'Startup' headed to Junior Olympics

Paye's Performance sent three teams to the Junior Olympics in its first year as a program and two last year. It started off with three squads and now has five (one each from the 12 to 16 age divisions). Unlike some of the bigger clubs, Paye's has only one team per age group. Compare that to Vision and City Beach, which boasts up to four teams per age group, and you can see why the founding members of Paye's volleyball program call themselves the little startup that could.

"It's a huge source of pride for us to be sending three teams to the Junior Olympics," said Dave Huan, who coaches the 12s and 15s teams and along with club director Darlene Tran, 13s coach and P.R. director Robin John Rosales and Lawrence Dudash are the founding members of the program. "We've done something that's rarely been done, and that's building something from the ground up. We pretty much took nothing and built something out of it."

Huan and Rosales compare the foundation of the program to a startup. At first it's all about getting the name out there. Then you look for increased exposure, all the while developing your product. Huan has plenty of experience in that department, because he works for Redwood City-based ReputationDefender.com, one of the industry leaders in online reputation management. Using a startup as a model, the founding members of Paye's club volleyball program all wear multiple hats, taking on different responsibilities while cohesively functioning as one unit.

The results speak for themselves, as Paye's Performance has thrived with top-notch facilities, an excellent coaching staff and a yearning to develop homegrown talent. Top players from the 13s team include outside hitters Helen Gannon and Emma Uhrich, middle blockers McKenna Hurley and Katelyn Doherty, defensive specialists Katie Woods, Amy Farnworth and Amannda Armanini, setters Danielle Dacanay and Emily Lewis and super sub Danielle Peranich.

For some of the older players, this won't be the first time they'll be competing in the Junior Olympics. Whereas in the first two years Paye's Performance was happy to reach the Big Dance, its teams are now looking to make a name for themselves on the national stage. There are three different levels in each age group when it comes to the Junior Olympics (from lowest to highest, American Division, National and Open).

Two of the three Paye's Performance teams earned spots in the National Division, whereas in the last couple of years they were competing in the American Division. The plan eventually is to have each team make it in the Open Division, which would be a monumental accomplishment. Huan and Rosales envisioned a successful program on the court and off it as well.

"We always wanted to put out a good program for these kids not only to succeed on the court but to represent our name and region as well," Huan said. "We've brought in a lot of kids who were turned down from middle and top-tier clubs and turned them into kids who are now desired by those same clubs."

Earning a bid to the Junior Olympics is no small feat. Club tryouts start in early November, teams are usually assembled by Thanksgiving and the season starts in January. For five months, teams travel all across the country to play in tournaments, up to four a month. Teams can earn a bid by winning a qualifying tournament, receiving an at-large berth or, in Paye's Performance's case, through league play.

Paye's Performance plays in the Northern California Volleyball Association, which consists of 90 to 100 teams. One of the keys to Paye's success lies in its massive facilities. It has three courts to practice on, and has free rein to choose the times and dates to use them.

"A lot of clubs rent out gyms in different cities on different days and is dependent on the facility's hours," Rosales said. "For us, it's a little more finite. You don't have to be nomadic. We can spend more one-on-one time with our girls, whether it's working on technique or doing conditioning drills."

Paye's Performance is still the new kid on the block and upstart. But it's developed into a place where local volleyball talent can thrive and grow.

"For some girls getting to the Junior Olympics is great, but they've come to a point where they want to place for a medal," Rosales said. "Now it's not being just content to get there but to go for a medal (top three finish). Our goals are to aim higher and higher."

Said Huan: "We've pushed and created something good for the community. It's been tough at times, but we've never been one to back down from a challenge."