Former Penn Volleyball star Addy Kois enjoyed a stellar career for Valparaiso University. She is now returning to Penn to coach the Boys Volleyball Junior Varsity Team.
As a recent college graduate, what perspectives or ideas are you most excited to bring into coaching at the high school level?: “My collegiate career was more than I could ever ask for and I learned so many new ways to look at the game of volleyball. My particular coaching style is valuing IQ over fine tuning skills which is something that I love teaching young athletes about. In general, I’m most excited to bring ideas to the team that I wish someone had brought to me when I was in high school!”
What drew you to this program, and what stood out to you about coaching a boys high school volleyball team?: “There are so many things that made me say yes to this position. First of all, I grew up next door to Coach Mark and Coach Kelley and they are a big reason why I pursued volleyball in the first place. I knew I wanted to return that favor by helping out with their program. I also am just such a proud alumni of Penn High School and I know how special it is to be a part of the community. Lastly, I think it is such a unique opportunity to be a part of the increase in popularity for boys volleyball.”
How would you describe the kind of culture you hope to build with this team?: “I believe culture is a crucial part of a successful program. I want to emphasize the idea of having fun. This sounds pretty simple in theory, but it can get lost in the heat of competition sometimes. It breaks my heart when I see kids playing a sport during high school and they are already experiencing burn out. As someone who had an unbelievable college volleyball experience, high school is just the beginning!”
What are some goals you have for this team besides just winning or losing?: “Creating goals for such a successful program is hard, but there is always room for improvement and growth. Just from attending a few open gyms, I already know that a goal of mine will be to increase each player’s confidence and turn them into leaders. I think that is the biggest difference between girls and boys- we sometimes forget to celebrate the individual wins of the male players. I want to change that during my time as the JV coach!”
