Volleyball more than winning and losing for Liberty’s new head coach

“The fact that I could be open with my faith” was a deciding factor in coming to Liberty, new women’s head volleyball coach Trevor Johnson said when asked what made him choose Liberty.

He said it has a very similar atmosphere to the Christian school he attended, so that helped him in the decision process.

“The people here, they care about all their kids and all the student athletes, and it’s a family-sized school,” Johnson said.

Being able to share his faith was something he wanted to be able to focus on, and he said that at Liberty he can attain that desire. Johnson said he wants to be somewhere that he can feel welcome, and the atmosphere at Liberty has allowed him to feel that way.

Prior to coming to Liberty, Johnson was an assistant coach at Baylor University, then became an assistant coach at Texas A&M, according to libertyflames.com.

“I’ve been very successful,” Johnson said. “I’ve met the right people and I have really good mentors.”

Johnson said he likes coming to the Big South Conference because of its prestige. The way things are run at Liberty are similar to the way things are run at a Power 5 program, according to Johnson.

Something that Johnson wants to be able to see in this program is progress and improvements. He said that winning and losing is not the main focus right now. While it is part of the whole process, Johnson would rather see his team improve day-in and day-out over anything else.

“For me it’s all about progress,” Johnson said. “We want to get better every day in the gym. Of course we want to win championships, I get it, but for me the little things make the big things happen.”

He said the little things start with working in the offseason, and lots of the offseason work is done in the weight room. They have also been working on a lot of technique work in a game-like setting in practices, which he hopes will translate into success during actual game play.

Another focus Johnson has with this program is getting to know his team on a more personal level. He wants to be a coach who supports his players and is there as a mentor and a friend when they may need someone to talk to.

“I think we’re going to be successful,” Johnson said. “I’m going to make sure that people feel valued and I’m going to care about my girls.”

Johnson said that this is another key to what he wants to bring to the table at Liberty—being there for his team before anything else.

“I’m going to meet with them individually, and I’m going to get to know them on a personal level and find out what makes them tick, make sure I care about them,” Johnson said. “I think athletes don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Johnson said that he believes once a person proves to someone else that they care about them, the person will “run through a wall for you.”

“Our mission statement is ‘Through Christ, we will strive to be the best versions of ourselves,’” Johnson said.

While winning games and championships is the key in every sport, it is ultimately not the objective to life. He said that when playing volleyball his team should not try to be the best version of anyone else but themselves.

The Lady Flames season will get underway Fall 2018.