The Transition: From Player to Coach

The Transition: From Player to Coach
By Sarah Jett (Memphis, Tenn., Memphis Metro JVC)

Some of the best players in the world have become coaches. Why? What makes a player want to become a volleyball coach? Is it passion for the game that they loved so much that they can’t get away from? Is it the drive to leave behind what they have learned and to watch others succeed? Whatever the answer may be, many of today’s coaches have played at some level before transitioning to coaching. Is the transition easier for those who have played or more difficult to leave playing days behind?

In order to understand the transition, we must first answer the question “why?” Karch Kiraly is undoubtedly one of the best men’s volleyball players to exist in the history of the game. After playing at UCLA, Karch went on to be named as the “Greatest Volleyball Player of the Century” by the FIVB. He is a three-time Gold Medalist and now the assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team. Karch in recent years just transitioned from the playing world to the coaching world, including getting certified at a USAV IMPACT Clinic and earning his USAV-CAP Level I certification.

Karch noted in an article posted by USA Volleyball that “Coaching is a natural extension of a lifelong love of the game of volleyball.” For most collegiate players or professional players, if they are not able to continue to play the game, then the next best thing may be coaching. For players the transition to coaching after years of playing is one that your body says to make, but your mind may not agree. By coaching, a player who has the same motive as Karch is able to stay involved with and give back to the sport they love so much.

Having said that, realize that not all great players make great coaches. Not every player should make the transition of player to coach. Every player on a volleyball team has a role, and every team will have its “studs” so to speak. The role of the stud is to get the job done and this player usually knows how to do one thing… play hard. Though they might be great players, it is the studs that may not always make the best coaches. Normally these players find it difficult to explain the things that come natural to them because they are such great athletes. The second you ask a great player who is a “stud” to breakdown the mechanics and skill of passing to a group of 10-year-olds that have never played, these players find themselves unable to explain. Teaching a player the necessary skills to perform in game situations requires an understanding of not only the basics of body mechanics, but also how to lead players to skill and performance outcomes.

No one said this transition of roles would be easy. No matter how long you coach, the player inside never dies. One of the hardest things for players that have transitioned from playing to coaching was said best by Jitka Okolicany, former professional volleyball player and now president and coach for Memphis Metro JVC,

“As a player that was always very competitive, I could and was controlling the game. By working harder I could control the outcome. As a coach, I am limited on what is going on, on the court. The hardest part for me is knowing I am limited in controlling the outcome of the game.”

The competitive nature of all great players makes the transition into coaching difficult. As a coach, your involvement in the game is limited and the results are for the most part out of your control. Coaches prepare their teams day in and day out, take time outs, motivate, inspire and use words of encouragement, but in the end it is always up to the players to perform.

Former players may have a much smoother transition into the coaching world than someone with little or no playing experience. On-the-court and off-the-court knowledge gained as a player will be the foundations that players will use as a coach. These qualities include learned time management, organizational skills, aspects of the game and communication. They also include qualities that were self-instilled such as passion, drive, leadership, work ethic and many more lessons learned along the way. These qualities that made them great players can also help them become great coaches. So as a player, try to remember the things you hear from your coaches. So many times as players make the transition from player to coach, they will catch themselves repeating things that they have heard their own coaches once tell them. It is times like these that as a coach you realize the impact your coach had on you as a player, and therefore the things you are saying now as a coach are impacting the future players and future coaches you are training.

The rewards coaches receive are different than the rewards you get as a player. Players might receive numerous honors and rewards during their playing career. Those are all things they will remember for a life time. As a coach the reward is much different, but the feeling is the same. When you can watch a player enjoy and succeed at the same game you once played, the reward is heartwarming. It is little moments when you see the light bulbs turn on that make you feel great about what you are doing. Knowing that each player responds and succeeds differently and knowing that you had a part in it makes the transition all worthwhile. Not only are you as a coach impacting the players on the court with their skills and playing abilities, you are also impacting the way they carry themselves in the world as young women and men.

So why do some of the best players in the world coach? Because their love of the game has led them to arguably the next best thing, coaching. Coaching is not an easy task, but when you transition from playing to coaching you are one step ahead of the game. As a coach you will understand the game. The hardest part is when you realize you can no longer be a physical attribute in the game. As a coach, you are now laying the foundation for your players to understand the key concepts and qualities you learned as a player. And who knows, you might touch a player in such a way that they will one day be inspired to make their own transition from player to coach.