VNS CourtSide Conversations with Trudy Delorey

Welcome to VNS CourtSide Conversations where Bethany Robinson, our Team Nova Scotia Program Coordinator, will be meeting with members of our VNS Community! From Coaches, Players, Referees, and Parents, you'll want to stay tuned for these exclusive stories. 

Name: Trudy Delorey 
Hometown: Antigonish, NS 
Current Team: Coach for Stoirm / Assistant Coach at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School 
Previous Teams: Coach at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School; St.Andrew Junior School; Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre; Assistant Coach at CBU

Trudy Delorey is an excellent coach from Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Delorey has coached both male and female teams at many different levels. She has a passion for safe sport and ensuring the athletes that come out of her club are strong, resilient, and ready to take on any challenges that may come their way. Trudy currently works at StFX University in Continuing and Distance Education.

Hi Trudy, thanks for speaking with me today. Could you please tell me a bit about yourself?

"Well, I'm a bit of a patchwork, I think. I grew up just outside of Antigonish, but I am also adopted so I have some pretty extensive Mabou/Margaree roots. I've been a coach since 1999, and have taught junior high and high school and now work at St.FX. When I first met my husband, Steve, I kept saying 'no' every time he asked me out because I had to coach. He thought I was lying - who coaches that much?! - but I have to give him points for perseverance though, because we've been married for 14 years, and we have two wonderful girls, Sadie and Thea"

You've been a coach for many years, how did you get into coaching?

'I played volleyball through high school from Grade 9 to 12 at Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School. It was just a fall sport at my school -  Stoirm didn't start until the year after I graduated - and I joined because my two older cousins were playing.

I got into coaching because I have always loved being able to educate others. When I was little, I would pretend to teach the kids my mom babysat. Being able to run programs and make things happen is something I really enjoy. I started by coaching my brother's high school team and I have now been coaching for 12 years in total, with about a 10-year gap in between! I was one of the first Stoirm coaches back in 1999 and I've loved it ever since. I've coached men's and women's, and junior high, high school, club teams, and been an assistant coach at CBU!"

You were one of the first coaches with Stoirm. How do you think you've influenced the club?

"The club has been around for 20 years and is built on thousands of hours from hundreds of different coaches - they're the real influencers that keep this club going. But, a fun fact is when Joe Duggan was just getting Stoirm off the ground I was asked what the name should be. So, another coach and I started going through a Gaelic dictionary because we're in Antigonish and it would reflect the Scottish culture here. We finally got to the S's, and we found Stoirm, it was perfect! It was close enough to English and it was a worthy name of a sports team. Stoirm means storm in English!

Maybe something I do think I've brought to the volleyball community though, is that I started the boy's program in the early 2000's. My brother Scott was in grade 10 at the time, and he asked me to coach the high school boy's volleyball team, which later rolled over into club teams with Stoirm. I am 7 years older than him, and I thought if my little brother is asking me to coach, he must be pretty desperate. I am so happy I said yes though! I made lifelong relationships with the guys on the team and even some of the guys that we played against. We were also very successful; the boy's side of volleyball wasn't huge at the time, but we generally ended up in the top 3. As fun and successful as those years were, building the realtionships and the small  family that was formed is what I'm most proud of after all these years."

What does a normal practice look like to you?

"Every practice is tailored to the group and their specific needs. One thing I always try to do, is connect with each player in some way before practice, even if it's just a short greeting or acknowledgement. Then we have some kind of dynamic warm up and after that we get into some skill development drills. After that it is either a specific thing the team was struggling with or a game-like scenario. Throughout practice I try to weave the context of what we're doing into the drills, so the athletes understand why we're doing them and what purpose they serve. It helps them understand the nuance of the game and gives them a sense of ownership in their own development and the team development ."

What did your club do to incentivize athletes this past season?

"Because we had to pivot our format this past season to a development program due to Covid, each team ran a Bjerring Tournament that our 18U boy's coach Dwayne Mattie suggested and helped organize. The athletes played short matches and gained points individually. At the end of each month the top three athletes in each group would get a prize. Then at the end of the season there was a grand champion. With this initiative we were also able to support a local cause, Ollie Bots. Ollie Bots are made by the Smith family here in Antigonish, now in memory of their son Oliver who passed away a few years ago at the age of 12 from Ewings Sarcoma. All the proceeds go towards the Ewings Cancer Foundation of Canada Endowment at SickKids and it was a great way for Stoirm to support this cause."

How has the club dealt with Covid-19 and maintaining some normality for the players?

"The club played the hand we were dealt the best that we could, and I'm really proud of the Board of Executive because it was a challenge. This time last year we decided to scrap our beach program because we felt like it would be too overwhelming with the unknowns and the protocols. For indoor, practice times were cut significantly because most of our gym times were no longer available. We only had 6 gym times a week for 80+ kids, but thankfully the 6 groups fit nicely into the 6 timeslots. This season we ran a 12U group (co-ed), 13U/14U group (co-ed), two 15U/16U girl's groups, and a boy's and girl's team at the 18U level.  And on top of Covid, we also started a whole new registration platform! Overall though I think the kids were happy they were on the court, even with the changes we had to implement."

What would you say has been the most memorable highlight of your coaching career?

"I actually have three! My first one would have to be coaching my brother Scott, which is what got me into coaching guys teams in the first place. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. the group of guys were wonderful, and we were successful. Mom and Dad thought it was pretty cool too - one stop to watch both their kids!

My second highlight was winning the regional banner in 2008 with Pat Duggan - the last time the school had won it was 1994. And it wasn't winning in itself, but the culmination of all the hard work that had started with coaching Scott. I set myself the goal that when we won the banner I would stop coaching. I had my first daughter 3 weeks before we won, so it was perfect timing to take a pause. The win was more than a win, it was this small group of guys who believed they could play at a high level, and they did. Plus, it was this little group of coaches and parents who came together as well during that season. There is a lot of love hanging in that regional banner that goes well beyond the names that are on it.

My third most memorable moment would be right now, with my daughters playing for Stoirm, I don't know if they'll stick with it given their other activities, but if this is the only time I get to coach them then it's enough for me. It's like everything has come full circle and that's really special to me."

What is the biggest challenge you've faced while coaching?

"The hardest part about coaching for me would be the constant challenge of finding the right recipe on any given day so that every individual finds success, and the team overall keeps moving ahead. It's tricky! But a fun kind of tricky. I am also a people-pleaser and I like to make sure everyone is happy - but that is not always the case. So I have to work through that too as a personal thing."

You have just received the VIP Coach of the Month Award through Support4Sport. Why do you think you received this recognition?

"I think every coach is just as deserving as me to get this award, but I am very grateful that they chose me! The program is awesome and the spotlights they do are a great way to put a face to a name of people in the province that are dedicated to the sport. I love reading them and I think the VIP program is a wonderful initiative for coaches. Coaching can be very sport specific but there are lots of transferrable skills. It's also about building strong athletes on and off the court. We can always learn from one another, and this program does a great job of that."

What is your view on coach certification and the safe sport program?

"It is very important for parents and families to know that when they register their child into any activity that they know it is safe. The best way to ensure that is for all coaches to have all their checks and certifications completed. It does take time and it is an obstacle, but every step forward is what we're looking for. VNS has mandatory vulnerable sector checks and criminal record checks which are necessary to coach through them which is great.

Overall, I think the challenge is that some parents just want to coach their kid and maybe don't want to become a certified coach. So for us in Stoirm we are trying to find a way to communicate the process in a way that does not come across as a barrier, but highlights the importance of coach education. Coaching is more than just putting athletes on a court and telling them to go. Team dynamics are incredibly complex even at the youngest level. The best coaches are really good at navigating different personalitites and athletic abilities, but not all that comes naturally to everyone. That's where the education piece is important for coaches, so that our athletes, at any level feel supported and feel safe enough to take risks."

Do you recommend Personal Development sessions for coaches?

"I have attended many sessions and I would definitely recommend them. Any chance I get to attend one I do. People come up with the most interesting questions and discussions, so for me it's definitely worthwhile - there's always something you can take away from it."

Do you have any advice to younger athletes?

"Always be curious and ask questions! Be yourself, own your space, and learn how to take criticism and grow from it. It's important to speak up and it's important to listen. Always be open to learn from others, whoever is offering the lesson. And take opportunities when they arise, even if they seem a little scary! Make these opportunities count when they come through!"

Future plans regarding volleyball?

"For Stoirm, I want to continue to build and refine the club to make sure it is still running in the next 20 years. It is hard to project two decades down the road, and I don't know if I will be coaching when I'm 60 but I also started this about 20 years ago so who knows!

As a coach, I want to build strong athletes. I want the kids that go through our club to come out as strong and resilient people that give back to our community. I am very aware of how I talk to my athletes and how they see themselves. They are strong, resilient, and capable - more so than they realize.

In the meantime, I'll continue to pick up NCCP courses while I can. Having the courses on Zoom has been amazing for me. Being in Antigonish it is very helpful because it can be hard to drive to Halifax or getting the courses to come here."