[Chris (left) and Harrison Peacock winning ... something. I can't keep track anymore]
Good to hear current AIS Beach Volleyballer Chris McHugh’s thoughts and experiences playing state indoor. The development of players like him are really central to this discussion. Chris is one of the players I have been proudest to coach. Below is a picture of Chris aged 11 (Standing far left) after winning the SA mini-volleyball open. He was a podgy 11 year old, and I think it’s good to see that not all our elite athletes were born superhuman freaks. Some of them looked like regular kids.
[Standing L to R: Chris McHugh, Lewis Dalby & Jackson Tanner. Kneeling L to R: Liam Finn & Ben Leaver]
Also in the picture are last year’s Brighton Open Honours Boys setters Lewis Dalby and Ben Leaver, and Brighton Open Div 1 Bronze Medal winning setter Liam Finn. I was privileged to coach these boys for 3-4 years years, culminating in a junior league title in 2004. The mini-volleyball final in question was above average – on the other team was AIS indoor player Harrison Peacock and Ben Pohl. Maybe even Sam White. My memory is sketchy here.
[My 2004 Div 2 Junior Boys Champions]
I coached Chris from this time till he was about 14, and although I always thought he was very talented, he went unnoticed and under-appreciated for years. I can’t claim that much credit for Chris, since he already had pretty good skills when I got him, and practically reinvented himself as a player after I finished coaching him. Nevertheless, I’m still bloody proud of him and what he’s achieved.
In 2005, I finally nagged him enough to get him out to the State Team trials, and he made the second U17 team, probably just missing out on the top team. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he really shone. For players like Chris on the fringe between a first and second side, it’s better being in the second team. From there, Chris didn’t look back. He got a SASI scholarship, played in Mt Lofty’s AVL team, got picked to represent Australia at the junior level in Beach, and finally a hallowed AIS scholarship.
Chris’s family are also terrific. His younger sister Kathryn is a great player in her own right. I was lucky to coach her one year, as well as co-coach a junior boys team with her last year. Their parents, Greg and Min are wonderful and have been the glue of Henley Hawks for years. Greg’s president now, and doing a great job. They’re just one of the many great families I’ve been really lucky to be involved with over the years (as a coach, I’m a bit like a family hand-me-down).
It’s been great seeing Chris grow up into a gentleman. He’s 18 now and towering over me at 6′6, he’s a long way from that chubby 11-year-old who used to indulge in a bit of soccer with the other boys at the end of trainings. He’s still humble and courteous – he used to ring me when he got great news like when he got his SASI and AIS scholarships and when he got selected for his first overseas tour. These days i hear lessnews from him, since his successes are now less of the exception and more of the norm!
The days I could teach him stuff ended long ago. But hopefully if my business makes it big, I’ll get to sponsor him on his way to London 2012!
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chris Says:
February 28, 2008 at 8:03 am
Hi Huy first of all, who you calling podgy? Secondly I must agree that the state team structure in SA must be changed. There has been a dramatic change in the mentality of the state team both in its players and coaches for the worse. I have great admiration for state team coaches and through the years have had some amazing ones such as Derek Slater but as the years have progressed there is no longer that fire from some of the state coaches to do well they have resigned themselves to defeat straight away as they have been give lower grade teams. This leads to complacency in the players and as a result decreases the stand of skills. I believe that there should be a second “development” team in the state team structure, I for one am a product of this team. The third team however should be scrapped as the players who are in this team have very little playing ability and are just there to make up numbers. The players also become a nuisance at finals time as they are not playing but are still around. The greatest example of this is when you’re trying to sleep but you have a U17 third team next door keeping you awake till 2am with their antics. It took Sam Boehm and a couple of other 19 guys to lose their cool to get them to shut up. There are some great kids who come through the third team but they are a drain on resources and a distraction for other teams.
