LIVE IT! LOVE IT! COACH IT! — Stories From Volleyball

I am Dr. Anitra Brockman, Head Men’s Volleyball Coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. This is my story from volleyball.

To me, Live It! Love It! Coach It! is not just a phrase. It is a way of showing up in this sport and in life.

Live It! means walking in purpose.

Love It! means staying committed even when the road gets hard.

Coach It! means leading with intention and helping young people become better humans through the game.

This philosophy has guided my entire journey. I have never fit the traditional mold of a volleyball coach, and that is exactly what shaped me into the leader I am today.

HOW I LIVE IT!

My journey began in club volleyball gyms back in 2014, where I learned how to teach, communicate, and build trust. Coaching high school volleyball from 2014 to 2022 strengthened my belief that my purpose was not just to develop skills, but to shape young people. In 2022, I stepped into NCAA Division II men’s volleyball, where connecting with athletes from very different backgrounds was uncomfortable, humbling, and transformative. That experience stretched me into a leader who could coach any athlete in any space and at any level. Every step prepared me for something bigger than I could have imagined.

In 2024, I became not just the head coach of a brand-new Division I men’s volleyball program. I became the first female head coach of a Division I men’s volleyball program at the first Division I HBCU to add men’s volleyball. Heavy is the crown, but I carry it with pride. There are not many coaches who look like me in men’s volleyball, and I want other women to know that it is possible. They can lead. They can excel. They can belong in this space.

Throughout my career, I have walked into rooms where my ability was questioned before I ever introduced myself. Not because of my knowledge or my work ethic, but because I am a woman coaching men. Those quiet doubts used to sting. Now they simply remind me that everything I lived through prepared me to stand exactly where I am.

My mother, Cassandra Brockman, raised me to be fearless, to speak with purpose, and to stand firm even when I am the only woman in the room. My father, Rundle Brockman Sr. (deceased), was a Marine and Vietnam veteran who taught me resilience, discipline, and the pride that comes from holding your name with honor. His lessons remain with me every time I lead a team, make a hard decision, or face doubt. His legacy shapes my leadership.

I am also grateful for the women who coached in this sport long before it was accepted, visible, or supported. They created the foundation so the rest of us could rise. I am fortunate to be surrounded by influential women today, including Tara Owens, UMES vice president of athletics and recreation; Dr. Heidi Anderson, president of UMES; and Ms.

Collene Dean, associate athletic director at UMES. These are women who remind me never to limit myself to a small window when an entire door is wide open. They remind me that I belong in every room I step into, and that I must hold the door open for the women who will follow. These influences ground me, guide me, and fuel my commitment to this work.

WHY I LOVE IT!

I love volleyball because it allows me to pour everything I have learned into the young men I lead. I tell my players “I love you” every single day because those words matter. They build confidence, trust, healing, and a sense of belonging that many young men rarely experience in competitive sports.

I also love this sport because being the underdog shaped me. I spent my entire career proving myself in spaces where people did not expect me to succeed. That experience gave me the ability to see greatness in the underestimated, the overlooked, and the young men who just need someone to believe in them.

I tell my players that having someone believe in you can start the fire, but believing in yourself will change your entire life. I love being the steady voice when the world gets loud around them. I love protecting them when outsiders question what an HBCU men’s volleyball program can achieve. I love helping them realize they are not here to fill space. They are here to create a movement.

HOW I COACH IT!

I coach a player-led culture because I want my athletes to own their voice, their preparation, and their standard. This leadership will serve them long after volleyball ends.

Our foundation is built on Character, Integrity, and Accountability. These values were instilled in me long before I became Coach Brockman. Our mantra, Built to Fly, reminds us that we were not made to match the room. We were meant to elevate it. Our identity, Win or Win, means success is defined by our response, our discipline, and our resilience. We either win on the scoreboard or we win in growth, identity, and legacy.

This is why I coach at a Historically Black College & University. Representation matters. Opportunity matters. Safe spaces matter. Every voice matters. Every young man under my care matters. My purpose is to create a space on and off the court where these young men can flourish academically, athletically, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally.

This will always be bigger than volleyball. Legacy is not measured in wins. It is measured in who we lift, who we love, and who becomes greater because we showed up.

This is my Live It! Love It! Coach It! Every day, I get the privilege to live it alongside the young men who make this journey meaningful and worth everything.

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Dr. Anitra Brockman most recently served as the head men’s volleyball coach at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.

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