Today we’d like to introduce you to Corinne Hamer.
Hi Corinne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Myself and Cayla Kapelke (co-owner) were coaching together at a local high school. We had both coached for club teams before and we were in a particularly interesting coaching position at the time. We had talked about opening our own club, but hadn’t really had the plans. Our last club season before opening Infinity, we finally just decided it was time. There was a need in our area, and even though we didn’t have the background of owning a business, we knew that we could do it if we put our minds to it. So, we opened Infinity Volleyball Club. Our first year (2021) we had 7 club teams- mostly made just by word-of-mouth and with athletes that came from our Youth program we had been running. The second year we had another 7 teams, the third year we had 9 teams, last year, we had 10 teams, and this year we have 13 teams. We have grown in size and competitiveness every year. We continue to run Youth volleyball programs as well. We also run 4v4 tournaments, camps, clinics, and private lessons. Our plan for the future is to keep expanding!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been some bumps in the road. We have had to prove ourselves with the facility we rent through, and some coaches that have given us a bad name along the way.
We have had to learn quickly in a few instances and change some of the verbiage in our contracts with both parents/athletes and coaches. Some of the things we thought would be “common knowledge”, ended up being something we had to be very specific about.
On top of that, we have had to learn a lot about business practices, running a non-profit, having a board, financials, and more.
Thankfully, our bumps have only made us stronger, but we continue to use the feedback we get to learn and grow!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I went to the University of Northern Colorado and got my Bachelors in Sport and Exercise Science, with a minor in Coaching. I have coached sports since I was in high school myself. I coached a lot of track to begin with and then moved to volleyball in college.
I graduated and became a Physical Education teacher. I have been teaching PE and Health at Thornton High School for 8 years now.
I have coached volleyball for 17 years. I have coached middle school, high school, club teams (all ages), and youth programs. I have worked for multiple different club teams across Colorado and one of the things I am most proud of is Infinity! It was a dream that we turned into reality and I LOVE being able to go to “work” and do something I love and am passionate about.
Infinity Volleyball is different from other clubs because we set out to make well-rounded individuals. We coach volleyball, but we also focus on the athletes personal, emotional and mental wellness. We have a Mental Sport Performance framework that we run with our athletes. They also get to be part of a family-centered organization that gives back to community through service events. We do fundraising projects so that everyone can play club (because club is expensive, but we don’t want that to be a reason someone can’t play!) We know all of our athletes by name (as well as most of their parents). We like to get to know all of our athletes individually and see what they are capable of doing. We challenge them to push past their obstacles and succeed in their goals.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Caring and Reflection. I know that is two characteristics, but I can’t choose!
Caring: We truly care about every one of our athletes and want what is best for them and their future- whether volleyball-related or not. Same goes for our coaches! We try to make the most family-like environment we can, by showing that we care for our people!
Reflection: After every season (and a few times during), we get feedback from athletes, parents, coaches, officials, and our Region. We really reflect on the feedback that we are given and do our best to change things for the better. We want our athletes and their families, as well as our coaches, to be happy at Infinity. We take feedback personally and utilize it to make the best changes we can for the future of our program.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://infinityvbc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infinityvbc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InfinityVBC/
