Erynn Sweeney

Cypress, CA

Coaching Philosophy:
My biggest goal as a coach would be to give intentional care to each of the players on my team. If it weren’t for Coach Carolyn my 12s year not giving up on me when I was struggling, I might not be playing volleyball today. I hope to be that person for young players – to let them know that someone is in their corner believing in them even when they might not believe in themselves. As a coach, I would strive to instill the values of hard work and dedication into my team, teaching them the importance of giving 100% effort and striving to get 1% better everyday. I would pay attention to the little things and highlight moments of players shagging balls, helping out a teammate, and taking other small actions that might go unnoticed but are vital to team success. I would strive to contribute to a positive team culture where all players are not afraid to try new things, and I would teach my team that the most important thing is striving for your own potential – if you give everything you have and still come up short, you can be content with it. I owe so much to volleyball – to my teammates, coaches, parents, and everyone who has helped me along the way. It has been such a big part of my life for so long, and I want to coach so that I can give back the lessons I have learned to new players, to take volleyball outside the court and apply it to life.

Playing experience and awards: 

College:
– Fordham University – D1, A10 Conference
– Major – International Political Economy

HS:
– Seal Beach Volleyball Club 12s-18s
   ○ 5th Place Team finish Junior Nationals 16s year – National division
   ○ 1st Place Team finish Windy City Qualifier – USA division
   ○ Consistent top 10 finish in SVCA 14s-17s
– Mater Dei High School Senior captain
– Andi Collins character award recipient

What I like to do in my free time:
I love to read – currently, I am reading the diary of Dorothy Day, 20th century social activist and founder of the Catholic Worker movement. I just finished a book called Poverty, By America about the structures that create and perpetuate the wealth gap in our country. Next, I am going to start reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I like all genres of books but my favorite is probably non-fiction. My favorite book of all time is Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Gregory Boyle about the Homeboy Industries gang rehabilitation center in Los Angeles, California. I love to spend time outdoors – going on walks in the New York Botanical Gardens right next to Fordham’s campus or making my way to Orchard Beach in the Bronx/Seal Beach when I’m at home in California. I feel like it really grounds me to be in wide open nature spaces and reminds me that I am a human being in need of rest. I love to listen to music and podcasts, make friendship bracelets, and read stories in The New York Times. One new hobby I recently tried was rock climbing – I went to the Manhattan Athletic Club with my friend Audrey and had a blast.

My favorite volleyball memory:
For most of my 12’s year, I could not serve over the net. I worked so hard everyday at practice – carefully listening to the technical corrections of my coaches, observing my teammates as their serves went over the net with ease to try to figure out what I was doing wrong, going to the park with my dad to get extra practice time – but nothing seemed to work. I was about ready to give up, but my assistant coach that year – Carolyn – did not give up on me. She continued helping me every time we practiced serving, saying things in different ways and giving me visuals to help me understand. I started to serve the occasional ball over the net, but I by no means had a consistent serve. At our first travel tournament in Las Vegas, my team was in the middle of a very close game, and at 24-24, I rotated back to serve. Everyone – including me – thought it would turn out badly, but I ended up making several serves over the net and helping our team win the game. This story reminds me never to give up and to have faith in hard work, and it has given me a lot of hope during my volleyball career when things have not gone my way.