Volleyball tryouts are next month and open gym on Saturdays is being held by the Varsity Coach, David Savage. He was kind enough to sit down with me earlier in the week to discuss the upcoming spring season. When I asked him what his main goals were for the season, I was instantly thinking about a league title or a tournament win, but he had something else in mind, something I never would have guessed. " My main goal is to build a strong team culture. One that is focused on bringing out the best in each individual athlete in a positive way and in a building way to help them be better people, better young men, and better athletes".
As a student in his PE class, I have always admired his relaxed personality and especially his dedication to improve the overall morals and abilities of his students. When discussing last year's season, he commented that he was impressed that the team "had some good games and beat varsity teams, and also beat some very good JV teams". He stated that his highlight from last season "was beating Carlsbad in the last game of the season, which was a really fun victory for us and something I'll never forget". Not only did the JV team beat Carlsbad on their home court, but the freshman also defeated Carlsbad and as the overseer of all levels of play, coach Savage was very excited for his younger players.
On our topic of discussing improvements from last season, he informed me that he feels "lucky to have two brand new coaches this season which are really good coaches-former players of [his] that are positive and know their stuff, so it's going to be a fun experience". Those coaches are Jason Sebastian and Audrey Palmaris and with their help Coach Savage looks to improve by, "making our team culture stronger and make us even closer together and to define our roles and bring out the best in each person".
My last question that I asked him was about leadership as a whole and how it ultimately affects the way his team can play. His central belief that "champions act like champions before they're champions" has a positive effect on his players and the standards that they hold themselves to. The best reflections of these standards according to coach, are his players that he calls his "glue guys", or the "main guys as far as leadership goes", who are Ryan Yates, Christian Janke, Jake Fitzgerald, Bryant Phan, Will May, and "the fun guys" like Chris Dillon, Alex Sonck... The list goes on and on because all the guys contribute equally, so it's hard to pick just one".
To all of those that wish to tryout for Volleyball towards the end of February, go for it. Coach Savage is a very reasonable and respectful man and will only seek the best in you. Because a group of the best, has the best team culture, the best team attitude, and the best mindset for a championship.
As a student in his PE class, I have always admired his relaxed personality and especially his dedication to improve the overall morals and abilities of his students. When discussing last year's season, he commented that he was impressed that the team "had some good games and beat varsity teams, and also beat some very good JV teams". He stated that his highlight from last season "was beating Carlsbad in the last game of the season, which was a really fun victory for us and something I'll never forget". Not only did the JV team beat Carlsbad on their home court, but the freshman also defeated Carlsbad and as the overseer of all levels of play, coach Savage was very excited for his younger players.
On our topic of discussing improvements from last season, he informed me that he feels "lucky to have two brand new coaches this season which are really good coaches-former players of [his] that are positive and know their stuff, so it's going to be a fun experience". Those coaches are Jason Sebastian and Audrey Palmaris and with their help Coach Savage looks to improve by, "making our team culture stronger and make us even closer together and to define our roles and bring out the best in each person".
My last question that I asked him was about leadership as a whole and how it ultimately affects the way his team can play. His central belief that "champions act like champions before they're champions" has a positive effect on his players and the standards that they hold themselves to. The best reflections of these standards according to coach, are his players that he calls his "glue guys", or the "main guys as far as leadership goes", who are Ryan Yates, Christian Janke, Jake Fitzgerald, Bryant Phan, Will May, and "the fun guys" like Chris Dillon, Alex Sonck... The list goes on and on because all the guys contribute equally, so it's hard to pick just one".
To all of those that wish to tryout for Volleyball towards the end of February, go for it. Coach Savage is a very reasonable and respectful man and will only seek the best in you. Because a group of the best, has the best team culture, the best team attitude, and the best mindset for a championship.