Ep 45: From Player to Coach: Emily Poole's Volleyball Journey

Hard work can be fun! In this episode of Bump, Set, Mic, Chuck and Brian are joined by Coach Emily Poole, head women's volleyball coach at Arcadia University and member of the TNT Volleyball coaching staff, as she shares her volleyball journey and blueprint for how very competitive teams can also have an enjoyable time as well at both the club and collegiate levels.

Chuck, Brian, and Emily cover her path from York, PA to Division I volleyball, navigating academics at Lehigh, and the moment she realized coaching—not the corporate world—was her future. Emily shares how she was thrown into college coaching during COVID, what it was like to take over the Arcadia program at 24, and how she builds competitive, academically driven teams that still have fun.

Specific to the club side, Emily reflects on last year's TNT 17 Platinum run to USAV Nationals, the culture that kept them locked in through a long season, and what she's looking for as she takes over 16 Platinum this coming season. The epiosde closes with practical perspective on TNT tryouts, recruiting realities, and how families can keep their sanity during one of the most stressful times of the year.

Segment 1 – Emily's Volleyball Journey and Development as a Player (0:00 - 17:58)

• Returning from nationals with club in full summer mode and a brief recap of the time in Florida
• Introducing Coach Emily Poole – Arcadia head coach, TNT coach, a Colts fan in Eagles country
• Emily's start in volleyball: late to the sport, middle school-only at first, invited as a guest player for nationals
• Her high school experience at Central York, the impact of strong coaches, and discovering grass volleyball
• Reaching D1 at Lehigh: the extra work put in and how Emily built full-skill IQ as a middle
• Reframing the middle position: not just "the tall kid," but a complete athlete who must learn all skills
• Balancing high academics with D1 volleyball, a sophomore slump, and how a new coach's academic standards reset Emily's approach
• Sharing that academic emphasis with her own college and club teams (team GPAs, study halls, support systems)
• Favorite memories at Lehigh
• When volleyball became more than "just playing" for Emily

Segment 2 – Building a College Program and Coaching Philosophy (17:58  - 44:14)

• Emily's graduate assistant experience at Lehigh
• Coaching through COVID, promotion by necessity, and how the COVID-era experience helpd shape Emily's readiness
• The Arcadia opportunity and Emily's coaching style
• Chuck's perspecitve based on feedback about the 17 Platinum experience from Emily's players last season
• Balancing "fun" and high standards; dismantling the myth that fun and competitiveness can't coexist
• Building a culture at Arcadia 
• The roads that led Emily to TNT
• More on the 17 Platinum experience and the dedication of the team's players
• "We want Puerto Rico" -  players pushing for a bigger national schedule for the coming season, aiming high, and a quick discussion about playing up instead of sandbagging
• Key differences for Emily between college and club coaching: recruiting vs. life mentoring, opponent scouting vs. unknown brackets, systems vs. heavy skills work

Segment 3 – The Coming Season, Player Traits, and Tryouts (44:24 - 59:47)

• Emily's new role for the coming season with 16 Platinum along with her goals for the team and its players
• What Emily feels that 16s players need the most: sharpening core skills, starting to layer in more complex systems, and learning to communicate productively on the court
• More on communication and leadership, the need to separate feedback from personal feelings, and how players must find their voice
• The traits Emily looks for in players: attitue, effort, coachability, and competitiveness
• Emily's "middle bias" - comfortable with all positions, but especially passionate (and demanding) with middles and blocking systems
• Contributions Emily makes to the club besides coaching a team
• The benefits of having college coaches at TNT to help players understand what will be expected if they want to move up and play in college
• The upcoming tryout season: the resulting anxiety for players and parents, rumor mills, and Chuck's firm stance on no early offers before tryouts and the club's ethical tryout philosophy
• Why tryout session times are assigned just before tryouts at TNT
• Additional perspectives on tryouts for families available in previous episodes 7 and 29
• More tryout advice for families
• Club website and social media contacts, how to reach Emily and Leon Kasperski for recruiting help, and encouragement for everyone heading into upcoming tryouts and high school seasons