Aug 28, 2008
I'll take you and Shannon ANYDAY because you don't play favorites, it's about the TEAM only, there were no hidden agendas. Another thing I really appreciate is your ability to fix things both physically and emotionally. Because as we all know, with 10 -12 girls there are equal amounts of both!!!

May 18, 2008
My daughter truly enjoys the game and she enjoyed her session with you so much.
She and [her friend] both talked about how much they learned in that hour.
Thanks again for all you do. It is such a pleasure watching the girls enjoy
and learn so much in their sessions.
Kerri Vipperman, mother of Sarah, a vball player at William Byrd High
 

April 14, 2008 I didn't know if you were aware  that [our]High School is in search of a Varsity Head Coach. I know [my daughter] and I would love to have you as a coach there. The girls would benefit so much from your expertise.	April 15, 2008 We have observed your ability to create a strong, united team year after year.  It is with that in mind that I am writing you today.  My girls attend ABC High and the school is in the process of hiring a new Varsity Coach.  Right away I thought of you.
April 30, 2008 We really appreciate your time, enthusiasm and involvement in the game of volleyball.  What would the girls do without a coach like you in Roanoke?	May 6th, 2008 [Our daughter] said she got a lot out of your time together .. you are awesome .. by the way .. the position for head coach at [our school] is available???!!! Interested?? :-)

I received this April 23, 2008
We all agree that the year Millie played for you was the best sports experience we ever had so I know Millie would love to help out if she could. I am happy to recommend you as a coach and teacher of the game.
Maria Leech, mother of Millie.

One of my team parents sent this to me on April 2nd, 2008
Just wanted to let you know that the way our team works together is a reflection of the expectations that are set by the coach. You do a great job teaching our kids and keeping us organized! Thanks for your commitment to our team!
 

One of the parents of my travel team sent me this.
You are something else! You manage to encourage the girls AND the parents!!  
I bet it will be a long time (or probably never!) that we will get to have a coach as dedicated and supportive as you are!!

A coach emailed me Aug 20, 2007 about a team situation.  After I answered, here's her reply.
Your responses are always so timely!  Your sage advice is so appreciated!  I'd love to talk to you about a middle school camp!!!
Danielle Stewart, Appalachian Avalanche and Green Valley School

I received this on July 2, 2007
 Thanks for replying and please tell the coaches that i miss them so much.  Wow, i can't wait until next year's camp. You guys taught us so much within 4 days. Your camp was really awesome and got us all pumped about vb, I have never seen the girls play like that"

Our Timberlake Camp ended on Thursday June 28 at 12:30.......look what happened that night!
Coach Houser:  I just wanted to tell you about our summer league matches we had Thursday night. Well first we played a really good team and we won both games, then we played an even better team and lost the first game like 25 to 12 . But the second and third game, and I think what helped us a lot was we kept cheering our teammates on !!!!!! Just like you said. Thanks a bunch for all you did to help us become better players. Love ya!!!!! Hope to see you soon
 

2007 Timberlake Camp! This week has been so much FUN and I learned A LOT! The drills were sometimes difficult, but definitely important and I was glad we all made it through them.  Even though I am really sore, I am so glad I came to camp. You inspired us all with your speeches and hopefully not only will everyone change themselves, but their team. Just wanted to tell you thank you so much for the camp @ Timberlake and I appreciated it so much.  I, once again, learned so much, both about teamwork and volleyball. your enthusiasm makes everything so much fun.  I can't wait till next year's camp, and hope to see you soon.. We were "extremely" pleased with the level of training you and your staff provided last week. Not only did you demonstrate skill, but also "attitude & team work" which is so very important. I will certainly recommend this to others. Once I got to camp I was pumped, excited, and ready to get out on the court and makes some great plays, cheer, and have fun. Unfortunately today when it was time to go and I was thanking all the assistant coaches I was so sad, because I knew that camp was over and won't be back until next year. But I am looking so forward to next year, and I and the other players will be twice as good as before, so look out!  haha! My daughter had a wonderful time and learned alot.  Stacey and the other girls were great. I just wanted to thank you for letting me assist you this week. I truly enjoyed every second! Every time I help you with a camp I fall in love with volleyball again!!!!  I honestly and truly wish I would have had you as a coach, because I am sure I would have loved you as my coach!  Thank you for everything, good luck with the rest of the camps this year, and I hope to see you again! =)      Assistant coach Jennifer Thompson

I got this from a parent! 
  I have heard that you "may" be coaching a Roanoke Juniors team and I just wanted to say how excited we would be to have [our daughter] exposed to your coaching.  Players and parents alike speak very highly of the quality and quantity of your coaching.   My daughter seems very responsive to you and she was also very excited about working with you again.   I think she has very good skills that could be honed into great skills!  Thanks for your time and consideration........ but more importantly, thanks for your passion for volleyball!  Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to invest in the lives of these young ladies. Maggie has already heard many wonderful things about “Coach Houser.” Please let us know how we can be of assistance throughout the season. Thanks again for your organization and commitment to our daughter as well as the rest of the girls.

This is so cool!
Just wanted to let you know I truly enjoyed your camp sessions. You are awesome with the players and it's quite obvious that your teaching and coaching comes from the heart. I have your website on my bookmark. One of your staff mentioned to me how awesome your website is for information and ideas. I agree!!

From a parent on December 13, 2006
 I can tell u like (LOVE) volleyball :)  You throw yourself, your whole self right in it
Thanks for your honestly and professionalism and being a great coach

Here's a nice email that I received on November 30th 2006
   Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to invest in the lives of these young ladies. [Our daughter] has already heard many wonderful things about “Coach Houser.”  Thanks again for your organization and commitment to our daughter as well as the rest of the girls.

A coach from the Danville area sent me this in October of 2006.
Bassett hasn't been the same since you left, and I think they will be hard pressed to find anyone that will work as hard for a sport as you did vb. There is no doubt in my mind that if you were at Bassett, they would still be the team to beat. You were constantly doing things like tournaments, camps, J.O. etc. to make the girls better and develop their skills.  When you can consistently stay at the top with what you have to work with, it tells you something about that coach and their program.   A "decent coach" can win when they have the athletes to work with, but as we both know you don't always have the athletes, year after year.

I got this from a coach on July 22, 2006
 I've taken a lot of advice from your websites.  I have a preseason player and parent meeting scheduled, I have a contract for each parent and athlete to sign, regarding playing time, team rules, etc., and we're attending a team camp in August, so I feel like I'm off to a better start. Started a "feeder" program last spring for middle school girls and have been having open gyms three days a week for the older girls. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your websites and your advice. It's helped me become organized and I've utilized a lot of your drills/suggestions. Thanks again.

Then I got this from one of the New Covenant campers after the 2006 New Covenant Camp.  
I copied our team picture off your web.  It is now my background on my computer!! I love it! Thanks so much for all the work you did to make our camp great and our NCS team even better!  I am exited about try outs and will remember all our line-ups, drills, and my spike approach when we are at games, or playing around in the back yard!   I thank you, Maggie, Mary Beth and Sarah for everything you have done!! You all are GREAT!!!

Then I got this email from her coach!   
Thanks for all you did for the girls - they all had a great time !!  We really appreciate your help - Hope all your travels went well and we hope to see you again soon !  And thanks for the complimentary Drill Collection.  They will come in very handy !!

 

2006 Jefferson Forest Camp! Thank you coach houser and coaches this camp helped me improve so much. I learned alot. From all of the things that contribute to having an awesome team to learning how to hold my arms with my thumbs touching to pass. I had always passed with one hand over the other. It worked and wasn't a bad way of passing but you taught me a better way to pass. I will work on getting used to it.  Thanks again  My daughter enjoyed the camp very much and loves volleyball!   You and your staff have truly inspired her to continue with the sport.  I thank you for that.  It was a great camp and we hope to participate again next year. Best wishes to you. You're a great coach! I really wanted to thank you for having the JF camp. I learned a lot and it was definitely my favorite camp......and that's saying a lot because I've been to MANY camps. Thanks for everything! "My daughter said this camp was the best camp she has ever been to and that she really learned alot.  Thanks.  We love to see her excited ." I liked a lot of things at camp-Amoeba tag, the obstacle course, and all the fun warm up games was something different and new and I think it kept everyone's interest. Also, the different drills, like the butterfly, really helped put all the skills together. I also liked the way you could show us new things, camps aren't as much fun when you don't learn anything new of course. You've coached lots of teams and could bring those experiences to us at camp -- that's definately a plus.

2005 Narrows High Camp! Hey, Coach Houser it was a pleasure of ours to have you and the rest of your assistants to come help us out. We appreciate all that you guys have done and hope that you will come back to Narrows next year. I would just like to thank you for coming to Narrows and holding your camp! I feel that I learned more from your camp than any other I have ever attended. One of the girls just returned from a clinic at another school.  It was conducted by a university coach.  She said she got so much more from you camp. I was not surprised. i had a great time too. And u were a great help and so was your helpers please tell me when u have another camp I had a great time at camp. You helped me out also.   I learned alot from you and the assistant coaches this past week. Thanks for everything!! You have been a great help with helping me better my skills and my confidence!  Thanks bunches. I really enjoyed your camp. Thank you for coming down here to help us out. I feel like you have taught me a whole lot that I needed to know. I had never set before in my life so it took some getting used to but thank you Coach Houser:  i didnt get to talk to you b4 i left today, but  i just wanted to say thank you for a great week, i had a blast.  i really appreciate this week, i feel like i have improved alot and it was great!  thanks!

I got this on June 12th after telling a coach about my page of Articles.
I enjoy following you on About.com.  Lots of common sense thinking that helps me to have framework for making decisions.  You have great thoughts about player development, discipline and motivation.  And I can tell from the Roanoke photos that the girls enjoy the program.  I was not sure how to sign up for the "I can't wait" drills - but $20 is a bargain for your Articles and Downloads which appear to be free !  Let me know how to get the money to you.

A graduate of '05 heard that I had directed a camp at her school and she emailed me on June 23!  
I'm glad the camp went so well!   I'm sure it was a lot of fun.......it always is when you're around!   (you should have been our school coach!).  The pictures on your website are awesome-- I enjoyed looking at them--the obstacle course ones are just great.....I remember those days!

I got this email May 2nd from a coach in Texas.
You have really been an inspiration to me in this new realm I am entering- the head volleyball coach of a high school.  Thanks for your help and your articles.  I have read every single one on your web site. They are all very good and full of information. I have actually printed many of them off to put in the notebooks I am making for all of my assistants. I believe my new program already has an advantage- using you as reference. I hope I can email you with any questions I have in the future (I KNOW I will have them and you will be the one I ask for help). Talk to you later!!!

I got this email in April, 2006 from a parent of one of my players!
I also want you to know that my daughter thinks the world of you as a coach and a friend. The fact that she never has once complained about having to go to practice tells me alot. I know that players get tired of practicing, so you must be doing something right. I also look at her progression this year as a player and thank you for your work.

I got this email from a Jefferson Forest parent.   My staff can't wait to go back to JF!!!
I received the e-mail this morning about the JF Camp you are doing again this year and am very happy to see you will be coming back.  My daughter really enjoyed the camp this past year.  You were an inspiration to all the girls I talked to and look so forward to this coming Summer.

I got this email from a STAR camper on October 5th, 2005
I've really missed having your great advice beside me when I play volleyball and your crazy stuff too!! I try
to repeat lil phrases that you said at camp to myself while im playing like when im hitting to snap my wrist and that I play tall (to give me a boost of confidence) and when Im on the back row I always think cover my shoes!  It would be really cool if your volleyball practice for your high school just ended a little early and you took a field trip to see us haha! You are such a great coach and motivator!!

The WCA camp was in August 2005!  Then I received this in September!
Hey Coach Houser!!  Thank you for all the knowledge I gained at your camp this year. I would like for you to know that despite my height challenges, with your help I am now a starting outside hitter. Your camp really encouraged me and now that Im looking at colleges, I am even more sure that I just have to play in college.

I received this email August 16, 2005 from a senior at the Bassett High Camp
Hey coach I just wanted to say thanks for comin and helpin us at camp last week! I've talked to everyone and we all had so much fun and all improved! Our final tryouts were yesterday and us seniors got the team together and went out to eat last night after practice. I just thought i'd say thanks and to keep us in mind when you have your camps next summer!!

I received this email on August 19 2005 from John Kessel, USA Volleyball
[When someone asked for help] I thought of you.  You are CAP.  I think you might have even been to one of my courses. So when this guy wanted to start a program for boys and said Virginia, Tom Houser's name came to my head. My focus is on working with coaches who are positive and get it, and you have always been one who does get it.

The Jefferson Forest camp ended on Thurs June 23. 
Before I got to bed that night, I got this email from a camper!!
hello coach houser,
i was just writing to you to thank you for coming to my school this week. I had a blast and learned alot.  You taught me a lot about being part of a team. Last year, i will have to admit, i had a terrible attitude because i was a bench warmer.  Even though i played in almost every match, that wasnt enough for me.  But when I met you, I learned that its not the playing time that matters.  Next year if I still dont play as much , then i will remember the words of wisdom you gave me. You really have changed my attitude towards volleyball.