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Joel Walton is the head men’s volleyball coach at Ball State University. I’ve been coaching for long enough that I can count many coaches as friends…or at least acquaintances. That’s not the case with Walton, though you’d never know it from our conversation. He’s a storyteller and conversation flows easily.
The Ball State men’s volleyball program is legendary and has started the careers of countless coaches. Their collective impact on the sport is immeasurable. I knew I wanted to chat with coaches of male athletes, so this was a natural connection to make.
Walton has been the head coach for sixteen years, was the assistant coach (at the same institution) for eight years, and is also an alum. To say he knows and loves Ball State is an understatement. He’s been named conference coach of the year twice, coached six all-Americans, forty-four all-conference players, and had seven 20-win seasons.
Highlights from our discussion:
- Helping your athletes handle pressure
- Making your team’s confidence endure
- Working with different personality types within the team
- The DNA of good coaches
More from the Joel Walton series:
Coaches Corner: Joel Walton
Coaches Corner: On Handling Pressure
Coaches Corner: Creating Enduring Confidence Within Your Athletes
Coaches Corner: The DNA Of Good Coaches
Coaches Corner: Managing Various Personality Types
I’m looking forward to sharing Walton’s insights, so be sure to come on back!
Join me in a series of interviews with successful coaches. I believe what we learn from our coaching peers can be applied to our teams, our recruiting efforts, and how we behave as professionals. These interviews will be less Q & A and much more philosophical in nature, keep coming back to see who I’m talking to and what they’ve got to say!
