The girls’ volleyball team at Duval Charter School at Baymeadows is on the upswing. After a winless (0-7) season in 2012, the team went 2-9 in 2013 before a jump to becoming a 6-9 playoff-bound group this past season. For this issue of In the Game Magazine, we sat down with head coach Jessica Converse, who has led the Lady Panthers to the postseason in her first year.
Tell us a little about your coaching experience.
I will be going into my second year as Head Volleyball Coach for Duval Charter at Baymeadows High School. I started coaching volleyball in 2009 when I was in college, coaching a Men’s Club Volleyball team. We had a few travel games and practiced once a week the first year. This was probably one of the most challenging teams to coach as none of the men on the team ever played volleyball before. I continued coaching until I graduated. The goal was to make the team successful enough to develop it into a Division III Collegiate Team. The year I graduated, the school approved the team and the following year Cazenovia College had a Men’s Volleyball Division III Team. In 2011 I joined Cayuga Community College as the Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach. This was a great experience as it opened my eyes to new responsibilities as a coach.
Does your experience extend to playing as well?
Yes; I grew up playing volleyball, basketball and softball most of my life. All throughout high school I played for my high school team as well as AAU and a local traveling league team. I was consistently playing sports. When I got to college I knew it would be hard trying to manage school and sports but somehow I managed and played volleyball and basketball as well as tried crew and golf, both for one year.
What changes in attitude and leadership have you seen in your players as they develop and improve?
5 girls remain from last season. We only had 2 seniors and the rest were freshman or sophomores. We had a very young team. I can say with confidence that come their senior year, we will be a team that is hard to beat. These girls have been playing together for a while and some play together on club teams. They work well together.
How do you provide motivation and encouragement for the team as they work their way into becoming contenders?
I am a very realistic and strategic person. I analyze everything before a game from the other team, other coaches, the fans, my player’s attitudes and the refs. I feel you need to know the emotions and talents of what you are walking into before trying to motivate players.
Did you, in any way, have to alter your coaching style or approach in order for change to take place within the team? If so, what changed?
My coaching style has stayed the same from when I first began coaching until now. Conditioning, fundamentals and defense are my priorities when it comes to a season.
How does the community support your team’s effort and improvement over the last few seasons?
I am very lucky to have such a wonderful group of volleyball parents. The parents made my first year at Duval much easier. I didn’t have an assistant coach or manager, and all the parents stepped up and helped every single game. It had such a positive impact on our season, not just for me, but for the players. My parents did not miss one of my sporting games growing up and it always made me feel like I had support, and that is exactly what student-athletes need, especially this age group.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming season?
I know we will continue to keep improving. We have new conditioning equipment and a new staff of Middle School and JV coaches. We have a strong team coming back and only lost one starter.
Northeast Florida/June 2015
Jessica Converse
Duval Charter School at Baymeadows
Jacksonville, Fla.
by James Washington
