2016 DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR

GRACHELLA GARCIA

Grachella Garcia is a committed member of the volleyball community, dedicating herself to the sport both on and off the court. She is constantly going above and beyond what is required of her as a coach and because of that has become so much more to the players in her program. Grachella is a mentor, a role model, a friend, and a coach. She has taken the time to give the players in her program more than simple volleyball skills. Although her ability to teach the skills necessary to play the game are undoubtedly exceptional, what she offers in addition to this is so much more. She instills a belief that hard work will pay off and that even if the result is not always the desired one, there are positives in every situation. Grachella’s love for the game is infectious and she has the ability to get her teams to buy into her vision, and that working together to benefit the whole far outweighs playing for individual gain. Grachella is fair and honest and inspires her players to succeed both on and off the court. She is committed to teaching athletes the value in sport outside of just the game. She encourages athletes to see that the skills they learn being part of a team will help them to grow as people outside of sport. “She exposes our best qualities and encourages us to strive to be the best athletes that we can be” says current NAVC 15U player, Ally Bunker. “She teaches us how to improve our character by challenging our capabilities and pushing our limits, helping us to reach for things that we wouldn't otherwise be able to achieve. She knows how to challenge all of us to be the best volleyball players we can be and I have never felt so strongly influenced by a coach.”

It is clear that Grachella is admired by her players and has had a positive impact on many young lives, but the acknowledgement of her impact doesn’t stop there. “What we admire in Grachella is that she goes beyond the game within her team and helps these athletes to also develop off the court”, says Aspire Volleyball Director, Lorne Sawula. “She has taught them her philosophy that everything that you do as an athlete translates into your life experiences. Her own drive and determination translates into a role model that is special and not often found within the volleyball coaching world and I believe she would be a special choice for this award”. Grachella goes above and beyond, committing herself to being a constant student of the game. She is a current staff coach at Aspire Volleyball Training Center in addition to her role as head coach of the NAVC 15U program, demonstrating her willingness to learn and grow as a coach. Through example, she teaches her team that the commitment to yourself and your teammates is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year kind of job. Being an athlete isn’t just a part time job and what they give to themselves and their teammates will be given back. Grachella is not only creating better athletes but she is creating better people. She is committed to establishing a higher level of expectation and providing opportunity for our next generation of athletes and for that we thank her and are honored to award her the 2016 Mikasa Development Coach of the Year.

Grachella Garcia is a committed member of the volleyball community, dedicating herself to the sport both on and off the court. She is constantly going above and beyond what is required of her as a coach and because of that has become so much more to the players in her program. Grachella is a mentor, a role model, a friend, and a coach. She has taken the time to give the players in her program more than simple volleyball skills. Although her ability to teach the skills necessary to play the game are undoubtedly exceptional, what she offers in addition to this is so much more. She instills a belief that hard work will pay off and that even if the result is not always the desired one, there are positives in every situation. Grachella’s love for the game is infectious and she has the ability to get her teams to buy into her vision, and that working together to benefit the whole far outweighs playing for individual gain. Grachella is fair and honest and inspires her players to succeed both on and off the court. She is committed to teaching athletes the value in sport outside of just the game. She encourages athletes to see that the skills they learn being part of a team will help them to grow as people outside of sport. “She exposes our best qualities and encourages us to strive to be the best athletes that we can be” says current NAVC 15U player, Ally Bunker. “She teaches us how to improve our character by challenging our capabilities and pushing our limits, helping us to reach for things that we wouldn't otherwise be able to achieve. She knows how to challenge all of us to be the best volleyball players we can be and I have never felt so strongly influenced by a coach.”

It is clear that Grachella is admired by her players and has had a positive impact on many young lives, but the acknowledgement of her impact doesn’t stop there. “What we admire in Grachella is that she goes beyond the game within her team and helps these athletes to also develop off the court”, says Aspire Volleyball Director, Lorne Sawula. “She has taught them her philosophy that everything that you do as an athlete translates into your life experiences. Her own drive and determination translates into a role model that is special and not often found within the volleyball coaching world and I believe she would be a special choice for this award”. Grachella goes above and beyond, committing herself to being a constant student of the game. She is a current staff coach at Aspire Volleyball Training Center in addition to her role as head coach of the NAVC 15U program, demonstrating her willingness to learn and grow as a coach. Through example, she teaches her team that the commitment to yourself and your teammates is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year kind of job. Being an athlete isn’t just a part time job and what they give to themselves and their teammates will be given back. Grachella is not only creating better athletes but she is creating better people. She is committed to establishing a higher level of expectation and providing opportunity for our next generation of athletes and for that we thank her and are honored to award her the 2016 Mikasa Development Coach of the Year.