Photo Courtesy: @medv0l via Instagram
Bringing home a state championship win is never easy for any sports team. Medfield High’s D3 Junior Varsity Volleyball team became back-to-back state champs after a 3-0 win against Weston, with the victory being led by a student from Dean College.
Medfield’s head coach Arthur Felicio, also a hitter for the men’s volleyball team at Dean, shares his experience while working with the team.
For those who might not know you, would you be able to give a brief description of yourself and what you do?
“I’m a Junior at Dean College, and I’m on the Men’s Volleyball Team as well. This year was my first year coaching varsity, but I coached JV last year at Medfield High.”
Your team finished with a 21-4 record this season. How did you and your team prepare against teams each week?
“Every week I told them, ‘We just need to go out there and want it more than the other team’, and it really did help throughout this whole season. I also encouraged my team to go out there and play the best that they can, because they know how to play, they’ve done it multiple times”.
What sort of special qualities do your players have that set them apart from other teams in the MIAA?
“Definitely the chemistry this year. Last year, they [the team] were close together, but I think this year, they were all best friends; they did everything together. Even before we started, they were ALWAYS doing stuff together, whether that was watching film, or going out to eat together, I think that’s what really separates us.”
What was your game plan heading in to face Weston for the state championship title?
“We knew what we had to do: we had to keep the ball away from their D1 commit, and we also had to get into the players’ heads. As soon as you get into a player’s head, that player is just going to continue to mess up.”
What was going through your head the moment your team became state champs?
“When I saw that last point happen, I was utterly shocked. That game was phenomenal; it was the best I ever had seen them play. The team knew what was on the line; it’s not that I brought them there, it’s that THEY brought us here, and for us to win a state title…it’s just incredible.”
What sort of advice can you give to any sports management major that wants to coach a sports team in the future?
“Take the risk. When I was looking for jobs, Medfield was looking for a JV1 coach, and I was thinking: ‘You know what, why not give it a shot?’ and that’s how I got here.”
Who were some people that supported or assisted you during your coaching journey for Medfield?
“Someone who supported me during my journey was the previous head coach. Me and him constantly talk throughout the whole season, saying ‘Don’t worry, things are going to be fine’ when I had certain conflicts. Also, I couldn’t have done it without my assistants [Hunter Armitage, Corey Jackson, Tyrell Bucasas, Nunu Coward-Jackson, Julia Morgunova, and Thomas Clermont]“.
To finish things off, what can people expect for next year’s junior varsity volleyball team?
“The talent that we had from our JVs is only going to be better. We have a lot of promising talent next year, and I’m looking forward to next year’s tryouts to see who shows up, who’s ready to go, and who wants to be pulled up to varsity next year. “
Team Website: Medfield Girls Volleyball
Team Instagram Page: Med Vol (@medv0l) • Instagram photos and videos
Arthur’s Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/coach.felicio/
Comentários