Bill Fenton, head coach of the Girls Varsity Volleyball Team, joined the school in 2006. Outside of volleyball, he teaches physics, astronomy, and robotics and advises the Science and Astronomy Clubs. Varsity Volleyball captain Paige Dzenutis ’23 said, “Coach Fenton has been really great in first year as the head of Girls Varsity Volleyball. He and our assistant coach, Mrs. Dittmer, have put us on a consistent training program to increase our explosiveness. He has made the team very collaborative and encourages us to try to learn from each other during games and practices. You can tell he is really there for the team and wants us to be the best we can be, but also have fun at the same time.”
How would you describe your coaching style?
I am not particularly strict. I expect them [the players] to play hard, but I don’t expect them to be mistake-free. I do welcome player input. Player input is important in what we do in terms of scheme and formations. On the wall, we have a QR code linked to an anonymous feedback survey that players can fill out about how things are going in practice : if they are getting better as individuals, if they think the team is getting better, and what are some other things we can do to make practices more effective. I also asked them to communicate between every point and try to get better and try to figure things out for themselves.
What are your plans for the upcoming season?
I think we have some good experience on the team, as well as some good new folks. We have a lot of technical skill, so I hope that we can build a more intricate and interesting offense that can be a little sneakier to other teams. We have to get some fundamentals down first, but after that we can go on to do cooler things.
What do you love most about the team?
I feel really lucky to be coaching Varsity for the first time this year. We have really good experience and skill between the returning players and the talented players who have been bumped up from JV or are new to the school. Every individual contributes to the team.
What has been your favorite coaching experience so far this year?
We have only had one scrimmage this year, but my favorite thing I have seen so far was the communication. I told the players I don’t coach much from the sidelines during games, because, from my experience, when you are on the court everything from the sidelines comes out incoherent. I still think it is good to cheer and to motivate, but mid-game changes come through them. If we have a tough server and we don’t know where to be, I will let them make those adjustments on their own. I don’t think I could shout those things from the sidelines.
What drew you to volleyball over other sports?
I played volleyball in high school, and there is something I really enjoy about chasing a ball. I have trouble just running laps or blocking someone else who has a ball. I find in volleyball you are staying pretty active and always chasing a ball. I find it so fun and it was my favorite sport to play, so it was a natural fit to try to coach it.
