Participating in organized sports has many benefits. One such benefit is the opportunity to discover talents and abilities not revealed by other means. For two Blackmon Road Middle School students, the sport of volleyball has brought out one very strong personality trait.
A highly-defined spirit of competition.
“Yeah, I am pretty competitive out there,” says Candace Burleson, 14, about her play on the volleyball court.
Nodding her head in agreement, Kathryn DeBice, 14, also admits to being very competitive.
Both teens began playing volleyball at Blackmon Road in the sixth grade. While they had been exposed to the sport through camps and other venues, they had never really played volleyball in a competitive environment. It didn’t take long for them to realize they loved the game and they loved to win.
“There is just something about volleyball. I liked it right away and the more I played, the more I loved it,” says DeBice.
Burleson had some experience with a competitive sport prior to trying out for volleyball. The 5’3” eighth-grader had previously been a competition swimmer with the Columbus Hurricanes but eventually settled on volleyball as her sport of choice.
DeBice and Burleson both light up when asked about being competitive on the court. Each says they had no idea they could be so driven to win but volleyball has brought out that spirit of competition like nothing else.
Last year the BRMS Lady Eagles Volleyball Team went into the middle school championship undefeated. Harris County Carver Middle School ended their hopes of a victor’s trophy. Burleson and DeBice have many goals for the 2014 season and one of them is to help lead their team all the way to the winner’s circle.
In order to make that happen, they have been working hard at perfecting their skills to be even better teammates. Burleson says she sees her strengths 
as passing and setting, recognizing herself to be better on the offensive side of the game. Although she is obviously the quieter of the two, Burleson exhibits a calm confidence which brings a maturity to her play not found in some young athletes.
“I think about it a lot. When I first started playing, it was the way the game was played that made me like it so much,” she says with a smile.
At 5 feet 7 inches tall, DeBice is all about defense. She views her strengths as passing and communicating with her teammates. DeBice also plays on a travel volleyball club and has learned communication is necessary whether playing club ball or with her middle school team. Laughing, the outgoing teen admits she likes to talk a lot and that helps her on the court.
“It gets pretty loud and I like yelling when we are playing. You’ve got to be able to communicate what is happening and I guess I am pretty good at that,” says DeBice.
Eagles’ volleyball coach Chuck Yarbrough has been coaching the sport at Blackmon Road for 12 seasons. He is one of three local middle school coaches who have coached volleyball for all 12 of the seasons at their respective schools since the sport was added to the Muscogee County middle school lineup.
During that time he has seen a lot of middle school volleyball athletes and coached many who have gone on to the high school level and beyond. He knows his team will be rebuilding after losing many key players from last year’s winning program but he has a lot of confidence in Burleson and DeBice as two of his best players.
“She (Candace) has great technical skills and a great heart. She is always in a position to make the play and has great court sense. She just has great instincts and a huge desire to win. She always gives her best. She is obsessed with volleyball,” says Yarbrough about Burleson.
He also has high praise for DeBice.
“She makes some spectacular plays and shows a lot of leadership on the court. Even as a seventh-grader and a hitter at that, among a lot of returning eighth-graders, most of whom were hitters also, she pushed for playing time. She lives, eats and breathes volleyball,” Yarbrough says.
While many middle school athletes participate in more than one sport, Burleson and DeBice have chosen to focus solely on volleyball. They are looking to the future and their plans include not only playing at the high school level but becoming collegiate athletes as well.
DeBice has already decided she will attend Northside High School next year. Burleson isn’t sure where she will be as a freshman, although she has narrowed down her choices to two schools. Both young women have the desire to attend the same college, Auburn University, and that desire also extends to being a part of the college’s volleyball program.
Until then, though, Burleson and DeBice have a lot more to accomplish including helping to produce a winning volleyball season for the Eagles. That competitive spirit they have in common will serve them well in their pursuit of a championship. It emerges pretty quickly when asked which of the local middle school teams they are looking forward most to opposing on the volleyball court this fall.
Without hesitation and in perfect unison, they reply, “Harris County.”
Getting to know Candace: 
Family: Mom, Jennifer Gray; Dad, Ricky Burleson
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite place to eat: Fuji
Music she prefers: Country
Pets: One dog, Chloe
Athlete she admires: Destiny Hooker
Favorite team (college or professional): Auburn
Hobbies or leisure activities: Volleyball
Favorite subject: Math
Person(s) she most admires: My parents
Best thing about attending Blackmon Road Middle School: Teachers put academics first before athletics.
Getting to know Kathryn:
Family: Parents, Martha and Phillip DeBice; one brother, Blake
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite place to eat: Mikada
Music she prefers: Country
Pets: One dog, Maggie
Athlete(s) she admires: Jordan Larson and Matthew Anderson
Favorite team (college or professional): Auburn
Hobbies or leisure activities: Volleyball
Favorite subject: Social Studies
Person(s) she most admires: Parents
Best thing about attending Blackmon Road Middle School: Volleyball! I look forward to it every day after class.
Columbus Valley/Rising Star/October 2014
Candace Burleson and Kathryn DeBice
Blackmon Road Middle School
Columbus, Georgia
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
Columbus Valley/Rising Star/October 2014
Candace Burleson and Kathryn DeBice
Blackmon Road Middle School
Columbus, Georgia
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
Volleyball Athletes Discover Competitive Spirit
Participating in organized sports has many benefits. One such benefit is the opportunity to discover talents and abilities not revealed by other means. For two Blackmon Road Middle School students, the sport of volleyball has brought out one very strong personality trait.
A highly-defined spirit of competition.
“Yeah, I am pretty competitive out there,” says Candace Burleson, 14, about her play on the volleyball court.
Nodding her head in agreement, Kathryn DeBice, 14, also admits to being very competitive.
Both teens began playing volleyball at Blackmon Road in the sixth grade. While they had been exposed to the sport through camps and other venues, they had never really played volleyball in a competitive environment. It didn’t take long for them to realize they loved the game and they loved to win.
“There is just something about volleyball. I liked it right away and the more I played, the more I loved it,” says DeBice.
Burleson had some experience with a competitive sport prior to trying out for volleyball. The 5’3” eighth-grader had previously been a competition swimmer with the Columbus Hurricanes but eventually settled on volleyball as her sport of choice.
DeBice and Burleson both light up when asked about being competitive on the court. Each says they had no idea they could be so driven to win but volleyball has brought out that spirit of competition like nothing else.
Last year the BRMS Lady Eagles Volleyball Team went into the middle school championship undefeated. Harris County Carver Middle School ended their hopes of a victor’s trophy. Burleson and DeBice have many goals for the 2014 season and one of them is to help lead their team all the way to the winner’s circle.
In order to make that happen, they have been working hard at perfecting their skills to be even better teammates. Burleson says she sees her strengths as passing and setting, recognizing herself to be better on the offensive side of the game. Although she is obviously the quieter of the two, Burleson exhibits a calm confidence which brings a maturity to her play not found in some young athletes.
“I think about it a lot. When I first started playing, it was the way the game was played that made me like it so much,” she says with a smile.
At 5 feet 7 inches tall, DeBice is all about defense. She views her strengths as passing and communicating with her teammates. DeBice also plays on a travel volleyball club and has learned communication is necessary whether playing club ball or with her middle school team. Laughing, the outgoing teen admits she likes to talk a lot and that helps her on the court.
“It gets pretty loud and I like yelling when we are playing. You’ve got to be able to communicate what is happening and I guess I am pretty good at that,” says DeBice.
Eagles’ volleyball coach Chuck Yarbrough has been coaching the sport at Blackmon Road for 12 seasons. He is one of three local middle school coaches who have coached volleyball for all 12 of the seasons at their respective schools since the sport was added to the Muscogee County middle school lineup.
During that time he has seen a lot of middle school volleyball athletes and coached many who have gone on to the high school level and beyond. He knows his team will be rebuilding after losing many key players from last year’s winning program but he has a lot of confidence in Burleson and DeBice as two of his best players.
“She (Candace) has great technical skills and a great heart. She is always in a position to make the play and has great court sense. She just has great instincts and a huge desire to win. She always gives her best. She is obsessed with volleyball,” says Yarbrough about Burleson.
He also has high praise for DeBice.
“She makes some spectacular plays and shows a lot of leadership on the court. Even as a seventh-grader and a hitter at that, among a lot of returning eighth-graders, most of whom were hitters also, she pushed for playing time. She lives, eats and breathes volleyball,” Yarbrough says.
While many middle school athletes participate in more than one sport, Burleson and DeBice have chosen to focus solely on volleyball. They are looking to the future and their plans include not only playing at the high school level but becoming collegiate athletes as well.
DeBice has already decided she will attend Northside High School next year. Burleson isn’t sure where she will be as a freshman, although she has narrowed down her choices to two schools. Both young women have the desire to attend the same college, Auburn University, and that desire also extends to being a part of the college’s volleyball program.
Until then, though, Burleson and DeBice have a lot more to accomplish including helping to produce a winning volleyball season for the Eagles. That competitive spirit they have in common will serve them well in their pursuit of a championship. It emerges pretty quickly when asked which of the local middle school teams they are looking forward most to opposing on the volleyball court this fall.
Without hesitation and in perfect unison, they reply, “Harris County.”
Getting to know Candace
Family: Mom, Jennifer Gray; Dad, Ricky Burleson
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite place to eat: Fuji
Music she prefers: Country
Pets: One dog, Chloe
Athlete she admires: Destiny Hooker
Favorite team (college or professional): Auburn
Hobbies or leisure activities: Volleyball
Favorite subject: Math
Person(s) she most admires: My parents
Best thing about attending Blackmon Road Middle School: Teachers put academics first before athletics.
Getting to know Kathryn
Family: Parents, Martha and Phillip DeBice; one brother, Blake
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite place to eat: Mikada
Music she prefers: Country
Pets: One dog, Maggie
Athlete(s) she admires: Jordan Larson and Matthew Anderson
Favorite team (college or professional): Auburn
Hobbies or leisure activities: Volleyball
Favorite subject: Social Studies
Person(s) she most admires: Parents
Best thing about attending Blackmon Road Middle School: Volleyball! I look forward to it every day after class.
