The Coach You Pick

As another volleyball season comes to a close, I always reflect on how my season went, what type of a coach I was, how the players progressed, the relationships I have built over the season with other clubs, teams, athletes, referees, and the general state of the volleyball community that I operate in.

As a club president, I also have the unique opportunity to receive feedback from parents and athletes in our club who were coached by someone other than me.

In the 3 seasons I have been involved in this endeavor, at the end of each season I always come to one realization that I hope parents and athletes will remember come next November.  And that realization is

The coach you pick in November is the same coach you will have in May.

I always find it interesting how at the beginning of the season, many parents are willing to do almost anything to have their child athlete be picked for a team.  And once that happens, they are most grateful for the opportunity their child will have to "Just be on the team".  Our coaches are then praised for their well run practices and the improvement their child athlete is demonstrating.

If a casual observer were to fast forward the season and start watching again in May, they would think they had entered the Bizarro universe.  Attitudes and relationships seem to have done an about face.

Now we have parents arguing with coaches during tournaments, questioning their decisions.  Why was my child athletes not given enough playing time.  Why didn't you keep the better players on the court so we could win the match.  Why do you focus so much on technique (or not focus on it enough).  The list of dissatisfactions could fill libraries.

As I have observed these many seasons and kept a close eye on both the coaching in our club and other teams and clubs, I believe I can safely say that the one thing in club volleyball that is a constant is the coaching.  The variable here are the players and parents.

I think as a club, we need to stress during our tryouts that the players and parents have an obligation to get to know the coach, find out about their coaching philosophy before they agree to be on the team.  And our coaches have a responsibility to make it abundantly clear at their parent meeting and during the season what their approach and philosophy is.