Get to Know: Ryan Swanson, Varsity Volleyball Coach
Source/Author: Raffi Darrow, Ebytes Editor
November 11, 2015
Varsity Volleyball coach Ryan Swanson may have been new to Shorecrest this year, but many of the Chargers already knew him. “I’ve been coaching for nine years now. Many of these girls have played club volleyball and I’ve coached most of them, I knew their strengths. I knew they were good kids and it was a good program.”
He may have stepped in at just the right time… Charger volleyball set the mark for the program's future by making it the farthest the team has gone in 18 years. They finished the season with a great 20-7 record and District runner up title.
“They did really well for having never been in that position of having a chance to win a championship. Especially going up against a team who’s been there the last 4 years. They may have been hoping for a little bit more, but for me it was a success. We haven't even gone to district finals in 18 years, but to win it would have been the icing on the cake. Now they know they can go far.”
What made this the right team and the right year to go so far? Coach Swanson made note of three driving factors:
Leadership - “The biggest thing was strong senior leadership that helped the younger players come as far as they did. They had great upperclassmen to look up to. You couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors.”
Teamwork - “The girls worked well together, it was a real team effort. It wasn't just one player shining, and that will be our strength in the year to come.”
Charger Fans - “I was actually really impressed with the fans. We had only four home games, and that was the downside. Every home game had such huge fan support, and that was awesome to see. This was the best fan support I've ever seen for volleyball. The girls were 4-0 at home, so it shows how that support really helps them.”
There’s a fine line a coach has to walk between keeping the game fun, and putting enough pressure on to get the best out of his players. What happens when the game that you love has so much at stake?
“There was a little bit of pressure on their shoulders and some of that stress might have been why we didn't get over the hump at the end of the season, but the girls enjoy the competitive nature.” Swanson assures. “Some of these girls play club volleyball, so they play all year round, or they play three different sports. They liked the fact that they were near the top all season and playing really well and competing with the best in the state. I try to make sure the pressure doesn't get too much for them. You want to compete and you want to be your best, but you don't want to stop enjoying the game. You should be happy to come out here and play every day.”
The idea of working as a team doesn’t stop with coaching for Coach Swanson. He is also the founder and executive director of The Urban Conga. This design/build business focuses on social interaction through play.
“The Urban Conga is a design firm concept I started during my thesis when I went to school for architecture, and it slowly developed over time. It is community activity through play, creativity, inspiration and free choice learning. One of our installations is a musical bench by the Straz [Center for the Performing Arts]. We’ve had public ping pong tables, interactive projections on buildings. We just finished an installation with Tampa Bay Rays Baseball of a 118-foot musical wall. The Urban Conga is about bringing the community together through these platforms of play. Just by putting that platform of play out there, you see barriers break down, and that is the moment for me.”
These idea of community and play are driving forces for Ryan Swanson, both on the court and at work. So, does he think the Chargers remember how to play?
“I think they did a fantastic job. They just needed someone to give them that fuel. I got them to understand that they could win.”
