About Coach Abby
I began coaching when I was 18 in summer of 2020. COVID had all courts and gyms shut down, so I began to self-train and self-coach on by backyard courts in Surfside. I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge with young athletes and seeing my words and demonstrations impacted my girls inspired me to keep giving back to the sport that made me. I had some parents of girls I coached at kid’s camp in Utah connect with me and ask if I did private lessons, and as the broke college student I was, I said, “I do now!”
I had two clients for the duration of my three years at Utah. My first girl came to me with no knee pads, no hair tie, and Converse for volleyball shoes when she was 10 years old. She is now 15 and entering the recruiting stage of her volleyball career.
My career has been full of ups and downs. At Utah, I did not have a good relationship with my coach and I battled the decision of quitting every time I stepped into the gym. But seeing little Madison walk into the gym every day with so much excitement to learn helped me stay grounded and realize that in the end, this journey would be so much more than volleyball.
When I decided to come home to Long Beach, the first thing I wanted to do was get back to coaching. Watching the girls fall in love with learning and getting one percent better every day gives me purpose in my own sport. Watching them fall in love with the game that has been my safe place through my own teenage years and especially through the struggles of young adulthood brings me so much joy. Lastly, I want to be someone the girls can come to for mentorship both inside and outside of volleyball. I hope to train them to prepare for the obstacles that volleyball and life will throw at them, and have their backs on their worst days.
I am so excited to meet all of your beautiful daughters and support them on their journeys! Much love, AK.
About Me
COACH ABBY’S WHY
Love for learning.
Love of the game.
More than volleyball.
My WHY.
When you dedicate your entire life to something, it is easy to get caught up in the mental mess of questioning your purpose or your belief in yourself. This is something that I have struggled with my entire career. I let other people’s opinions and words control the image I had of myself as an athlete. However, there is no better feeling than proving people wrong.
Being told I would never be good enough, tall enough, and physical enough to succeed at the highest level is my biggest motivation every time I step foot in the gym. I am so grateful for every person who didn’t believe in me, because they pushed me to be where I am today.
It is my own personal goal to get 1% better every day. I have fallen in love with my own journey of growth and learning, and after playing this sport for almost 10 years, I can confirm that there is always something more to learn. My goal as a coach is to instill this love for learning in every one of my athletes.
One of the most common asked interview questions to high level athletes is what keeps us positive and motivated during hard times. The answer is more often than not, our love of the game. There is no reason to put time and effort towards anything you don’t love. The game of volleyball has been my rock through every obstacle I have faced as a young woman. There is nothing that heals my mind more than putting knee pads on and playing the game I love with my friends. I hope to instill this same feeling of home and peace within the sport in my athletes.
Lastly, the biggest lesson I have learned as a collegiate athlete is that this journey is so much more than volleyball. The relationships you build with your coaches, teammates, and even opponents, are memorable and stick with you forever. The bonds I share with my teammates are incomparable to any friendships I have outside of my sport. Volleyball has brought me a sisterhood. My coaches have supported me on my worst days, and showed me unconditional love and belief. It is not the wins and losses and stats that these girls will remember at the end of their careers, but it is the memories they shared with each other that will stick with them for life. It is the hard days that they still showed up for and pushed through that builds character. And down the road, they will find a deeper reason to play or person they play for, and volleyball will continue to be so much more than a game for them. It is my goal as a coach to keep them focused and hungry during the times when they want to give up, go home, and put the shoes up, and continue to keep them finding their reason to play.
Rest in Peace Ty Jordan & Aaron Lowe
Thank you for inspiring me to inspire others.