TCA Philadelphia Volleyball Club Donates to US Army Ranger Regiment

PHILADELPHIA, PA, February 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) Dressed in their camo practice shirts, TCA Philadelphia's 88 volleyball players, collected and packaged hundreds of much needed items on February 12 for soldiers in the US Army's 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

"Valentine's Day was the perfect time for our club to show our military personal how much we care about what they are doing every day to protect our country," said Cheryl Hertzog, director, TCA Philadelphia, one of Chester County's premiere volleyball clubs.

The clubs eight teams collected items such as Q-tips, Skittles, Chap Stick, granola bars and magazines for Matthew "Matt" Dietrich and his regiment. Matt, from Reading, PA, is a Private First Class (PFC) soldier in the Army and is stationed at an undisclosed location. His brother, Nate Dietrich, is a MS1 in the Army ROTC at the Pennsylvania State University. "Our club was in contact with Nate to see how we could help his brother's regiment," Hertzog said. "We were thrilled to be able to provide these items."

"I love that our TCA athletes are given an opportunity to send a small gift to a soldier who is serving the USA overseas in harm's way," said Ed Shultz, TCA coach of the 12s team and who served in the US Army as a Field Artillery Officer, then attaining the rank of First Lieutenant and later as Captain of the Reserves. "Our players may not appreciate the gravity of what they are doing, but on the other end there's a young man named PFC Matt Dietrich and the 75th Rangers who are proudly serving as of our country's finest and bravest."

Shultz and TCA coaches AJ Thackrah and Geoff Bayer have all served in the US military and are incredibly proud of what their players have done to support our troops. "Feeling appreciated plays a huge role in boosting morale for those away from their families," said Bayer who was deployed twice in Afghanistan, serving as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Petty Officer First Class in the US Navy.

TCA Philadelphia, started in 2010, is a private, youth volleyball club located in Downingtown, PA. Now in its fourth season, the club has eight teams ranging in ages from 12 to 18. TCA Philadelphia Cares, a new community outreach initiative for the club, allows TCA players to partner with families and/or organizations to support those in need. The club's motto "All team, all the time" signifies that not only are the girls a team on the court but off the court as well as they support local communities.
For more information about TCA Philadelphia, please visit http://www.tcaphilly.com.

TCA Philadelphia's volleyball players and coaches collect much needed items for US Army Private First Class soldier Matthew Dietrich and his 75th Ranger Regiment. The club collected hundreds of items including Chap Stick, granola bars, men's health magazines, lemonade packets and Q-tips.