition and resetting focus, showing that even if it seems repetitive, it is still worth it.
“It’s not always the same set of players every day, so I have to kind of reiterate things, and I do that whether they’ve heard it before or not,” Danny said. “It’s simply good to be reminded of the basics and kind of reset the focus for that day.”
With three tournaments left in the season before states, both teams are still in the running and looking forward to finishing off the season the way they started.
