Hazim Arafa

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Coach Danielle was raised in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Montana. She started playing volleyball in middle school and played throughout high school. 
Coach Danielle got back into volleyball when her daughter started taking an interest in the sport. In 2018 she began coaching for her daughters volleyball team. She began coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021.
Coach Danielle loves hiking with her dog, nice dinners with her family, and her church community here in Las Vegas, NV.

Admin

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Coach Michael was the starting setter during his senior year for the men’s varsity volleyball team at Western High School. After high school he continued to play in both indoor and outdoor tournaments learning every aspect of the sport. In 2016 he began coaching volleyball and in 2018 he started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club. He has his setter certification and has used his knowledge of setting to train all of the setters for the club since 2020.
He was the head coach for Sparks Volleyball Club’s 16’s local team and they went on to win First Place in the Bronze Bracket for the AAU Tournament at Jam On It in 2022. His coaching career started in 2001 and since then he has coached children ages 6 to 18. Player development is the most important aspect of his coaching approach. His goal is for each player to develop the skills necessary to be an all around player.
Coach Michael loves spending time with his wife, three daughters, and two grandsons. He’s trained two of his daughters in volleyball, both as setters, coached his oldest daughters soccer teams, and currently he coaches his grandson's soccer team.

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Coach Keven grew up playing baseball, basketball, and football. His love for football drove him to play for his Catholic high school in Arizona. His coaching career began when he started coaching football at 19 years old. In 2015 he switched to coaching volleyball and has coached elementary, middle, and club volleyball. He has been with Sparks Volleyball Club since 2018.
Coach Keven is passionate about creating a positive and fun atmosphere when coaching athletes. He is a believer in life lessons learned through the hard work required to be competitive through sports.
After high school Coach Keven played semi pro football in Arizona for five years where he was the captain of defense.

Coach Lindsay first fell in love with volleyball when she played for Club Idaho’s 17’s and 18’s national teams while in high school. She continued to play throughout college and graduated from Idaho University with a Degree in Secondary Education. She has coached teams from 10U to 18U. In 2019 she started coaching with Sparks Volleyball Club. Currently she is the coach for the women’s varsity volleyball team at Bonanza High School.
Coach Lindsay strives to promote a positive and competitive environment as well as provide meaningful experiences. She wants her athletes to grow and learn lessons that they will take with them throughout their lives.
Coach Lindsay spends her free time with her husband and four children. She loves traveling anywhere that has a beach, especially to her home state California.

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Coach Sarah is proud to be a native Nevadan. Her love for volleyball started the first time she stepped onto the court her freshman year in high school. She played for her high school and her club volleyball team in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. Her coaching career started in 2015 when she started coaching volleyball for local private schools and NYS. She started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2019 where she coached the 12U team.
Coach Sarah has coached ages 8 to 13 year olds. She believes that helping develop positive attitudes, attributes, and habits will benefit the athletes in life on and off the volleyball court.
Coach Sarah graduated from the University of Reno in Nevada. She is a wife, mother of three, and a local business owner.

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Coach Jayson was first introduced to volleyball at a UNLV youth camp when he was in 5th grade. It wasn’t until his senior year, playing as an outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team at Western High School, that he fell in love with volleyball. In 2018 he began his coaching career coaching the volleyball team at Western High School and then he switched to coaching club volleyball. He has been with Sparks Volleyball Club since 2019.
He has coached the Sparks 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s club teams. Coach Jayson is always finding different ways to help athletes understand the fundamentals of volleyball. 
Coach Jayson enjoys spending his time writing poetry, listening to music, and spending time with his friends. He has continued to play volleyball and currently plays as a middle and opposite. He also spends his time bowling and playing basketball.

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Coach John, originally from Cary Illinois, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988. In 2006 he began coaching soccer and in 2008 started coaching volleyball. He’s played beach volleyball for the City of Las Vegas Recreational League where his team has won two championships.
Coach John started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2019 because he believes in what Coach Karim is building and wanted to be a part of it. He believes that no matter if you win or lose you must have a positive attitude towards your teammates and for the game. He believes that everyone should enjoy playing the sport they love and to always give 100% of their effort.

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Coach Austynn started playing volleyball in 2016 when she was 13 years old. In high school she played for her varsity team and for her club. She earned First Team All Region, First Team Southern Nevada, and Second Team All State her junior year in high school. Due to Covid-19 she was unable to play her senior year. In 2020 she began coaching for the recreational volleyball league at the YMCA. She started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021.
Coach Austynn has coached ages 8 to 15 year olds. She believes as both an athlete and coach that drive is the most valuable characteristic you can possess. As a coach she pushes athletes past their boundaries to help them discover abilities they didn’t know they had.
Coach Austynn plays flag football, soccer, softball, and volleyball outside of coaching.

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Coach Ike is a thirty year Air Force Veteran who has been playing volleyball for over thirty years, twenty of those years he played for the Air Force. He has been coaching club volleyball since 2011 and started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021. 
Coach Ike has coached the men's and women’s varsity teams for Oak Grove High School in San Jose and the women's team at Solano Community College in California. He has officiated volleyball at community colleges, high school, and club levels for over twenty years.
He has participated in the Masters Division at the USAV Open Nationals and Huntsman World Senior Games the past few years. He earned a bronze and All-Tournament in 2021 at USAV Nationals. Currently he teaches JROTC at Palo Verde High School.

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Coach Peter started playing volleyball when he was fourteen years old. He started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021.
He played volleyball all four years at Arbor View High School. He was a first team all state selection and played 2 years at Benedictine University in Mesa, Arizona and a year in the NVA for the Las Vegas Ramblers.
Currently he is seeking a career in Beach Volleyball.

Coach Ariel grew up playing every sport she could starting with gymnastics at 2 years old. She played soccer, volleyball, and ran track for Bonanza High School. She began coaching soccer for the City of Las Vegas’s Recreational League in 2020. In 2021 she began coaching the 16U local team for Sparks Volleyball Club and helped train all the club's setters. She has coached ages 6 to 18.
Coach Ariel believes the most important thing about volleyball is being an all around player and wants each athlete trained in every aspect of the sport. She believes volleyball is just as much of a physical sport as a mental one. When an athlete sets a limit for themselves she pushes them past it to show them they have more strength than they know. She is proud of the growth she sees in each athlete throughout the season and hopes they continue to push themselves when she is no longer their coach.
Coach Ariel has played soccer for recreational, indoor, coed, club, and travel teams. She also played beach volleyball every weekend growing up. She is a wife, mother of two boys, and has two husky’s. She has many hobbies including woodworking, painting, crocheting, graphic design, photography, videography, etc. She is dedicated to learning new skills and creating beautiful things with her own two hands. She encourages everyone to work hard and make their dreams come true whether it’s becoming an artist or becoming a professional athlete.

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Coach Bianca started playing volleyball in 2010. She began her coaching career coaching volleyball for club teams in Arizona. In 2021 she began coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club. She assisted in the Unassigned Volleyball Showcase and has coached athletes at volleyball summer camps.
Coach Bianca strives to create a positive environment where her athletes grow together as teammates all while teaching them discipline and life lessons through the sport of volleyball. She wants to help young female athletes find confidence in themselves to be strong both on and off the court.
Coach Bianca grew up playing softball, soccer, gymnastics, and volleyball. She still currently plays volleyball. She is a licensed Esthetician, loves traveling, photography, and spending time with friends and family.

Coach Lennette played volleyball for coed recreational teams and played all throughout middle school and high school. She started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021.
Coach Lennette started her coaching career in 2010. For about three years she coached kids at the YMCA. She truly loves teaching kids the sport of volleyball.
Coach Lennette is a mother of three. She loves hanging out with her family, coaching volleyball, and riding motorcycles. If possible, she will go on family motorcycle rides every weekend.

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Coach Christy was born and raised in Maui, Hawaii and began playing volleyball in 1998. She played throughout elementary, middle, and high school. She started coaching volleyball in 2020 for a youth recreational league and started with Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021. She has coached ages 10 to 14 years old.
Coach Christy believes that volleyball isn’t just fun, but also provides athletes with an opportunity to learn life lessons, build relationships, and allow success on and off the court. She believes in teamwork, integrity, mastering the basics of volleyball while always striving to be your best.
Coach Christy was the setter for both Maui Volleyball Club and Kamehameha Maui High School. They were High School Division Champs for 2004, 2005, and 2006. Off the court she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and four children.

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Coach Rudy, originally from Alabama, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2020. She has been playing volleyball since she was 11 years old. She played at the Collegiate level with a full ride for volleyball alongside track & field, softball, and academic scholarships. She started coaching track & field and softball in 2018 and started coaching for Sparks Volleyball Club in 2021.
Coach Rudy spends her time coaching volleyball and mentoring kids. She has coached 12U, 16U, and NYS. She believes it is important to strive and embrace the camaraderie, leadership, excitement, and skill of volleyball.
Coach Rudy has earned the Track & Field MVP Award (August 2017), MVP Volleyball (November 2017), Volleyball Best Offensive Player (December 2017), Coaches Awards for Volleyball and Track & Field (December 2017). She was awarded a scholarship for Softball (January 2017) and Track & Field (August 2017). She likes to play volleyball in her free time.

Juan Benitez is the Media Manager for Sparks Volleyball Club and has been since 2020. He is a self-taught freelancer who has used his skills and knowledge to create Graphics JB.
Juan’s interest in digital marketing, videography, and photography was sparked by his mentor. He loves the hands-on experience he got while working under him. He believes this is what helped him learn how to create his own business.
Juan pursued his dreams, worked hard, and now has a thriving Graphic Design and Marketing business. He is grateful for the opportunities he has been given and has worked hard for. He loves what he does and wants to continue to grow his business.

Sparks Volleyball Club

Staff

Shymaa Shedid

Karim Arafa

Danielle Pena

Michael Smith

Tomas “Keven” Mendoza

Jessica “Lindsay” Beverley

Sarah Ginsburg

Jayson McCoy

John Warnstedt

Austynn Martinson

Issac “Ike” Fabunan

Peter Peck

Ariel Thongsaly

Bianca Mounts

Lennette Ogden

Christy Marfil

Rudy Washington

Hazim Arafa

Juan Benitez