Stay Competitive

We all want our athletes to reach for their greatness.  They might become great with hard work, practice, training, grit, but great is not the same as greatness.  Their greatness is the absolute pinnacle of their potential.  They can only get to this point by adding in  confidence through positive influences.   As a parent I've seen far too many coaches breaking their players down, yelling and at times screaming at them on the sidelines thinking that will help them in the long run.  Fear and disapproval will motivate but it will not develop the mindset needed for consistent success.  Until players believe in themselves they will not reach their greatness.  That is where the Russell coaching team rises above all the others.  

Kara and Philip Russell are outstanding athletes, they love the game of volleyball and can actually play it with expertise.  That alone places them at an elite level of coaching.  But more important than that, they care as much about their athletes off the court as they do on.  They apply solid coaching practices to not only teach skills but to develop the mental game of their athletes.  They understand the whole athlete perspective and invest in their players fully.  As a parent, I've seen teams that have far more skill lose on the court to opponents with a stronger mindset of success.  Developing the love for the sport is a place where the Russell's shine.  The years my daughters spent under their guidance on and off the court was pivotal to their development not only as athletes but much more importantly as people.  We all want the best for our children, in the realm of coaching and volleyball in Massachusetts, the Russells are the best.

Dr. Tom Grebouski, Peak Performance Coach, Berwick, ME

My daughter's first volleyball coaches were Kara and Philip Russell, starting in 4th grade and continuing through middle school. I cannot imagine a better foundation for her as a volleyball player. There are two aspects of coaching to consider. The first is how coaches train and develop the skills of their players. In this capacity, the Russells are exceptional. They break down and explain skills so that players truly learn the nuances and can then begin to intuitively apply the skills. In doing so, players develop the basics and then add on to these so that their skills become refined. This ability to develop players also makes the Russells incredible at seeing the abilities within their players. My daughter started her volleyball career playing libero and DS, and loved it. When the Russells started playing her as a setter, she resisted, locked into her thought of herself in the one position. They saw beyond that and challenged her to try different positions, including setter...a position which is now her primary position in high school.

But the technical expertise the Russells have for this sport is nothing when compared to their ability to develop their players personally. Their interest in their players' growth as individuals is genuine and the players feel this. The Russells make sure that the game doesn't overshadow a player's experience as an adolescent. As an example, my daughter was experiencing a level of cognitive dissonance after a game in which she served 23 points in a row. For many kids, this would have been an exciting moment, but this was not the case for my daughter who tends to consider the perspectives of her peers to guide her actions. She came home, feeling guilty about "how [she] made the other team feel". Because the Russells take the time to know their players as people, they knew she might not see that experience positively. They called her that night to process the situation with her and support her. This type of connection enables Kara and Philip to facilitate the development of their players, in volleyball and in life. I know that for my daughter, the Russells were and continue to be pivotal mentors in her life.

Robin Buckley, PhD