In collegiate athletics, there are 157 men’s volleyball programs that are sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). At the end of each season, only two of those teams are crowned National Champions (Division I-II and Division III respectively). This means that only roughly 40 student-athletes (1% of the total population) will be able to achieve that honor. It’s not a stretch to say that winning championships are rare.
Winning championships in any sport, at any level, is something truly special. And, as anyone who has ever won a national championship will agree, they did so because everyone on the team bought in to the game plan, worked hard in practice and games, and believed they have what it takes to win a national championship.
The next generation of great coaches are front and center; Christian Smith, Nick Laffin, and Steve Woessner.
In that regard, Academy Volleyball is very fortunate to have a stable of young and upcoming coaches who understand this better than anyone as they have all been part of NCAA national championship teams during their playing careers.
Academy currently has four coaches, who were in that rare 1% of players who were crowned champions, right here within its coaching ranks. And they are now transferring that unique knowledge to the athletes within the program. Those coaches include:
Christian Smith, SUNY New Paltz National Champion 2016 (Team Captain, All-American, National Player of the Year, and played professionally in Greece)
Steve Woessner, SUNY New Paltz National Champion 2016, National Finalist 2017 (Team Captain, All-American)
Nick Laffin, Ohio State University National Champion 2016, 2017
Nick Smith, SUNY New Paltz National Champion 2016, 2019, National Finalist 2017 (All-American)
Over the past few years, as these young coaches have transitioned from playing to coaching, they bring that same energy and enthusiasm to training the next generation of volleyball players as they did to developing their own game. That energy has been carefully guided by long-time Academy Volleyball head coach, Rick Cole, who has mentored the group as they join the coaching ranks. “Their best attribute is the passion and ability to reach and teach the next generation of players”, said Cole, adding, “They are committed to helping, teaching, and sharing the life lessons they have experienced to better equip the players they coach. They are team players and team-first people who know only how to succeed.”
The 2016 SUNY New Paltz National Champions with C. Smith, N.Smith, and S. Woessner
The players find it easy to relate to Smith, Woessner, Laffin, and Smith, but it’s their credibility that commands the attention of their athletes. It’s hard to argue with someone who has won two national championships at Ohio State or who has played professionally in Europe. “I benefited from coaches Smith, Woess (Woessner), and Laff (Laffin), not only from learning how to play in certain situational instances, but also from having the right mindset to play at the highest level.”, said former Academy player Jack Driscoll, who now plays at Penn State. That sentiment was echoed by another former Academy player, Pat Wing (who now plays for SUNY New Paltz) as he added, “ they instilled a belief in ourselves that we could be as good as they were” while adding , “they are all so humble, you would never know what they accomplished unless you asked.”
Christian Smith during a professional volleyball match in Greece.
Having reached the top of their sport during their playing careers has certainly given them a unique insight to what it takes to get there. It’s that insight that will help guide the players to become the best they can be. “For us, it wasn’t so much about winning the national championship, it was about realizing the process that goes in to achieving greatness at that level.” said Christian Smith. “We fell in love with the process of getting better in the weight room, in the gym and mentally by watching film. This allowed us to take the pressure off ourselves and trust the work we did would put us in a position to be successful.”
Christian Smith and Steve Woessner receive their All-American honors at the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Banquet in 2016.
For Christian Smith’s former teammate and fellow All-American, Steve Woessner, the ability to be open to instruction and helping your fellow teammates is what makes all the difference.
“I think winning a national championship made me realize the importance of being coachable and buying into the system set forth by the team. By treating every practice as an opportunity to get better and pushing your teammates to have the same mindset, it makes having the courage to make big plays in pressure situations feel natural.”, said Woessner.
For Nick Laffin, a two-time NCAA Division I champion at Ohio State, it’s helping to teach the importance of hard work, which he learned from his two national championships, that will make the biggest difference.
Nick Laffin on the attack at Ohio State.
“I had too many unforgettable experiences at The Ohio State University. It was the months of putting in extra work, coming to practices sore, and mentally understanding this game better that helped make me a better player. This is what I try to get across to our athletes”, said Laffin.
In four years of collegiate volleyball, our newest coach at Academy Volleyball, Nick Smith (brother of Christian and Brian), helped to win two NCAA Division III national championships and was also a national finalist in another year. Going the distance in three out of the four of his college years will definitely give you an edge in understanding what it takes to get there.
He is excited to share the knowledge he has that comes from being a 2X champion and finalist. “Winning two national championships (and playing in a third NCAA Finals) taught me the importance of patience. It’s a long process and you need to be disciplined as you go through it”, said Smith (Nick). He will lean on those experiences as he trains the next generation of athletes. “I think those experiences along with my knowledge of the game will help build a great teaching relationship with my players”, he added.
The insights provided by this talented group of coaches is priceless to the athletes they coach. They are the living proof the methods they teach work. The athletes who come to Academy and absorb the lessons will end up years ahead of what other athletes may eventually learn and will be able to apply those lessons to situations that extend beyond volleyball.
“National Champions, yet better people. These men are incredible role models for our young men. They have sacrificed and worked beyond measure for over a decade.”, said Cole. No matter what the abilities and aspirations are of the athletes who come through Academy’s program, the lessons they teach and the example they set will help make our athletes better at the sport, but more importantly, better people. “The philosophy of focusing on the process with the players we coach allows them to develop and understand work ethic, not only with volleyball, but with life in general.”, said Smith.
Game on.
