Any coach can agree that their mind is going a million miles a minute at all times. Processing what is happening and then processing what may or may not happen. A coach needs to analyze all these thoughts and make decisions within a split second. From the outside, people may look at coaching on a very simplistic level, WIN. Mainstream media promotes this simplistic view. If we look at any major league sport, if the team is unsuccessful then the coaches head will roll. Rarely does the media look further into the overall situations. One could ask, when top performers who get paid substantially more then the coach have a lack of performance, why don’t they get a pay cut or get turfed. Within the culture of coaching, every decision made by the coach could be their final decision within that role. So, lets dive deeper into decision making within the coaching role at the amateur level.
Like any athlete aspiring to make the “big show”, there are many coaches coming onto the scene that are hoping to learn, educate and be continuously challenged within their coaching career. Coaching over the past 19 years, I have been fortunate to coach many levels and age categories within the sport of volleyball. Through these years, I have had made many decisions in a wide variety of scenarios. The decisions are not just in the moment during a key play, but also decisions made for the longevity and growth of the team or program. So, to grow as a coach its important to reflect and think about these decisions for learning opportunities. Let’s turn back time and look at some scenarios in my time as a coach.
Back in 2004, I sat down with a gentleman named, Shane Donen. He is the founder and current club Director at Seaside Volleyball Club (Seaside) in White Rock, BC. After I completed one year coaching at another local club, I approached Shane to coach at Seaside. Shane told me I was not head coach worthy but that I could be an assistant Coach. I was too young and not experienced enough. What? My ego just took a devastating blow. How dare this guy tell me I am not experienced enough. I am a current college player and already have been head coaching for 3 years. So as any young and dumb 19-year-old, I laughed and started my own club. Now this decision in that moment seemed like the right thing to do. The Club I started, Heat Volleyball Club, would go on to run for 6 years and provide opportunities for many athletes who went on to play post secondary or to even coach. This was great to help grow the game. Now older and I guess more wiser, I look back at that decision and wish I took Shane up on his offer to be an assistant Coach. To be able to sit in the second chair and learn from someone else would have been an amazing experience. Shane, is now a very good friend of mine and still someone that I look up to for advice within coaching today. Shane, still runs one of the best clubs in BC and people are fortunate to be coached by him and/or his wife.
Seeing that I am on the young and dumb timeline of my coaching career, I might as well continue down this path for another decision (or non decision) during my coaching career. During the years of running Heat Volleyball Club, a coach named Ryan Hofer crossed my path at multiple times to provide advice. Thinking I knew everything, this advice fell onto my deaf ears. Again 15 years later, Ryan Hofer (another good friend of mine) is my mentor while I complete my Masters at UBC. Ryan, is one of the most genuine and down to earth individuals I have ever met in the volleyball coaching world. As one of the most successful coaches in U-sport, Ryan is extremely humble and open about how the show is run within the Trinity Western University Women’s volleyball program. Ryan is a wealth of knowledge and I always reach out to him regarding anything and everything volleyball.
Now let’s take a look at some decisions that are in the moment. In 2018, the first super nationals were held in Edmonton, Alberta. My U18 team is playing in the Div 1 tier 3 semi finals vs the Fraser Valley Volleyball Club U18 team. We won the first set by two points, lose the second set in two points and now we are neck and neck going through the final set. As any coach would do, my mind shifts to a million miles an hour thought process. Trying to think of and do anything to put the team in the best situation to be successful. Thoughts and decisions are now more critical than ever. Timeout now or wait? If I wait too long, will it be the point of no return? To sub or not to sub? If I sub and that player serves into the net, which then leads to us losing the game, how will that player take it? How will her teammates take it, the assistant coach and/or the parents? So, we sit at 13/13. Teams must win by two. Winner moves on to the medal round and the losing team packs their bags and go home. All the timeouts for both teams have been used and now I have a player walking up to the back line to serve who has missed her last attempt. No time to ask my assistant for advice, I look down the bench and call on my strongest server out of the athletes on the bench. This player is cold, has not played yet at all this game and is thrown into the moment. She goes in and serves an ace to make it the score 15-14. She then follows that with a strong serve that provides us with a freeball that we were able to put away. There was no book to read, no podcast to listen to and no second chance. Sometimes coaching decisions are made on gut feelings and of course how well you know your players. Knowing your players not only based on their ability of skill but how they manage pressure and who they are as a unique individual. The moment of the team being successful is one that I will never forget. Luckily one of the parents captured that exact moment on film. At the end of the day as a coach, it wasn’t about the decision made but to be able to watch the smiles on the athletes faces and to share in that moment is unforgettable. 
Even though I have been very fortunate with having success with athletes and teams, there have been many decisions not go in my favor. Like any human, I now reflect on and wonder “IF” I made a different decision where would I be right now? Possibly not writing this blog…. Of course, none of us can take back time or change the past. Every decision that has been made in coaching and my personal development has led me right here, right now to this very moment. This is starting to sound like the “Matrix”.
Will you take the red pill or the blue pill?