Stone’s dream comes true
Steve Stone will be doing double duty next season for the Niagara College Knights.
The 33-year-old St. Catharines native has coached the college’s men’s volleyball team for the past two seasons and became interim head coach of the women’s team in January when women’s coach Elaine Pilgrim-Susi stepped away from the job. On Monday, the Vineland resident was named head coach of both squads.
“It’s with great enthusiasm that we name Steve Stone the head coach of our men’s and women’s volleyball teams,” said Michele O’Keefe, Niagara’s director of athletics and student engagement. “This is a unique opportunity to provide stability and strong technical leadership for our varsity volleyball program. We are confident that coach Stone and his pool of assistant coaches will deliver a vibrant atmosphere for success.”
Taking the job was a no-brainer for Stone.
“It has been a dream of mine to be a full-time volleyball coach. Being a graduate of Niagara College, I’m very proud of the program and what it did for me as an athlete. Being able to now lead both programs and help elevate Niagara College volleyball into an even more outstanding program is very exciting to me.”
He describes serving as head coach of both Ontario Colleges Athletic Association teams as very doable.
“The schedule is set up in a way that the ladies and men’s teams play on the same nights, back-to-back in the same location, so games are never an issue in regular season. The day to day, this allows me to be on campus even more allowing for more detailed breakdowns for athletes to really help improve their volleyball skills and also help them with life and managing the big commitment of being a varsity athlete. I also have amazing assistant coaches on either side. Because of their abilities and commitment, I’m able to throw some things at them and lighten my workload. I genuinely feel this really strengthens both programs to be the best they can be and grow into a top tier program.”
His coaching philosophy is ever-evolving.
“I think it is important to always be growing and adapting as you coach. However, I truly believe in competing and being relentless in practice and in game. I also believe it is the best team that wins, not the best group of individual players,” he said. “That is why I put an emphasis on culture and bringing in the right people and teaching the right things. Culture is king and we will work tirelessly to support each other and work towards our ultimate goal.”
He coaches for two reasons.
“One, I enjoy volleyball and really like competing. This is fun for me. Two, and this is the most important, this is platform that I get to use to invest in the future generations, so that wherever the athletes one day call home, they are equipped to be positive influences in their communities, relationships, etc.”
How his teams play will change from year to year.
“Style will be dictated by personnel, but I’m a big believer in great defensive effort and limiting errors yet still being aggressive and trying to take every point you can.”
He agrees there are different approaches to coaching male and female athletes.
“The women’s game tends to be longer rallies (extended plays) and the men’s seems to be more side out (pass, attack, kill). I think the approach varies on the type of athletes you have as everyone is bringing their unique personality and background to the table,” he said. “In the end, I want my athletes to compete at their highest level every single point, it doesn’t matter male or female. If we can have that mentality, we’re going to be really good.”
Stone played his high school volleyball at Eden at the start of the school’s incredible run go success and won three Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations titles starting in Grade 11. After his high school career ended, he played two seasons at Redeemer, winning an OCAA silver medal, and played three seasons at Niagara. As a Knight, he won OCAA gold, Canadian Colleges Athletic Association bronze, was a two-time all-star, a two-time Academic All-Canadian, and an OCAA championship MVP. He finished as Niagara’s career assist leader.
His coaching resume also includes: five years of head coaching with the Niagara Rapids; seven years with the OVA Spikes beach and indoor programs through the Rapids; one year as head coach of the men’s team at Mohawk; one year as an assistant coach with Brock’s women’s team; and, half a season as an assistant coach with Niagara’s women’s squad.
