Coach's Corner - Bobby Gibbons, Northern Volleyball and Baseball
Today we're featuring Bobby Gibbons, who coaches at Northern High School in Calvert County! Coach Gibbons spoke with us about a variety of topics, including why he coaches multiple sports!
County Sports Zone:How did you get your start with coaching?
Bobby Gibbons:I first began helping with the Northern High baseball program in the winter of 2003. I had just begun teaching that year and was hired by Carl Smith, the head coach at Northern that year, to help with offseason workouts. I have been involved with high school coaching ever since.
CSZ:Why do you coach? What about it do you enjoy?
BG:I really enjoy teaching sports to high school players. I have coached three different sports at Northern and they have each been very enjoyable. I am a very energetic person and coaching provides me a way to stay active while helping our players achieve their goals.
CSZ:Specifically Northern- why do you enjoy coaching there?
BG:During my 15 years at Northern, I have been fortunate to have had great administrators and athletic directors who are very supportive of coaches. I have also had the privilege of coaching very dedicated athletes who want to work hard to improve and learn all they can about their sports. I am truly a fan of Northern Athletics.
CSZ:What're some characteristics of teams that are coached by you? What do you try to instill in your players?
BG:All my teams are passionate and competitive. My coaches and I have done a pretty good job of helping create a culture of excellence at Northern High. Our players understand what is expected of them and they respond to the challenge of working hard every day to improve and learn. I try to instill in every team the will to compete and to never give up.
CSZ:You coach two sports at Northern- volleyball and baseball. Do you approach coaching each sport differently, or do you have a similar approach for each?
BG:My approach is a little different for volleyball and baseball. Volleyball is a faster-paced sport that requires a lot of team energy and on-court communication to be successful. We emphasize physical conditioning and reaction times to be successful in volleyball. Baseball, on the other hand, is more cerebral. It is a slower-paced sport that requires a lot of individual awareness and mental preparation. My energy and passion for both sports are very evident when I am coaching.
CSZ:Some coaches like to coach multiple sports, others prefer to focus on one. Why do you choose to coach more than one sport?
BG:I really enjoy coaching both sports. Since one sport is in the Fall and the other is in the Spring, I have time between sports to recharge my batteries and get ready for the next season. State rules really limit what coaches can do in the offseason, so for me, the offseason of one sport becomes the regular season of the next sport. I will continue to coach both sports as long as I feel I can still help our athletes compete for championships and achieve their goals.
CSZ:It ended up being a tremendous season for Northern's volleyball program, winning a state title. Why was this group able to do so well?
BG:This group of girls was one of the hardest working groups of athletes I have ever coached. They played volleyball together for years and their passion for the sport and dedication to each other was outstanding. They understood the commitment and sacrifice needed to win a championship. It was a lot of hard work and effort, but the final result was worth every minute of preparation.
| July 2nd, 2018 | By: Wick Eisenberg |