For two seasons at Stingray Volleyball Club, I painstakingly made the trek to Blackford gym to walk ten girls through the workings of making a team. It was exhausting, trying, and frustrating at all the same time. I went into this coaching program thinking this was going to be a breeze. I thought that all I had to do was teach volleyball. I thought that my knowledge of the game would be all that I needed under my belt to help these girls. I was wrong.
There was playing time management. There was a practice program to be formed. There were emotions to be tamed. There were parents who watched every step. There was the lack of motivation. Little did I know that all of these things crashed into one, when you’re the coach.
Was it worth it? Yes.
Over the two years, I learned what it meant to be a coach, or a mentor. It was a nose-to-the-grindstone sort of thing. I threw myself into this swimming pool, and it’s sink or swim, Choy. The positive effect of managing ten 18-year-old girls for two seasons was multi-layered. Here’s what I got out of it:
- Presentation skills. I realized that I lost the nervousness of making presentations and standing in front of large groups.
- Putting what I know into words. It’s one thing to do, it’s another to teach. (How do you teach a set?)
- I learned volleyball in a different perspective. It’s not just a jump high, swing hard game anymore. (not that I could ever jump high in the first place.
) - Lastly, I formed a bond with the girls and their parents that I’ll remember for a lifetime…
I certainly remember my coach from high school, Coach Davies, and how he had impacted my life down the road. For me to try and do the same for someone else… and find out later that it actually meant something to them… it’s a feeling that irreplaceable. Having been a part of their lives, right up through their final years in high school, was an indescribable award in itself. And it didn’t really hit me until I was invited and attended some of their graduations. That was an honor.
If you girls ever see this entry… thank you, to each and everyone of you. You guys spoiled me with how great you guys worked together and made this a true team for every definition of the word. Each of you in your own way, added something dynamic to our group that made this experience as great as it was. I hope you guys learned just as much from me as I had learned from you.
Thank you… You made it all worth it.
P.S. Despite the fact that this video was set to a morbid tune, this post, it is not. 
