38 year Palmer area resident, Andy Couch, enjoys a variety of sports and outdoor activities, and is a self -employed salmon fishing guide on Mat-Su Valley's Little Susitna and Susitna River tributary streams since the early 1980's. In high school he competed in cross country running, football, basketball, and track, and worked his way into varsity roles in each sport. At the college level he tried out for basketball two years and baseball one year, but did not make either team.
My organized volleyball experience started with playing co-ed volleyball through an old Community Schools program in Palmer and Wasilla. From there I started competing in Anchorage volleyball tournaments and leagues and played in, Co-ed, Reverse Co-ed, and Men's competitions. While I had worked with paid coaches in other sports, the only coaching I was getting in volleyball was from a player / coach team mate with the biggest emphasis of the program on the playing experience for everyone involved. Before long my I became a coach myself, when I was asked to assist with the Palmer Junior High program. The head Palmer Junior High school coach had her players performing volleyball skills I had never been taught, and before long I was taking volleyball coaching clinics, playing clinics, and officiating clinics to increase my knowledge of the game. I also became a certified official and officiated club, middle school, high school, and adult competitions.
Since that time, I have coached the Palmer High School JV program, club programs for high school and middle school girls, the Houston Middle School program, the Houston High School JV program, the Houston High School Varsity program, and several years as a player / coach for Anchorage adult league and tournament play. Currently I play with an informal adult group on weeknights during the Fall / Spring / Winter months. As a player on organized teams I've played outside hitter, middle blocker, setter, defensive specialist and one season (after a shoulder injury) I continued to compete by learning to serve and attack with my weak hand.
I plan to coach Wasilla High School players how to enjoy playing to their highest potential, the feeling of accomplishment from setting, working, and achieving personal goals during their volleyball experience, and how to help elevate team mates playing levels and let team mates help elevate their own playing level. I look forward to working with the players, coaches, administrators, and parents. I am excited to be part of the Wasilla High School volleyball program.
