Parker Salomon
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa girls beach volleyball team has welcomed an Olympic coach to its coaching staff in hopes of improving the team in the 2016 season.
In the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Eric Fonoimoana became an Olympic Gold Medal winner in beach volleyball, along with his partner Dain Blanton. Fonoimoana has played beach volleyball professionally for more than 18 years, and has entered in over 200 tournaments.
“We really focused on one game at a time,” Fonoimoana said. “It was a dream to go to the Olympics, and I believe that it taught me how to perform under pressure.”
Fonoimoana’s volleyball success went past the Olympics, as he continued to win tournaments between 1998 and 2004. In 2002, he was honored as the Most Valuable Player in the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals).
“Almost everything that I have learned was self-taught, so it is rewarding to see how much I have achieved,” Fonoimoana said.
Fonoimoana has one of the longest volleyball careers in history, and he is one of the top ten players in terms of most tournaments played. Later on, Fonoimoana got honored by his college, University of California Santa Barbara and was elected into its Hall of Fame.
“I have gained so much experience over the years, and I feel honored to be given such high praise,” Fonoimoana said. “I love to share what I have learned with others, which is why I am coaching at Costa.”
After Fonoimoana had reached his goal of earning one million dollars from playing beach volleyball, he decided to focus more on coaching than playing. After teaching many clinics and coaching Mira Costa’s boys indoor volleyball team, he has decided to return to Mira Costa and coach the girls beach team.
“The girls beach volleyball team has an amazing coaching staff, and it is very fortunate to have an Olympian as a coach,” beach volleyball coach Emily Stockman said. “Fonoimoana has a ton of experience with the game and the team will benefit a lot from being coached by him.”
According to Stockman, Fonoimoana has been instrumental to the girls beach volleyball program as he has implemented new drills and techniques in hopes of improving the team. Fonoimoana says he will focus on removing any of the simple mistakes that occur during the games by making the girls more technical players.
“Fonoimoana will not only be able to teach them the technique and strategy of the game, but through his experiences, he can show the girls the willpower and determination it takes to get to the highest level,” Stockman said.
According to beach volleyball coach Scott Davenport, Fonoimoana imparts his work ethic and dedication to winning on the girls daily at practices. His goal is to breed competition in every drill, and to give the girls a winning mindset. Fonoimoana also makes sure the team pays attention to the details and stays focused on the task at hand.
“One of the biggest advantages of having Fonoimoana leading the team is that he can guide the girls on how to handle pressure in big moments,” Davenport said. “The mental side of the game is one of the hardest to teach young players which is why the knowledge and experience he brings to the team is so valuable.”
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