Teaching -- and learning -- on the run
By Nick Hytrek, Journal columnist | Posted: Saturday, August 23, 2008
Coleridge, Neb., High School volleyball coach Ashley Grube, center, hits a ball to players during drills Monday. It was Grube's first practice as a coach. The 21-year-old accepted the job in June. (Photo by Nick Hytrek)
COLERIDGE, Neb. -- Watching Ashley Grube work a whistle, you'd never know she's a rookie.
Watch enough coaches, and you'll likely see one thing in common: They can twirl a whistle around their fingers in a split second. Grube's got that move down like a pro. Her dark blue lanyard quickly wound and unwound at just after 6 a.m. Monday as she conducted her first practice as the Coleridge High School volleyball coach.
It was the first time the 21-year-old had ever coached. At any level.
"I was nervous yesterday. I kept thinking about it. I checked to make sure my alarm was set probably 10 times," Grube said while the 13 girls on her team warmed up before the new season's first practice.
It's that time of year when teenagers across the country are going out for high school athletics, many for the first time. Under their coach's guidance, they try to figure out what they're supposed to do as quickly as they can.
We tend to forget that there are many coaches like Grube -- those doing the teaching -- who are learning on the run, too. Folded up in Grube's hand Monday was a piece of notebook paper with the words "Day One" printed neatly at the top. The day's two practices were scripted, down to the minute, on the paper. Grube doesn't have the experience of having led hundreds of practices, so she thought back to what worked for her during her playing days at nearby Hartington High School, where she graduated in 2005, and Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb.
"I took it from high school and college. I did research online," Grube said of designing the workout. "I'm going on stuff that helped me the most."
Since seventh grade, Grube's focus had been on playing volleyball, not coaching.
"Not until I was in college did I think about coaching," she said.
And when she did, she didn't think it would be this soon. But in June, Coleridge principal Craig Frerichs was still looking for a coach. He ran into Grube, who was working at the Hartington golf course. He asked her what she was doing this fall.
"He called the next day and I went over and met with the superintendent and principal," Grube said.
They offered her the job, which she accepted on the spot.
"It was something I was interested in right away," said Grube, who's finishing a surgical technology degree online from Southeast Community College.
The transition has been pretty smooth. During the summer, Grube watched her new players play in a volleyball league and worked with them during agility training. She has a veteran squad that returns all but one starter from last year's state tournament team. Expectations are high, something that's a little intimidating for the new coach.
"Dealing with pressure will be a little hard at first," Grube said.
If there's pressure there, the players haven't noticed. Keep in mind that to them, someone like Grube, who played in a state tournament herself and in college, is a grizzled veteran.
"I knew she played volleyball, so she knew what was going on," sophomore Morgan Arduser said.
If Grube doesn't, she's pretty good at hiding it. She looked at ease during her first practice, running drills and pulling players aside to give tips on fundamentals. As Grube and assistant coach Sharon Olsen picked up after that first practice, Grube looked a little relieved.
"It actually felt like I'd been doing it a while. It felt really good," she said. "It's going to be easier now. The nerves are going to be gone. Now I can focus on getting ready for the games."
If she gets the hang of the other aspects of coaching as quickly as twirling her whistle, she's got a long, successful career ahead of her.
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
Watch enough coaches, and you'll likely see one thing in common: They can twirl a whistle around their fingers in a split second. Grube's got that move down like a pro. Her dark blue lanyard quickly wound and unwound at just after 6 a.m. Monday as she conducted her first practice as the Coleridge High School volleyball coach.
It was the first time the 21-year-old had ever coached. At any level.
"I was nervous yesterday. I kept thinking about it. I checked to make sure my alarm was set probably 10 times," Grube said while the 13 girls on her team warmed up before the new season's first practice.
It's that time of year when teenagers across the country are going out for high school athletics, many for the first time. Under their coach's guidance, they try to figure out what they're supposed to do as quickly as they can.
We tend to forget that there are many coaches like Grube -- those doing the teaching -- who are learning on the run, too. Folded up in Grube's hand Monday was a piece of notebook paper with the words "Day One" printed neatly at the top. The day's two practices were scripted, down to the minute, on the paper. Grube doesn't have the experience of having led hundreds of practices, so she thought back to what worked for her during her playing days at nearby Hartington High School, where she graduated in 2005, and Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Neb.
"I took it from high school and college. I did research online," Grube said of designing the workout. "I'm going on stuff that helped me the most."
Since seventh grade, Grube's focus had been on playing volleyball, not coaching.
"Not until I was in college did I think about coaching," she said.
And when she did, she didn't think it would be this soon. But in June, Coleridge principal Craig Frerichs was still looking for a coach. He ran into Grube, who was working at the Hartington golf course. He asked her what she was doing this fall.
"He called the next day and I went over and met with the superintendent and principal," Grube said.
They offered her the job, which she accepted on the spot.
"It was something I was interested in right away," said Grube, who's finishing a surgical technology degree online from Southeast Community College.
The transition has been pretty smooth. During the summer, Grube watched her new players play in a volleyball league and worked with them during agility training. She has a veteran squad that returns all but one starter from last year's state tournament team. Expectations are high, something that's a little intimidating for the new coach.
"Dealing with pressure will be a little hard at first," Grube said.
If there's pressure there, the players haven't noticed. Keep in mind that to them, someone like Grube, who played in a state tournament herself and in college, is a grizzled veteran.
"I knew she played volleyball, so she knew what was going on," sophomore Morgan Arduser said.
If Grube doesn't, she's pretty good at hiding it. She looked at ease during her first practice, running drills and pulling players aside to give tips on fundamentals. As Grube and assistant coach Sharon Olsen picked up after that first practice, Grube looked a little relieved.
"It actually felt like I'd been doing it a while. It felt really good," she said. "It's going to be easier now. The nerves are going to be gone. Now I can focus on getting ready for the games."
If she gets the hang of the other aspects of coaching as quickly as twirling her whistle, she's got a long, successful career ahead of her.
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com.
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