Melissa has been coaching club volleyball for over 14 years and is entering her 8th season with Moxie. She has coached at the U12-U16 levels, and has IMPACT, First-Aid/CPR, and Gold Medal Squared training. As a coach, Melissa's priority is to build confident, well-rounded players who not only demonstrate strong technical skills and understanding of the game, but who also model impeccable sportsmanship and values. She believes that, regardless of the position that they want to play, players need to be able to perform all of the basic skills (passing, setting, hitting) and understand the big picture of team strategy. She will work to provide a solid foundation for each girl on her team. Melissa also firmly believes that volleyball is, and should always be, fun! While she expects her players to be focused on meeting individual and team goals for improvement, this can't be at the expense of the enjoyment of the game. During the season Melissa will focus on team building, individual skill-building, and team strategy to produce team that not only plays competitively, but also passionately loves the game.

EXPECTATIONS

Attitude
This is the NUMBER ONE thing that I demand as a coach. Players are expected to maintain a good attitude on and off the court. Having a good attitude means accepting that everyone makes mistakes, supporting your teammates both when they are playing well or having an off game, and always demonstrating good sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship is showing respect at all times to your team, your coach, referees, other teams, and yourself. Bad attitudes bring down the team, stunt improvement and generally take the fun out of the game. Obviously it is impossible to play a sport and never have frustrating moments, but I expect my players to find ways to work through their frustrations in a positive way. Volleyball is meant to be fun! Players are expected to remember this and work hard to not only enjoy themselves, but also to make it fun for their teammates to play with them!

Effort
Give your full effort regardless if its warm-up, drills, or matches. I don't expect perfection, but I do want to see players pushing themselves constantly to not only apply newly learned skills but also to overcome bad habits learned in the past. You can also demonstrate effort by paying attention during practices and asking questions when you are unsure. Improvement doesn't just happen by showing up to practice. Players have to be intentional and constantly focus on what their next step/change will be to get to their goal.

Responsibility
Know the role you play on the team and continually fulfill your duties to the team. On the court this means knowing the responsibilities of your position. Off the court it means holding yourself to the above two values, and showing up to all practices and tournaments on time and ready to play. Choosing to play club volleyball is a commitment to yourself, your team, your parents, your coaches, and to the sport. Do not take this commitment lightly. Be absolutely certain that you have the extra time needed before you commit to joining this team. After family and school this team should be your first priority during the season. Consider all the other demands on your time: school, other sports, socializing with friends, a job, any volunteer work, church activities, etc. You will be expected to make the practices twice a week and the tournaments on the weekends.