Shoemaker Anxious as UAF Opens Volleyball Camp

Submitted by Scott Wilson
Phone: (907) 474-6807
08/11/03

He’s been doing this for more than 20 years, but it never gets old. Phil Shoemaker has been preparing for preseason training camps for 24 seasons and he still gets a little bit nervous this time every year. This season is no different for the long-time coach as he handles the final details before opening the 2003 volleyball training camp on Monday at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

"It’s really hard not to get excited about camp opening this year because the potential of this year’s team is great," said Shoemaker, who is set to begin his fourth season with the Nanooks. "This team could play at a level much higher than any team I’ve ever coached here."

That says a lot as the 2002 Nanooks produced one of the better volleyball seasons in UAF history. Shoemaker guided his squad to a 16-7 overall record and a 13-5 slate in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, good enough for second place in the standings and a No. 9 regional ranking. Juniors Mallory Bergstrom and Carlin Smith, and senior Candice Smith earned All-GNAC honors last season, while also claiming conference academic kudos.

Shoemaker puts a high value on the importance of training camp as he sees it as a key measuring stick coaches use to get an early feel for their team. And Shoemaker needs to get a "feel" for his team rather quickly as the Nanooks open the 2003 season on the road at the Cal-Poly Pomona Invitational on Saturday, August 29.

"A lot of people don’t put a great deal of emphasis in training camp, but I take this very seriously," said Shoemaker. "We need to assess where our team stands in their physical fitness and individual abilities."

Nanook players will begin the day Monday with some physical training and, after a session with the media, UAF will come back Monday afternoon to hit the floor.

"We expect all of the players to come to camp in shape. So the physical testing shows us where we stand and what we need to work on," Shoemaker said. "However, it’s also as much about the players getting acquainted as it is about anything else."

One of the key highlights of the first week of camp at UAF will be a visit from former United States Olympic volleyball coach Bill Neville. The former Canadian national team coach and long-time friend of Shoemaker is coming in to work with the Nanook players in preparation for the season.

"I have probably known Bill for at least 20 years and we’ve talked for awhile about him coming up to do a high school camp. However, the more I thought about it the more I thought he would better benefit our team instead of a group of high school kids," Shoemaker said. "Bill coached at several premiere collegiate volleyball programs and served on the staff of the gold-medal winning 1984 and 1988 United States Olympic teams. He retired from the University of Washington a couple of years ago and now serves as a consultant for the U.S. national team."

Shoemaker is expecting to learn a lot from one week of working with his team and feels that a lot of questions will be answered. "I would like to come out of this first week of training camp 75-90 percent sure of what we will look like on the floor this season," he said. "I should have a good understanding of everyone’s physical abilities and have a clear idea of exactly who I can count on."