In this edition of The Eye of the Hurricane, I interviewed Coach Spelich on his thoughts about the upcoming volleyball season and how the team can improve.

Q: When did you start coaching the sport volleyball?
Coach S: I began coaching in 2009.

Q: What are your thoughts about the upcoming volleyball season?
Coach S: Expectations are set high for this season. We are returning four seniors: Aliya Blackshear, Kerri Lyles, Raquel Rivera, and Te’Asia Stewart. Section four is definitely going to be competitive.  They take the top four teams for playoffs. We plan on being a contender in the playoff race.

Q: What makes a good student-athlete?
Coach S: Academics need to be the student athlete’s first priority. Aside from talent, I always look to see how the student athlete conducts herself off of the floor as well.

Q: What is your coaching philosophy?
Coach S: Coaching philosophies change throughout a coach’s career.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a coach?
Coach S: The most rewarding part of coaching young student athletes grow and mature into young adults. The personal relationships that we build as a team are special.

Q: What coaching skills would you like to develop?
Coach S: Personally professional development is a huge part. Over the Summer I obtained a certification for coaching volleyball from Ohio State University’s Jim Stone.

Q: What is your off-season conditioning program like?
Coach S: The volleyball team workouts at the facility The Rack. They practice around three times a week, and our teams goal is to improve on strength and skills.

Q: Reflecting on your current coaching ability what is going to make you a better coach?
Coach S: As a head coach you must be ale to lead a team at all times. Decisions and situations occur on and off the floor that a coach must lead the team through. This year with the team we will be focusing on staying calm throughout any game situation. The teams focus is mainly on becoming a family and creating strong bond.