Catherine Geerlings
Catherine Greelings
Head Coach, Agnes Scott College
AVCA: Who or what has made you want to pursue coaching?
Catherine Geerlings: I love the sport of volleyball for many different reasons, but I find a certain joy in coaching and feel very blessed to be able to do what I love. I am also passionate about mentoring and coaching is another way to reach others to help them be successful both on and off the volleyball court. I enjoy preparing players for life by encouraging and teaching them that success is not just about winning volleyball matches, but about working together successfully towards a common goal. Working with others is a vital part of life, and learning how to be successful together helps everyone.
AVCA: Who or what has been your biggest coaching influence?
CG: I have had many wonderful individuals influence me throughout my life, beginning with my high school volleyball coach, Joanna Carlock. She was the epitome of composure in the toughest of situations. Gool Castleberry, founder of the Alamo Volleyball Association Junior Club Program, trained me how to think as a setter and was instrumental in teaching me about the mental game of volleyball. In addition, my Alamo club coach, Mark Papich, was instrumental by challenging and growing me to be a better player, and making volleyball fun at the same time. Finally, my volleyball coach at Southwestern University, Dr. Glada Munt, helped me overcome mental obstacles by encouraging how me to set and reach short term goals, and transforming them into achieving higher long term goals. All of these individuals pushed me to excel both in the classroom and on the volleyball court. In fact, when I accepted the position at Agnes Scott, I called Dr. Munt and she was gracious enough to share her experiences as a new head volleyball coach with me to help me begin my head coaching career. All of these individuals were wonderful examples and inspiring coaches.
AVCA: Please list your past and present coaching/playering experience:
CG: This is my second year as the head volleyball coach at Agnes Scott College. Our volleyball team qualified for the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Championship for the first time in four years, losing to the eventual conference champions in the quarterfinals. This team also produced one Great South all-conference player, one all-freshman player and one all-academic player. This season we are experiencing many successes, and currently have a 10-8 record, already doubling our wins from last season.
Prior to coming to Agnes Scott, I was the head volleyball coach at Trinity Christian School in Sharpsburg, Ga. After volunteering the first year, I was hired as the head coach and helped transition the volleyball program into the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) and coached two all-region players my second year before accepting the position at Agnes Scott.
As a four-year player at Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, I helped our team make four consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances and we finished in the top five of the national tournament each year. During my senior year at Southwestern, I was named team captain and was an NAIA All-Region setter and the District 4 Setter of the Year.
In addition to coaching at the club level in Georgia, I also played club volleyball as a part of the Alamo Volleyball Association Junior Club Program in San Antonio, Texas. While there, I captained three national finishing teams at the Junior Olympics.
Among other awards while attending South San Antonio High School, I was one of only six female volleyball athletes in San Antonio to be named to the All-City Volleyball First Team both my junior and senior years of high school (1986-1987).
AVCA: What are you most looking forward to at the 2011 AVCA Annual Convention?
CG: As a second year head coach, I am looking forward to learning how to become a better coach by expanding my knowledge of the game and learning how to make practices both productive and fun. I would also love to learn more about building programs, how to successfully recruit Division III players, and ways to successfully retain players while rebuilding a program into a successful program.
