Volleyball is in the blood of Scottsburg High School’s new head volleyball coach, D.J. Zipp.
“I grew up in the volleyball gym around my mom’s practices and grew up around the game,” Zipp said.
Zipp’s
mother, Dottie, is an Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association
Volleyball Coaching Hall of Fame member and has the gym floor at
Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., named after her. In
addition to her 21 years coaching at Providence, Dottie Zipp started
coaching the sixth-grade girls volleyball team this year at Scottsburg
Middle School.
“It's nice to have someone to lean on that
has been in your shoes,” D.J. Zipp said about how his mother has
influenced his coaching and his game. “As a coach, you face many
situations on and off the court that are hard to prepare for, so it’s
nice to have that advice of a Hall of Famer. But, she will be the first
one to tell you that she has learned stuff from me as well.”
Not
only does Zipp have the experience of growing up with an ICGSA Hall of
Fame coach in his household, he also has the experience of playing
volleyball competitively firsthand. He has been playing in open
tournaments throughout the United States and in the Louisville adult
volleyball community for nearly two decades.
“Louisville
has a great adult volleyball community, and it was a natural fit for me
to join,” said Zipp, who is an outside hitter known for his heavy arm
and solid serve receive. “I now run most of the big tournaments in the
area.”
Because of his understanding of all aspects of the
game from observer, player and coach, Zipp is able to better coach his
players than others without these experiences.
“I bring a
different style to coaching than a lot,” Zipp said. “I use my playing
experience to translate what it takes to win at a high level. It is not
all about being on the court with me. We do a lot of mental preparation
and work on building instincts to make good decisions and stay focused.”
For
Zipp, this method has worked — he won two sectionals, four conference
titles and three coach of the year awards while coaching at other
schools in the region. Currently, he is 23 wins away from a 200 career
record.
“The goals for the season are simple: learn and
compete. We will break down the game and mold ourselves into a team that
pays attention to detail,” Zipp said. “If we work hard and smart, we
will compete with the blue bloods of the conference and sectional.”
Zipp
and the SHS Warriorette volleyball team will play its first home game
against West Washington at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18. For a complete
schedule, visit the
SHS Athletics website.