This season the volleyball program is excited to make new changes. This is now Coach Tito’s third season at SJN and there are new goals and expectations for this team. Here is an in depth look into this year’s volleyball program.
What’s New
This year, we have three new faces added to our coaching staff, Jan Class, Naina Ivanova, and Haley Casselman, all coming from different places. They will each be playing a crucial role in helping Head Coach Tito Martinez develop the program. Martinez shares: “The knowledge and the experience, especially having a former state championship coach, indoor and beach coach, and having a recently graduated collegiate athlete, they are going to use their experience to help with the teams.” The coaches are not the only new faces in the volleyball program this season. This season the program has had the most athletes in program history show up to open gyms and take interest in the program. Since there are so many athletes this year, they have decided to add freshman games to help develop the new athletes and get them some more playing time on the court.
What to Expect
This season is going to be an exceptionally good season for the Lady Celtics. They won the preseason classic that they hosted, and have started their season with a 4-1 record. Expect more of a winning mindset and competitive nature, but at the same time, a family-oriented community. There are many goals this team has set for themselves. Junior, Sofia Vargas says that one of her goals is, “To fill a role on the team that requires more leadership.” Every athlete this year, regardless of class, has their own goals they want to achieve, including coaches. This season the coachs’ goals are to have their players learn the game, be disciplined, be more competitive, advance in skills, and grow as individuals and as a group. This group of young athletes is working toward developing a winning culture and establishing a legacy for new players to continue it.
In Depth with Coach Tito
How many years have you been coaching and what made you want to be a coach?
Coach Tito has been coaching for 16 years and playing since he was 12 years old. When he was just 19 playing in Puerto Rico, a former coach offered him a coaching position on a U11 travel team and that is when he got his first certification to become a coach.
What’s your favorite thing about SJN Volleyball?
That all of the athletes embrace the culture and they keep getting better and better. The school in general, the people, everyone is always kind and helps each other and the support of the school on the business and personal side.
What are you most excited for this year about SJN volleyball?
The growth of the team and building players to make a successful team and one day win a state title and be the top program in the county.
How is the new staff you have added this year going to help you build the program up further?
The knowledge, the experience, especially having a former multiple state titles coach, indoor and beach coach, and having a just out of college player to use their experience to help with the teams.
We are excited to have Coach Tito continue to lead the program and the team this season.
