Back on the Bench (Again)

This fall has given me an unexpected but meaningful opportunity: stepping back onto the court as the Mason City 7th grade volleyball coach. After retiring from head coaching two years ago, I thought my days of guiding a volleyball team were over. But when my great friend the Mason City AD let me know no one could be found to be the head coach of this group, I decided to step in the week before practice started. A definite bonus was getting to coach alongside a former player from just two years ago who is now serving as my assistant—a full-circle moment that reminds me how much coaching is about relationships and influence far beyond the scoreboard.

I am asked constantly why I decided to come back and coach volleyball….”middle school is so tough, aren’t you retired, don’t you have better things to do…” I have heard them all! This has been about giving back to a program that has been important to me (the new head coach was a youth coach when I was head coach) as well as making sure the kids in the program have a great experience.

7th grade volleyball is a unique experience…it is the very first school activity for each player so everything is new. Not only are the sport skills more challenging, simple things like regular practice times and getting to practice on time, communicating with coaches, how to act on a bus to a match, when to speak and when to be listening to your family when playing, are all things we have spent more time on.

We’ve played three matches so far, and while the wins column isn’t filling up, the progress is clear. The girls are learning not just how to serve and pass but how to encourage each other after a mistake, how to stay focused when momentum swings the other way, and how to celebrate the small victories that add up to real growth. That’s the beauty of coaching at any level—helping athletes discover that success isn’t only measured by points on the board but also by the way they carry themselves, treat one another, and respond to challenges.

Coaching at this level has been a reminder that giving back means more than teaching skills. It’s about modeling positivity, patience, and perseverance. It’s about showing these girls that how they act and how they support their teammates matters just as much as the final score. And it’s about creating an environment where improvement is recognized and effort is celebrated.

As I’ve stepped back into this role, I’ve been reminded that coaching—whether at the varsity level or with 7th graders—is about building people as much as building players. The wins may be few right now, but the lessons being learned will carry far beyond the volleyball court. I’m grateful for the chance to give back, to watch growth unfold, and to work with a former player who now gets to pour into the next generation as well. At the end of the day, that’s what sports—and life—are really about.

Have a great week!

Coach K