By Nicole Miller, Virginia Assistant Volleyball Coach

Throughout my coaching journey, I’ve had the privilege of working and connecting with a variety of coaches and administrators. Now, we normally use our network to help us land the next job but there are other advantages that we are missing out on.

Until recently, I haven’t been taking full advantage of my connections. You can receive guidance and perspective from those within your network, many who have years of experience and knowledge. Why not learn from those who’ve been where you are or want to go?

As I’ve transitioned into my new role at Virginia, I’ve been reaching out to my network more and asking questions. I want to learn to be efficient and not have to reinvent the wheel!

It all came together for me at a conference. This conference hosts female head and assistant coaches from all over the country in an intimate setting. It covers topics ranging from training, contract negotiations, your support staff’s interworking, mental health, and financial health. It’s a privilege to hear from presenters and peers about their experience and to learn and connect. It was so energizing; but I digress!

I decided to capitalize on the moment because I was surrounded by women who’ve already experienced similar things. I wanted to learn and grow, and why not learn from the best in the business? I asked a few if we could set up a time that we could talk and others I asked questions when we were in small groups or in passing. Some examples were:

• How do you organize your day?
• What time do you get up?
• What are you doing for recruiting?
• How much of your day is allotted to recruiting?
• How do you balance work and family?
• What boundaries do you set for yourself?

The great thing about college athletics is coaches are willing to help, share, and connect. It was a great way to strengthen those relationships and you receive knowledge and perspective. Here are a few takeaways:

• Schedule and prioritize your week
• Pick 3-4 tasks to complete for the day
• Schedule time for yourself (This is a MUST)
• Stick to your schedule and share with the staff

As I reflected on the event and my interactions within my network, I realized that I need to lean on those people more; for example, I quickly reached out to my friend who recently became the director of track/cross country. I want to learn about her transition, her thought process of going after a head job, how she prepared herself, etc.

Your network is there to support, share, and advise you. They will be there for you in your good and bad times. My advice is to pick a few coaches that you want to learn from and reach out to schedule a time to connect. You won’t regret it.