Eastern Michigan Athletics
Lasting Lessons Learned for Olson at Marine Coaching Workshop
6/2/2017 3:09:00 PM | Volleyball
EMU volleyball coach spent four days in Quantico, Va., May 17-20
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Following a four-day Marine Corps Coaching Workshop in Quantico, Va., May 17-20, Eastern Michigan University Head Volleyball Coach Kimi Olson returned to Ypsilanti full of new leadership ideas.
The workshop hosted coaches from across the country and Olson was one of only five Division I coaches to be selected for the conference. The goal of the workshop was to teach coaches how Marine Officers are recruited, screened, and developed into leaders while also helping diversify the Corps' ranks and increase its connectedness to American society.
"The Marines have this system that produces the best soldiers in the world to go out and do one of the most important things in the world, which is fighting for our freedom," Olson stated. "Just having the opportunity to see inside that culture was an amazing experience."
Among the activities Olson participated in over the action-packed weekend included, early morning physical training (often called PT by soldiers), obstacle courses, a leadership reaction course, a patrol/combat lifesaving demo, and a martial arts demo.
During the workshop, Olson learned new ways to improve the EMU volleyball program and recruiting.
"The Marines gave me a whole new way of looking at my program from the structuring of my staff according to our strengths, the way I lay out the foundation of our values to the team, and how I recruit, select, and screen student athletes," Olson said. "My head is so full of ideas, which is so exciting, and now we have to get them rolling."
Olson also noted the importance of military recruiting and how that can translate to college athletics.
"The folks hosting this event were Marines recruiters," Olson said. "They talked with us about their mission to train men and women into the best version of him or herself, creating great soldiers. That aligns perfectly with what we're trying to do here."
"The goal is finding the right kids, winning matches and sending them into the world to be great people in the community."
Olson mentioned the positive energy that surrounded the training and among all the other coaches that attended the workshop.
"Everybody at that event was so ready, open to learn, share, and feed off everyone else," Olson said. "Even when we weren't in learning sessions, many of the coaches were asking the Marines questions about their experiences and relating them to athletics."
The weekend filled Olson with high hopes for the upcoming season and thoughts of how to improve not only the EMU volleyball program, but also as a coach and mentor.
"I've decided I need to be more structured in the everyday and step up the expectations in all things," Olson said. "The most important way I can do that is if I can get to know those girls even better and what makes them tick."
Olson also mentioned that she learned better ways to improve many aspects of the program.
"The first thing you have to figure out as a head coach is to sort through what is important and what is not," Olson said. "I'm taking a look at my entire program and making sure I have the right people on board and why they're here and why I'm here and what we are trying to do."
The Eagles open up their 2017 season, Aug. 25, against Oakland University in Indianapolis, Ind. at 11:30 a.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Following a four-day Marine Corps Coaching Workshop in Quantico, Va., May 17-20, Eastern Michigan University Head Volleyball Coach Kimi Olson returned to Ypsilanti full of new leadership ideas.
The workshop hosted coaches from across the country and Olson was one of only five Division I coaches to be selected for the conference. The goal of the workshop was to teach coaches how Marine Officers are recruited, screened, and developed into leaders while also helping diversify the Corps' ranks and increase its connectedness to American society.
"The Marines have this system that produces the best soldiers in the world to go out and do one of the most important things in the world, which is fighting for our freedom," Olson stated. "Just having the opportunity to see inside that culture was an amazing experience."
Among the activities Olson participated in over the action-packed weekend included, early morning physical training (often called PT by soldiers), obstacle courses, a leadership reaction course, a patrol/combat lifesaving demo, and a martial arts demo.
During the workshop, Olson learned new ways to improve the EMU volleyball program and recruiting.
"The Marines gave me a whole new way of looking at my program from the structuring of my staff according to our strengths, the way I lay out the foundation of our values to the team, and how I recruit, select, and screen student athletes," Olson said. "My head is so full of ideas, which is so exciting, and now we have to get them rolling."
Olson also noted the importance of military recruiting and how that can translate to college athletics.
"The folks hosting this event were Marines recruiters," Olson said. "They talked with us about their mission to train men and women into the best version of him or herself, creating great soldiers. That aligns perfectly with what we're trying to do here."
"The goal is finding the right kids, winning matches and sending them into the world to be great people in the community."
Olson mentioned the positive energy that surrounded the training and among all the other coaches that attended the workshop.
"Everybody at that event was so ready, open to learn, share, and feed off everyone else," Olson said. "Even when we weren't in learning sessions, many of the coaches were asking the Marines questions about their experiences and relating them to athletics."
The weekend filled Olson with high hopes for the upcoming season and thoughts of how to improve not only the EMU volleyball program, but also as a coach and mentor.
"I've decided I need to be more structured in the everyday and step up the expectations in all things," Olson said. "The most important way I can do that is if I can get to know those girls even better and what makes them tick."
Olson also mentioned that she learned better ways to improve many aspects of the program.
"The first thing you have to figure out as a head coach is to sort through what is important and what is not," Olson said. "I'm taking a look at my entire program and making sure I have the right people on board and why they're here and why I'm here and what we are trying to do."
The Eagles open up their 2017 season, Aug. 25, against Oakland University in Indianapolis, Ind. at 11:30 a.m.
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