The playoffs are fast approaching and the top five teams in this week's Coaches Poll remain unchanged. They will likely remain this way for the last three weeks before the tournament begins.

Penn State and Hawaii are still sitting pretty. Penn State beat #5 Illinois in three sets this week to continue their steamroll tour through the Big Ten.

#4 Washington had a rollercoaster weekend down in LA. The Huskies lost to then #17 USC in five sets, but then beat #6 UCLA (formerly the hottest team in the Pac-10) in three sets to remain in the top spot in the conference, which they currently share with Stanford. No major tests scheduled for any of the top teams this coming weekend, so they should all sail smoothly to the same spots next week.

Should young kids be cut from their junior high and youth teams? Many of us have been coaches and had to make a decision that breaks a child's heart. There is only so much time, gym space and available coaching, so they can't all remain on the team, right?

We make decisions using the best criteria we can come up with and take into account their current skill level, enthusiasm, attitude and potential for growth. Some cuts seem obvious - the player is just too short, too uncoordinated or too far behind the other players in skill level. But when you think about it, weren't we all once? Didn't we all start somewhere?

Is it fair to make decisions that could put an end to a child's interest in the sport at such a young age when we could begin to cultivate a lifetime of participation with just a little bit of encouragement?

John Kessel's recent blog says we should just let the young kids play, pointing out that it takes time for talent to develop.

He makes some great points about a junior high program in which 100 kids tried out. They ended up letting them all play on several teams with different skill levels. When they got to high school, half of the players that made the team were the very kids that would've been cut back in junior high if only the top players were allowed to compete. Tough to argue with that.

Of course, not all programs have the coaches or the wherewithal to do what that program did, but it is a story worth keeping in mind when the time comes for tough decisions.

If the growth of the sport is our objective, it makes sense to cast a wide net, especially in the formative years. When it comes down to it, no matter how good we think we are at pinpointing potential, we have to leave room for the late-blooming surprise.

I was watching Stanford play Washington last week when Paul Sunderland and Holly McPeak delved into a discussion about Holly's favorite vantage point, behind the end line. Holly actually moved to a seat in the bleachers and announced from there. Paul asked her several times what she was able to see from there, knowing full well she had a better view than he did along the sideline.

I've noticed that whenever I go to a volleyball game with other players and coaches, we always choose to sit on the end line. When I go with my friends who are new to the sport, they always want to sit along the sideline.

As Holly noted on the broadcast, the end line is the best seat in the house. There is a reason why all the scouting video cameras reside there. No one has a better view than the players themselves. From the end line, you can watch the game just as the players see it.

You can see how the play develops, watch where the hitters are going, see if there is a hole in the block and see how the defense is setting up. From the end line you can see why the players make the choices they make and what they are faced with.

So the next time you're at a game, watch it as a student of the game and not just a spectator. Sit at the end line and you will have a better view than the coaches, the announcers and even the television viewing audience.

Week 11's Coaches Poll stayed very much the same this week. No major moves anywhere in the top 25 even though previously undefeated #2 Texas lost to #8 Iowa State in five sets, both teams remain in the same spots as last week.

Washington beat Stanford in three to remain #1 in the Pac-10 while Stanford fell from #5 to #7.

Two top teams will be tested this week. #4 Washington takes on #6 UCLA, now in second place in the Pac-10 and only one game behind the Huskies. #1 Penn State will take on #5 Illinois.