OKLAHOMA CITY – Certain opportunities are rare for head coaches, and participating in a prestigious coaches' workshop falls among such opportunities. Even less frequently does such an experience come prior to a coach's first season on the bench. For Mid-America Christian University head volleyball coach Faith Avalos, such an opportunity presented itself to her last week.
Avalos was one of 47 coaches from a variety of different sports who took part in the annual Marine Corps Coaches' Workshop in Triangle, Virginia from May 16-19. The group featured coaches from numerous sports, including football, basketball, soccer, swimming, and tennis; and its participants ranged from the NCAA Division I level all the way down to the high school ranks.
"I cannot properly express how grateful I am for this experience," Avalos expressed. "Thank you to the Marines who took the time to tell us about your experiences, to answer all our countless questions, and for showing us what passion and dedication your have. Thank you to Major Sargent Cason for organizing this workshop and for making it an experience of a life time. Thank you to the men and women who keep this nation safe. You are true leaders of this great country and we are forever grateful for your service."
Avalos was one of 11 volleyball coaches in attendance, all of whom hold membership in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association – a partner with the Marine Corps in the event. The week provided opportunities for networking, leadership training, and team building exercises, and in order to participate, Avalos had to apply and be selected to one of the limited spaces in the event.
The coaches in attendance took part in a variety of activities, with each group of coaches partnering with a marine leader from officer's candidate school. Each day included a variety of events focused on equipping the coaches in attendance with essential leadership skills and programs they can share with their student-athletes based on first-hand experiences.
The coaches were trained in handling of weapons and military vehicles in a simulation setting, and they had team building exercises in those simulations that helped build communication skills. Included in these simulations was an exercise in which coaches were placed in a hummer simulator, which then flipped over to an inverted angle, and the coaches had to work together to escape the vehicle quickly and safely. Avalos noted this as one of her favorite exercises from the week.
The coaches also took part in martial arts and self-defense training, and they heard from some well-respected Marine Corps officers, both active and retired, during the week. Among the speakers were Colonel Kenneth D. Dunn (Ret.), Colonel Terence D. Trenchard, Colonel Mark Clingan, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Shusko, and Lieutenant Colonel Sean Braziel. Among those speakers, Lt. Col. Braziel was able to speak to the coaches, not only as a leader in the military sense, but also from a coaching perspective, as he is currently serving as the performance coach and team development advisor for USA Hockey, and he served as the Team Advisor for the Men's Olympic team in Pyeongchang, Korea this past February.
Another highlight of the week for Avalos and the rest of the coaches came on Friday evening during the Evening Parade. The weather was rainy, and as a result, General Robert Neller invited the coaches to be his guests in a sheltered room to watch the parade. "That was a huge honor for us," Avalos said of being invited in to observe the parade with the highest ranking officer in the Marines and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Neller currently serves as the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps.
Avalos also made it a point to encourage those with more questions to reach out. "If anyone wants to know more about the workshop, what we did, and what we learned, please don't hesitate to contact me personally," she said. She also encourages anyone who would like to show support for the Marines, or anyone who would like to partner with them in any capacity, to reach out to the Marines directly. In Oklahoma City, the number to reach the Marines is 405-378-0801.
