Kelly Howland here, three seasons at CVA and this year I've got 14s. The mental side is my favorite thing to teach. I care more about the next point than the last one, and I coach it that way. Ask me about setting and you'll get a while on that as well. Coaching has taken up more than fifteen years of my life. I've done the homework on 14s: how this age trains, what a practice should look like, and what actually gets them better.
This season the club also asked me to take 10s. That trust comes from what happens in my gym. Both teams get the same standard.
When an athlete makes a bad error in a tight set: I give the fix, not the replay. They know they shanked it before I do. Come to a session and you'll find it high volume, with a lot of contacts per athlete.
Not everyone fits how I work, and who tends to struggle is an athlete who thinks they know it all. My position on playing time: I give each kid a role and I say it out loud. The worst thing for an athlete is not knowing. Some things I can point at: 8 of 10 athletes came back the following season and two runner-up finishes last season!.
Away from the gym I'm a stay-at-home parent. Before coaching I played setter at the Division III level, and I can still demonstrate every rep. My favorite volleyball quote that I always share with my teams “Don’t let the white thing, hit the wood thing”. My first coach shared that with us and it has always stuck with me that sometimes the game can be that simple! Time to hustle! My team has never let me forget how loud I get over a good dig.
If something's bothering you, don't sit on it. My door is open, with one rule: not in the ten minutes after a match.
Certified: USAV IMPACT · CPR / AED · Background screened · SafeSport · College degree · Strength & conditioning certification
Email me with questions. You'll learn more in one session than from anything written here, and you can reach me any time at Kelly@courts4sports.com.
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