When Rich Wilson started coaching volleyball 21 years ago, he admittedly had no idea what he was doing. Two state titles and 211 wins later, it’s apparent he has learned a great deal along the way. Wilson is entering his 16th season as head coach at Rising Sun High School. His teams have won state titles in 2006 and 2007, nine region titles, and have compiled a record of 211-62. Becoming one of the state's most-respected volleyball coaches didn't always seem plausible for Wilson, who concentrated on swimming as he was growing up in Ridley Park, Pa. "It was basically the only sport I played," he said. Wilson competed in swimming at the University of Delaware and wound up working at Gore. He took up tennis after college and played in recreational volleyball matches with Gore co-workers. That's when his twin daughters, then-sixth graders Erin and Lauren, became interested in playing volleyball. Lauren, who played collegiately at the University of Maryland, remembers attending the Gore recreational matches. "We wanted to play and he made that possible," said Lauren, who now resides in Oakland, California. "I wanted them to play tennis," Rich Wilson says. "They wanted to play volleyball and there was no place for them to play." So Wilson and two other people started a program at the YMCA. It did not go well. "I knew squat about coaching volleyball," Wilson recalls. "The first practice was a total, complete disaster. There were 32 kids and three volleyballs and it was the longest hour and a half of my life. I knew if I was going to do this I'd better learn a heck of a lot in a hurry." He began his quest for knowledge by becoming involved with the Cecil Volleyball Club where he learned from Dan Schnatz, who also coached at Bohemia Manor. He attended USA Volleyball clinics for several years and ran practices at Rising Sun High after then-Tiger coach Richard Bowers was injured in a car accident. Wilson took over the program in 2000 after his daughters had graduated the previous spring. In 2003 and 2005, he attended a Gold Medal Squared clinic which teaches coaches. During that time, Wilson says his coaching style began to evolve. "I changed my whole coaching philosophy," he says. He adopted an analytical approach and sought ways to introduce more competition into practice sessions. Wilson says that can be difficult when coaching girls. "For a while, girls weren't really taught how to compete at an early age," he said. "Now girls are much more comfortable with competition, competing against their friends. I always tell them that your best friend is the person across the net from you. You have to have cooperative competition. You need to be able to compete and remain friends enough that there's no schism on the team." He says it's no coincidence many people who are successful in business have a background in athletics. Wilson says there are similarities between successful sports teams and the working surroundings at Gore. "Gore is a competitive environment, but a friendly environment," he said. "You work to improve yourself but you go the extra mile for people on your team." Wilson worked as an engineer at Gore for 38 years before retiring in 2011. He designed products and developed processes to make things. Wilson was part of the development team that worked on Gore-Tex. He and Joe Tanner spent a year and a half on the road as salesmen to market the product. After retiring from Gore, Wilson had a decision to make, but one which wasn't that difficult. "My wife (Nikki) and I enjoy traveling so I had to give up coaching in high school or club ball," he said. "I enjoy spending more time with the kids than less. With high school coaching, you get to spend time with them five days a week." He's still having fun. "I enjoy working with the kids," said Wilson, who is 68. "It helps keep me young. Otherwise, I'd be on a rocking chair on my front porch." He also relishes the competition. "Coaching is still challenging on all facets," Wilson said. "I've discovered that the longer I coach I spend more time on the psychological end than the Xs and Os." He doesn't know how much longer he'll coach, but sometimes ponders that during what he calls "the doldrums" of the season. "I tell the kids every year, 'don't ask me at the end of the season'," Wilson says. "There are too many emotions. But I'm still in good health and unless the school gets rid of me I have no plans to leave but plans can change in a hurry. I plan to continue coaching as long as I can still do the physical things. It's a lot of fun working with the kids and the good things outweigh the bad." The "bad" includes the heartbreak of state tournament losses the last two years after finishing undefeated in the regular season. The Tigers were swept by Oakdale in the state finals last November. "I still can't watch that whole match through," said Wilson. "It takes a lot out of me. I've tried to watch it five times but I've never gotten through the first game because I want to break something." Wilson claims the losses don't bother him that much, but he feels bad for his team. "I've been down this road," he said. "When I climb on the bus I'm thinking about next year. Every year I say my goal is to be playing on the last day of the season (the state title match). That's for the girls. My focus is on what it takes for me to help the team get there. It's tough to win that last match." He says the weeks leading up to the state tournament are the most stressful part of the job. "I'm concerned about whether we're working on the right things and if there's anything I need to change," Wilson said. He enjoys winning but in part because that's what makes his players happy. "It's nice for the girls but not the things that are important to me as a coach," Wilson said. "It's important to the girls but to me as a coach I look at the natural consequences. If we compete and improve every day, winning is a natural consequence. Winning requires one-third talent, one-third motivation, and one-third luck (staying healthy). We've been fortunate that there's been a lot of talent here." Wilson provides the motivation, but does it in subtle ways. He remains stoic on the bench during games. Wilson usually stays seated with his right leg crossed over his left and his right foot often shakes with nervous energy. He doesn't scream at his team or argue with officials. Assistant coach Logan Bowers recalls Wilson once threw down his clipboard in disgust, which surprised everyone in the gym. Wilson says he wasn't always so serene. He remembers he was coaching his daughters in an under-14 tournament when Nikki told him, “You need to be quiet and not look like you're mad all the time", advice he took to heart. Despite his calm demeanor, the Tigers' Maddy Eckerd says Wilson has a way of getting his point across. "You definitely want to please him on the court," Eckerd said. "He always has the same facial expression but you can tell when he's getting mad because he won't talk to you. Silence is deadly." Staci (Krummel) Moore, who played for Wilson at Rising Sun, served as an assistant coach for the Tigers, and is still active coaching the Cecil Volleyball Club, cites Wilson's determination to hone his craft. "His success isn't a result of luck," Moore said. "He has truly worked hard for the success he has gotten." There's another story which illustrates both Wilson's love for volleyball and his unending desire to keep learning. Last October at the Cecil County Historical Society where Wilson volunteers, there was a discussion about the seventh game of the World Series which was played the night before. Wilson didn't participate in the discussion because he had watched a college volleyball match on TV instead. The Tigers' Lacey Swartout says Wilson is always trying to help his players get better. "At the beginning of practice this season I was having trouble getting low to make a pass," she said. "He worked with me on technique and encouraged me to get low and improve my passing and improve my defense." Swartout's teammate, Breanne Haley, says Wilson's attention to detail is impressive. "He takes every little thing and breaks it down," Haley said. "He makes sure you use the correct technique. He will say something even if you make a good play but you're not using the right technique, because if you use the correct technique, you'll do it right consistently." Both on and off the court, Lauren Wilson says her father is demanding but far from overbearing. "He's pretty similar," said Lauren. "He has high expectations and really encourages you to think, and grow, and learn in whatever you're doing. He doesn't want you to slack off on or off the court. He's a great father and coach." Comments are closed.
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