Chuck Matthews has coached club volleyball for 20 years, including ECP, PVA, Buxmont and Outsiders volleyball clubs. His 2017 ECP 17-Iron team had a great season and we expect most of those players to continue playing in college. Coach Matthews was a University of Delaware volleyball camp coach from 2007 to 2012, and a senior staff coach at the Villanova Volleyball camp from 2010 to 2012. He also spent ten years coaching at Springside school.
Coaching Philosophy: (1) If we work as hard and smart in practice as possible, then it makes games less stressful. (2) It’s impossible to improve if you don’t make mistakes. So make mistakes in practice so we can get better. (3) The best way to learn is to communicate. That goes all ways, coach to player, player to player and player to coach. Share thoughts and ideas, let’s build on them together to accomplish our goals.
Best volleyball moment: As a coach, watching a player who struggled to serve the ball over the net as a 16, serve 3 in a row in play during a match. Seeing her face aftes all of the hard work we put in all season is why I love to do what I do.
My life in sports: I have played sports as long as I can remember. I took up volleyball as a sports rehab. I met a girl in PT who had a shoulder injury and I had a knee injury. I would set the ball with her and fell in love with the game. I help start my HS club team in the 80’s, worked out with our women’s college team and “taught” our college PE classes while our teacher prepped for football games. I was also a long time baseball and softball player. During my years as a softball coach, I trained hitting and INF.
When I’m not coaching volleyball: I love to travel, cook and being a dad. I love to watch football and basketball. I’m the family clown and love to have fun as much as possible.
Favorite subject in school: Math and Computers
Last book I read: The Broke Bride’s Guide to Wedding Planning (I’m a newlywed!)
Favorite movie: I love many movies, but I never miss a chance to watch Pitch Perfect (I or II), Annie (the original with Carol Burnett), Madea’s Witness Protection, or almost any Marvel movie
Favorite Quote: “To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think — spend some time time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that’s a heck of a day.” Jim Valvano ESPN ESPYs 1993
Person I’d like to have dinner with: Barack Obama
Something you probably don’t know about me: I used to do stand up comedy in college.