Student coaching offers former players unique opportunity
Student coaching positions offer Grand View University students an opportunity to experience real-world situations while studying toward their career goals in school.
Most sports require a full coaching staff and in some cases make use of student coaches as well. Grand View men’s volleyball is one of those teams.
The team is coached by Donan Cruz and three student coaches who all previously played on the team for four years: Rhett Kane, senior kinesiology and health promotion major; Kyle Hanagami, senior kinesiology and health promotion major; and VJ Gonzalez, senior health promotion and wellness management major.
The student coaches provide assistance on the court and are also required to help in the office. They learn everyday office responsibilities and the process of recruiting.
Cruz said the student coaches were all interested in the positions and confronted him wanting to know how to stay involved after their own four years of playing. Cruz acknowledged having the student coaches gives them an advantage because they know the team inside and out.
Hanagami said they provide a unique player perspective to the coaching staff.
“I am not on the court as a player anymore but I can see things that others on the court can’t,” Hanagami said.
Pictured above student coach, Rhett Kane, watching during practice.
“I like the student coaches because they get out on the court and they know how we play and act,” Zakir Pasha, sophomore middle blocker, said.
Kane said student coaching helps prepare him for his career goals and what he will
be doing later in life.
Volleyball isn’t the only sport at Grand View that utilizes student coaches. The football team staffs a large coach workforce, including two student coaches.
Student coach, Kyle Hanagami, working with different players on the team during practice.
Patrick Rolark, senior history major, and Kyle Twait, senior physical education major, played football at Grand View under head coach Mike Woodley and are now coaching alongside him.
Although the team’s overall goal has remained the same, the way Rolark and Twait can contribute to the goal has changed since their playing days.
The student coaches are able to use their experience as players to talk to recruits and relate to their questions and concerns; however, helping with recruiting is just one of the many jobs Twait and Rolark assist with.
Derek Fulton, senior quarterback, feels they are absolutely a necessity to the squad.
Student coach, Kyle Twait senior physical education major, working with players during practice on the field.
“There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes for coaches and having the student coaches available to handle some of the smaller duties like film breakdown and scouting reports gives the full-time coaches more time to game plan and focus on coaching players,” Fulton said. “It’s also great to have guys on the coaching staff that can relate to being a player here at Grand View as well.”
Although both student coaches played with some of the current players on the team, Twait and Fulton agree it doesn’t create any problems.
“I played with most of the now upper-classmen but it hasn’t given me any issues and I don’t notice issues with any of the guys looking or talking to me as a coach either,” Twait said.
Student coach, Patrick Rolark senior history major, working with players on the field during practice.
Fulton added, “I don’t think there are really any challenges for the student coaches to coach us players. We respect them as coaches and understand why they are here to make us better players.”
Rolark and Twait said they would love to continue coaching after Grand View. Their ultimate goals are to become head coaches.
Student coaching provides students the opportunity to prepare for their career goals, offer unique perspectives to the team and continue to share a talent and sport they love.
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