Great Lakes Center Youth Academy

i have to say about having their daughters play in our program. As a graduate of Sports Performance Volleyball I knew the quality training and life preparation Sports Performance could provide a high school age athlete both on and off the court. What I am amazed at is how Cheryl Butler has been able to translate the core tenants of Sports Performance to the younger athletes at Great Lakes Center Youth Academy. My daughter is moving into her third year at GLCYA and she has not only improved her volleyball skills at an exponential pace, but she is learning the beginning stages of "Commitment To Excellence", which has translated beyond the volleyball court to school and other aspects of her life. Cheryl Butler and the GLCYA are providing young athletes with the fundamentals and building blocks to be not just good volleyball players, but good athletes and friends, and it's all occurring in a fun and exciting environment. Our family looks forward to many more years at GLCYA. Kate Wolkow
Sports Performance Volleyball / Lyons Towhship High School (1996)
Western Michigan University

The Great Lakes Center Youth Academy (GLCYA) is an outstanding volleyball program! The sessions are superbly organized, breaking down all aspects of volleyball into basic steps geared for younger players. The low player-to-coach ratio allows young athletes to receive a lot of personalized instruction and feedback on the court. As a Sports Performance alumni, I am extremely pleased that my daughters have the opportunity to be a part of this excellent youth volleyball program. Last but not least…my girls love the GLCYA! Melissa Rooney Coyne
Sports Performance VBC 1991-1995

I was lucky enough to play for Cheryl Butler at Sports Performance as a teenager. When I saw that she created the Great Lakes Center Youth Academy (GLCYA) for the younger kids, I did not hesitate to enroll my daughter. We are now going on our third year at GLCYA, and I continue to be more and more impressed. Cheryl has a very unique ability to take highly technical skills and strip them right down to the basics. She focuses on teaching the right technique in a few very simple steps. Even more importantly, she focuses on making everything FUN. Her passion is contagious, and the kids are really drawn to her positive energy. My daughter loves playing at the Youth Academy. She has gained a lot of confidence and has improved dramatically each season she has spent at GLCYA. We are both looking forward to many more seasons to come

Kristina Sanderson-McGrath
Sports Performance (Benet Academy) 1996
Indiana University

Our family cannot say enough about the entire GLYCA program! We have the perfect perspective with our 4 children- one in volleytots, level 1, level 2 and a SPVB player! The program is the perfect “stepping stone” set up. Volleytots is an hour of pure fun- yet the true fundamentals are started here and the kids are too busy enjoying themselves to realize that the beginnings of skill and fitness are being introduced. My son loved Coach Cheryl so much he insisted we had to sign up for both days! Level 1 is the next step up and the skills that 3rd and 4th graders can be taught are amazing! Tournaments at this age may seem intimidating but the GLCYA program is geared towards development so it’s like giving them a taste of competition in a no pressure, learning environment. My son loved that the family was able to watch him play and not just his sisters all the time! They never felt like they were in a “girls” sport. My daughters entered level 2 and have come out as different kids. We are amazed every day and so thankful that GLCYA has taught them not only the fundamentals on how to play the game but how to be the best athlete and teammate they can be to move on and succeed in their school volleyball season as well as the Sports Performance Program. Chris and Christina Bourque

Great Lakes Center Youth Academy is the perfect combination of learning to play volleyball and having fun! Cheryl Butler is the best in coaching, training and teaching skills. Cheryl takes her mission to heart and her efforts are tireless. My daughter loved it and learned how to serve, attack, pass and play defense in Level 2 and 3. And, she learned things like teamwork, Lombardi time, being prepared, doing extra and coming to the gym with passion, energy and a positive attitude. GLCYA is the ideal situation if your daughter wants to play volleyball at the national level, which is where our daughter played and was the captain of her U14 team. All the best,
Shaunak Dave

I signed up my daughter last winter for Level 2 Club and she improved a lot. GLCYA Volleyball Program focuses, develops and cultivates the skill set needed for each age level. I am very impressed how discipline the girls are during and after practice. My daughter learned so much and improved her serving and attack skills at GLCYA. Maria Murray

My daughter Josie loves sports! Being tall and pretty aggressive, she has tried a few : basketball, volleyball, cross country, even ultimate frisbee. Her favorite by far, has been volleyball. I think it has a large part to do with her experiences at The GLCYA. Initially she started to take clinics at another club, but found that there was a lot of "standing around" and lack of discipline. She has really loved her time playing at GLCYA because she is constantly on the go-involved in active learning! She's made comments to me that "the coaches really care about how and what I'm doing". As a mom,that makes me feel good that my money and Josie's time are both well spent! Laura Mullen

We are so very lucky to call the “Great Lakes Center Youth Academy” (GLCYA) our second home. When attending my first parent meeting years ago, Coach Cheryl Butler stated that; “we are here to build the total all-around athlete and not just a volleyball player.” I continually witnessed my daughter developing key skill components such as; agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed. This highly respected program builds such confidence through teaching the basic fundamentals consistently and constantly. The emphasis is placed on fundamentals, sportsmanship, fun and NOT winning! The very passionate coaching staff instills the love of the game in each athlete. Each coach is focused on each individual improving upon a skill each session. Every athlete has an opportunity to play and everyone is welcome! We are so blessed to be able to continue to call GLCYA our home. Lori Bakhaus
Physical & Health Education

We are so grateful that we found our way to GLCYA! My kids are beginning their sixth year at the club and we consider it a second home. The skills they have learned there have helped them play on the top teams for years. Everywhere we go people comment on how skilled they are! We are very thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Butler and they have been very kind to us. The Jaworski Family