Being a coach is an important but oftentimes challenging occupation but I believe that collectively as coaches, the values and principles we practice can have significant an impact on global culture. Consequently we have an ethical responsibility to make a positive difference.

The more I study my own motivations for coaching, the more I have come to an awareness that coaching is my way of giving back to my community, the world at large and the sport that has given me so much

Coaching offers me a chance to make a positive impact on kids, and in particular those that really need it.

Personally, I was one of those kids that was, on the ‘fringes,’ and I credit sport for giving me self esteem, focus and motivation to make positive choices within my life.

Additionally:

Coaching gives me self-esteem when I feel like my opinion is respected and sought after in the beach volleyball community.

Coaching allows me to make a living and support my family.

Coaching gets me outdoors and in the sun where Season Affective Disorder has less chance to get me down.

Coaching is a vehicle with which I can connect with my kids.

Coaching is a way to meet like-minded people and expand my circle of friends.

Coaching provides me with challenges, which I enjoy facing.

Coaching allows me to connect with the community and feel like I belong.

The longer I have been involved in volleyball, the further I have moved away from coaching teams that are established primarily for competition. As a coach I have

gravitated towards more developmental / administrative roles, and although I enjoyed competing at a high level I never felt like coaching at a high level myself, because I never considered winning my number one priority as a player.

Within my role as a beach volleyball club director I have a guiding philosophy, which emphasizes an environment that educates, reinforces and rewards good ethical

behavior, with the primary consideration being that the game never comes before character. The focus is on developing great technical beach volleyball players and

exceptional citizens.

Success for me is largely defined by my ability to ‘enriching lives through the medium of beach volleyball,’ whether it is through the development of coaching

resources or in my role as a beach volleyball club owner.

My guiding philosophy as a physical education teacher is that if I can create an environment whereby the students

have fun I have done my part in initiating a life long love of physical activity. As a result I try to find ways to make my PE lessons enjoyable for all students.

In conclusion: my coaching philosophy can be broadly defined across my many coaching roles as ‘enriching the lives of others through the medium sport with a focus on beach volleyball.’