Former Athabascan Nathan Bennett has become the assistant volleyball coach at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.
“It is an opportunity to work at the highest level of volleyball we have in Canada apart from the national team,” Bennett said. “My goal has always been to be a head coach in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport), and I felt that to make that a reality, this move will be a beneficial one.”
Bennett said he would be working closely with Pat Hennelly and Chad Grimm (men’s and women’s head coaches, respectively) to learn from them and get a feel for the CIS.
“I got into volleyball in Grade 7 at Edwin Parr,” Bennett said. “Mentors such as Brian LeMessurier, Bonnie Speers and Sean Morrison helped me along the way.”
Bennett attended the University of Alberta, and in second year while he was working volleyball camps, he decided he wanted to be a coach.
“Since then, I have coached or been involved with a summer volleyball camp every year,” he explained. “This year, in fact, it is our 10th anniversary of Impact Volleyball Camp, (of) which I am a managing director.”
Camps will be held in Barrhead and Westlock this summer, and anyone who is interested can check out www.impactvolleyballcamp.com.
“Since I was forced to retire from playing due to injury in March 2012, I looked for a coaching position,” Bennett said. “The last two years, I was the head coach at Capilano University.”
Capilano is a member of the PACWEST (Pacific Western) Athletics Association, a college sports association that consists of 13 member institutions.
“My first year as a head coach, we won the conference championship,” Bennett said. “Last year, we had a more difficult year due to injuries and lost in the quarterfinals.”
Bennett has also been involved in the B.C. provincial team program.
“In 2012, I was an assistant at the 17U level, whereas this year and last year, I was and will be the head coach,” he said. “In 2012, we won a silver, and 2013 we won gold at the Western Elite Championships.”
Bennett said others wishing to get into coaching should stay true to themselves.
“Stay strong to your values and to what you believe in,” he said. “Be as prepared as possible, and remember that you are always evolving. There is never an endgame in coaching; you will always be learning something.”
