London 2012 Prepares Gallery

London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Gallery

Coach

The coach in volleyball is central to every team, they are the seventh member ‘on court’ and teams can win or lose according to the skills of their coach.

Many often settle within a specific area of coaching - e.g. club, junior, senior or national. Strength and conditioning coaches often also support teams.

There are only a few female international coaches - Ping Lang, who coached the USA Women to Olympic silver in Athens, is the exception. In Europe, the Czech Republic women's team was coached by Tana Krempaska and an earlier pioneer was Hungary's Gabriella Kotsis. England's Audrey Cooper is now Head Coach of the GB Women's team.

Great Britain along with some other sports in the UK play as Home Nations in all World international competitions except the Olympics.

The current GB teams obviously owe much to the work of some very talented and hard working individuals. These include Jefferson Williams in England (currently England Women's development Head Coach) and Thomas Dowens in Scotland (currently Scotland's Director of Coaching), Ian Legrand, and Audrey Cooper, England Men's and Women's Coaches until the England programme faltered when players moved to the GB Teams and there was no more funding for the Senior England Teams, Keith Trenam, (coach to Sport Sheffield, the Volleyball England Men's Volleyball development programme and previously England Junior Men), Carol Gordon, England Cadet Boys' Coach for many years and England Junior Women's Coaches, Pete Brooks and Nick Appleton. England's Denise Austin and Mo Glover's initiatives began to establish a structure for beach volleyball junior development in England. Funding within volleyball has meant that many work without pay and within very tight budgets. Regional and club coaches are also key to the game of volleyball.

The Coach gallery has images of leading coaches with teams at matches and in training.