Philosophy
COACH GAROFALO'S COACHING PHILOSOPHY
Simply put, I love coaching! Next to parenthood, I believe the teaching/coaching profession is the most important calling an individual can have. After parents, coaches have the most influence and impact over the lives of athletes. I believe the youth of our nation are our most precious asset and that in the complicated world they are growing up in, they need positive role models and mentors. As a coach, I take much pride and responsibility in helping to shape the lives of our future leaders.
With that said, below is a brief summary of my philosophy of coaching:
THE INDIVIDUAL
In my role as a coach, I hope to motivate, inspire and positively influence my athletes. My primary goal is to help my athletes develop their fullest potential, academically, athletically, socially, morally and spiritually.
Although my title may be ‘coach’, I see myself first and foremost as a teacher. Through coaching, I want to teach my players the skills, strategies, values, principles and philosophies that will help them be successful not only on the court, but off the court and for the rest of their lives.
To help athletes become good citizens and not just good athletes, teaching life skills is an important part of what I do as a coach. I believe in building relationships, staying positive and fostering confidence. I truly care about every athlete and in their potential to be and achieve anything they want.
As a parent of an 19 year old daughter/player, I have a deep understanding of what parents want for their daughters and what these players are going through. I will be there to listen and offer each athlete my support, encouragement and Christ-like attitude. I will do everything in my power to ensure that my players will have a positive experience which they will treasure for the rest of their lives. My hope is that they leave my program more mature, more confident and better equipped to handle the opportunities and challenges life will bring them.
THE STUDENT
As someone who grew up with parents that never had the opportunity to get an education and never learned to read or write, I understand better than most, the importance of maximizing ones educational opportunities. As such, I never forget that the only reason players have the privilege of playing collegiate volleyball, is because they are enrolled as a student.
As a coach, it is my goal to graduate 100 percent of all my athletes and for our program to be known not only for our volleyball success, but also for our academic excellence. To achieve this, I require academic success as a prerequisite to athletic opportunity. I will monitor academic progress and help our athletes with time-management, study habits and other skills that will help them achieve academic success.
THE ATHLETE
Coaching females for many years, I learned quickly that they don’t care how much you know about volleyball, until they know you care about them. As a result, building relationships with my players has always been and will always continue to be at the core of my coaching philosophy.
THE TEAM
On the volleyball court, my focus is always about the process, not the end result. Although we will always strive to win, the emphasis will always be on EXCELLENCE. By teaching the athletes the skills they need and preparing them mentally and physically to compete, the score will take care of itself and will be a reflection of the quality of our preparation.
Technically, I am a firm believer in teaching and mastering the fundamentals and in developing outstanding ball control. Without such a solid base, no team can ever play at the highest level. Great skills alone however don’t make great teams. To compete against the best, players need to learn to play what I call “smart volleyball”. Too often, players simply go through the motions of the game without really understanding or thinking about what they are doing or need to do. Making good individual and team tactical choices, on a consistent basis, are a must if we are to compete effectively at a high level of play.
Although I focus a great deal of time on the technical and tactical components of the game, the most important focus is always on the concept of T.E.A.M. Together Everyone Achieves More is one of the important cornerstones of my coaching philosophy. The success of our volleyball program is dependent upon the combined TEAM effort, motivation and vision of our coaches, players and staff. Without good team chemistry, where a group of individuals come together as one, to work on and achieve a common goal, true success cannot happen. At the heart of this concept are four important principles that I practice, teach and expect; Respect, Responsibility, Discipline and Good Sportsmanship.
DREAM-BELIEVE-ACHIEVE
Although there is much more I can write about my coaching philosophy, I can best summarize it with these three simple words: Dream-Believe-Achieve.
Whether as a student, athlete or anything else, success can never happen without first having a Dream . Too often however, daily routines and life stresses distract people from what is really important to them. I believe strongly in inspiring and motivating people to focus on and work towards their dreams.
Dreams however will not materialize unless one is confident and believes in herself. I find that too many people, especially young women, lack the confidence and self-esteem to overcome the obstacles and the number one reason that often prevents them from achieving their dreams; FEAR
One of my main goals as a coach is to help my athletes BELIEVE in themselves and that they can achieve anything they put their minds to. By helping them develop and increase their confidence, belief and self-esteem, our young athletes will be more successful on the court, in the classroom and in life.
Finally, I want to TEACH my athletes the skills, principles and philosophies that will help them ACHIEVE volleyball, academic and life success!
