Newcomers to the sport of volleyball in the Gulf Coast Region discover a few things about our area: there’s always a “game on” in a gym or in the sand; it’s a big, happy, complicated family, and you have to meet Coach Kliengsak “Sam” Nimpchaimantham.
If you haven’t heard of him yet, well, he’s famous around here. Famous for his insane athletic ability (his highest measured standing vertical jump was 46” — yep, almost four feet straight up) and famous for his love and knowledge of the game of volleyball. More than anything, however, Sam is known for his love of the athletes who play it. Doesn’t matter if you ever train with him, he still cheers for you with the same passion and respect that he has for his own players. He’s Switzerland and Reagan’s America, both at the same time.
Sam was born in Chainat, Thailand and thought he was born to play soccer. He played all the way from Thailand to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska to Japan as he moved with his USAF family. After high school in Okinawa, he too joined the Air Force in 1983 and continued to play soccer until 1986 when a knee injury in a match versus the Navy (a very important detail) ended his soccer career. Sam was then introduced to volleyball by Stan Celebrado while stationed at Eglin AFB. Sam recalls, “Stan and his family showed me and the volleyball community what the aloha spirit and Ohana is all about. He taught me and trained me along with the men and women of the Eglin varsity volleyball community. He’s more than a mentor, he’s my adopted Dad”. T
wo years later, Sam made the United States All Air Force team on which he played for the next 18 years, winning 9 gold and 7 silver medals. Throughout these years, he was selected as a seven-time member of the U.S. All-Armed Forces Team, which represents the U.S.A. at the Military World Games and other international championships around the world. Soccer who?
While stationed at Eglin (where he retired in 2007), Sam eventually added “coach” to his resume as well. He has coached and mentored an estimated one thousand indoor and beach volleyball players at the adult, high school and club levels with great success. He also keeps current professional letters to back up all this experience: he’s USAV Increased Mastery and Professional Application of Coaching Theory (IMPACT) and USA Beach Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program (USAV-BCAP I & II) certified.
Many of his players have gone on to play their sport in college, but they always call Coach Sammy to catch up when they’re back in town. His sand players (Sammy’s Sand Turtles) often “come home” to the full-sized court in his backyard where it all started for them, to play ball with old friends and mentor new players. They all know that no matter where they are in the world, they will always be Ohana — family. One such athlete is Brittany Pase who just helped her team at the University of North Florida win the NCAA Atlantic Sun Beach Volleyball Championships in April. Brittany says, “Without Sammy, there’s no way I’d be near the athlete or person I am. He helped me at any time, any place when I needed it and always encouraged and believed in me. He’s family and without him, I’m not even sure I would even still be playing.”
Speaking of family, Sam is the very proud father of two children, Kody and Keanna; above it all, they are his greatest achievement and source of joy. When he’s not spending time with them or at work on Duke Field, you can usually find Sam at the new 850 Elite Volleyball Academy facility in Valparaiso, where he coaches both indoor and sand volleyball. Just ask for the genuinely humble guy who looks like he was born to play volleyball.
June 2016
Emerald Coast
Sand Volleyball
Written and Photo by: Rachel McMenimen
