In 20th year, local volleyball club focuses on individual development

It started as just a way to improve Chip Didier’s high school volleyball teams.

But 20 years later, the Bayou Bandits volleyball club has become a Tri-parish-area force, fielding 12 teams in locations across several parishes.

“Our main focus is to improve the quality of volleyball in the Tri-parishes,” said Didier, the director of the program. “We believe that we’re doing that because if you look around, there’s a lot of really good volleyball in this area.”

Didier has headed the program since its inception.

The retired high school coach said the idea arose after seeing his teams struggle to compete with teams from the metro areas of New Orleans.

“We would go there and we couldn’t compete, because we were facing kids who were playing almost every month out of the year,” Didier said. “We knew it was either start up the club, or we’d have no chance to win outside of this area.”

And since the start of the program, other coaches have joined in the efforts, including H.L. Bourgeois coach Peter Verret and new Terrebonne coach Craig Hamner. Didier said he directs the operation and gives advice to coaches if needed.

“It helps us so much that we have tremendous coaches,” Didier said. “We have very little turnover on our staff, too.”

Didier said whereas before players would play volleyball just during their school seasons, the club allows them to sharpen their skills in the offseason, much like a club softball league or an AAU basketball team.

“It’s more laid back than a school setting,” Didier said. “With the school, you have to be there. The club is more based on the individual wanting to be there and having the self-motivation to refine their skills.”

The Bayou Bandits accept players ranging from fourth grade through 12th grade. The club competes in five age classifications – 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under.

Didier said enrollment for new players is each January. When enrolled, players are assigned to a team within their age group. Practices are usually held on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons during the season and the focus of the program is improving each individual player in the program. There is a one-time $400 fee for new players that covers USA Volleyball membership fees, uniforms, balls, rental fees for facilities, insurance and instruction.

But the program is not a money maker for anyone.

“We’re a non-profit organization and we’re very proud of that,” Didier said.

The former Terrebonne coach said each kid is guaranteed to play in five-to-six tournaments in each season.

He added that if a team is excelling in their competitions, they will be given an opportunity to qualify for Regionals and further competition.

“We’ll let them go as far as they’re willing to go,” Didier said. “But winning and getting to the advanced levels of competition are not our purpose. Those things become too expensive. We’re just trying to send our kids back to the schools and to their parents better players than they were before they got to us.”

But one rule is not negotiable with the Bayou Bandits.

“We encourage every one of our players to play sports for their schools,” Didier said. “We never want anyone to be in a position to where they feel like they have to choose. We encourage our players to play basketball and softball or track. The schools always come first. We’re just a compliment to them.”

While the program encourages players to take part in school-related athletics, it also shares another relationship with the schools – the facilities.

“We don’t have our own gyms, so we have to use the schools,” the coach explained. “It’s sometimes a challenge to find a facility that is available, but we couldn’t do this without them.”

Didier is heading toward his first high school volleyball season as a retired coach. But the former South Terrebonne, H.L. Bourgeois and Terrebonne coach said he will continue to lead the program into the future.

“The retirement is just from the classrooms,” Didier said. “We’re going to see this thing through into the future.”

Retired Terrebonne High School volleyball coach Chip Didier talks to his team during a match against H.L. Bourgeois last season. Didier started the Bayou Bandits volleyball club 20 years ago and is aiming to improve volleyball in the area. * FILE PHOTO / Tri-Parish Times