Breaking the Intimidation of Coaching: Growing Through the System

Breaking the Intimidation of Coaching: Growing Through the System
Jahrae Hampton (D’Evelyn High School, Littleton, Colo./Denver Volleyball Club, Rocky Mountain Region)

Excerpt from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

“‘Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime.’ We are inspired by individuals who make brilliant strides…But, often, those who set the greatest examples for us are not famous or well known.”

I like this quote because it shows that it is not about the accolades or the prestige one gains when doing something in which one is passionate. Over the past five years, volleyball has become a passion of mine. It has helped focus my desire to empower, inspire and motivate people toward reaching their goals. Because of this passion I have for developing and coaching youth, people often ask me if I played volleyball in college and how long I have been coaching? I always chuckle and say "No, I did not play volleyball in college and I am still green to the sport.” Then I follow it up with the fact that volleyball found me.

I was a football player in high school and college, but played volleyball only through intramurals. One day at an Athletic Director’s meeting, we were in discussions about adding another sport for girls; the unanimous decision was to add volleyball. Henceforth, I began coaching volleyball in 2006 for Boettcher Boys' and Girls' Club with no knowledge of the game. I just gathered up 10 girls, only four of whom had any real knowledge of the game, and played them in an inner-city tournament amongst other Boys' and Girls' Clubs. Our team finished third and little did I know that a passion for volleyball would take root deep within me.

When I started working for Regis University in 2007, I was honored to have lunch with the head volleyball coach, Frank Lavrisha. He was telling me more about the game of volleyball and, since I had a great coach in high school who inspired me to reach my goals and dreams in life, I shared with him my passion for coaching and for helping youth. Before our conversation was over, I asked him if he would train me to play the game correctly so that I would be able to play in more recreational leagues. Frank’s exact words to me were, “Well Jae, we do have this club that practices at Hiawatha Davis Recreation Center and if you want to learn, come to one of our practices and learn that way.” If he would have told me that this was a competitive club, I do not think I would have ever walked through those doors. But he did not tell me that, so the story begins.

My first experience at the Hiawatha practice was analogous to a fish out of water. I was watching girls do amazing things with a ball and I was intimidated, but I was in love. The game had me at first sight! So, after one day, I was bugging the Director to let me join as a coach. She was hesitant because she wanted to make sure my commitment equaled my passion to learning the game. She suggested a month-long trial period. During that time I was a practice coach and mentee under various coaches in which I learned a lot about coaching styles and techniques.

At the time the club only had four teams. The majority of my learning and development was under the U16’s coaches, Frank Lavrisha and Mark Thornbrough. During that time I was given tasks I could handle to keep our girls successful. I did a lot of watching and soaked in a plethora of information during my trial period.

Before our first Power tournament in January, I became an official volunteer coach for Denver Parks and Recreation Volleyball Club (DPR). In our down times I was given various assignments and drills to help me gain better ball control and understanding of numerous techniques and cues, which helped me become a more affective coach as the season went on.

I must say that the biggest skill I had to learn was trustworthiness. I learned quickly that if the girls do not believe in your coaching skills, they have a hard time trusting and listening to a word you are saying. By the end of the 2007-08 Season I knew basic knowledge, I was Impact Certified, and I had my first experience with Junior Nationals, which sold the deal for me that I want to learn and grow deeper within this sport.

The next year I was given the opportunity to assist Katie Ryan, U13’s coach. Man, I have to be honest, that was an eye opener! She was trying to teach me the fun aspect of the game and I was trying to be a drill sergeant. By the end of the season, you know who won out! The biggest part of this game is having fun!

This year was also transformational for me because I took my first Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP) education course and became CAP I certified and I started helping out at volleyball camps. This season and last season I have been an assistant coach for U15’s team. I have been given more and more responsibilities as a coach and I have seen growth within my coaching skills. This growth has opened doors for me to grow in the High Performance pipeline, coach high school volleyball and direct their feeder program, and be invited to various camps. Within our club I have been a court coach at practice for our U17’s team.

Being part of the Denver Volleyball Club (DPR) has provided me a unique opportunity to grow and become a stronger coach. I am the first coach in the club history to grow through the system the same way our girls grow through the system. Being around great coaches has kept me motivated to grow further in this sport and they have helped me stay confident as I pursue other coaching opportunities.

My advice to coaches who want to grow and become involved in the game of volleyball, would be to go volunteer, attend practices to gain new information, and do whatever you can to learn more about the game, which can be a great foundation for building strong repertoire of drills, cues, quotes, etcetera. Another key component to growth is to find a mentor in the sport that you can talk with throughout the season. To do this I would start with your local clubs or strong high school programs. Ask them if it’s okay to be mentored by them and if you can participate at their practices in a supervised capacity. You will be surprised at how many programs will welcome the extra help. Also, ask questions and take notes. Then ask questions again.

Also, EDUCATION, EDUCATION, and EDUCATION! Try to gain as much education as you can by going to camps, conferences, and educational courses such as Impact and CAP certification through USA Volleyball (USAV) and your region.