LOCK
HAVEN, Pa. – While most assistant coaches are busy
running local camps and recruiting new players in the summer, Lock Haven
University assistant volleyball coach Gen Kawakita has been doing
something more prestigious. Last month, he served as the top assistant to
head coach Lang Ping and the US Women’s National Team. The squad was
competing in the 2005 World Grand Prix, traveling to China, Korea, Thailand
and Kawakita’s home country of Japan.
This month, USA Volleyball is in
Colorado preparing for the World Championship Qualifier which will be held
in Puerto Rico in late August. Kawakita rejoined the team on July 18 and
will practice with them until the start of the Lock Haven volleyball season.
Kawakita loves his job, and his passion
for coaching is evident in everything that he does. He hopes that he can
take what he has learned from this experience and instill it into the Lock
Haven volleyball program.
“I’ve been coaching for eight years, and
it doesn’t matter to me if I’m coaching in Japan, the United States or Lock
Haven,” said Kawakita. “My philosophy is that I just want to improve
everyone that I coach.”
One of his beliefs is the total team
concept of volleyball. He wants the team to achieve its full potential by
utilizing every player that he has.
“If I have 18 women on my team,” said
Kawakita, “I want to use all 18 women. I think that improves the team so
much, and when we win, everyone can feel that they were a part of it.”
Lock Haven head coach Tom Justice
recalled many new ideas that Kawakita brought to LHU from overseas.
“There is a lot of parallel thinking
going on between Gen and most top level international coaches,” said
Justice. “That gives us an edge. For
example, we were the first team in the United States to utilize a double
substitution with setters and right side players. It brought a higher level
of volleyball to Lock Haven. Because of elements like these, we are
thinking about volleyball from the world perspective, not just from a
Pennsylvania or USA perspective.”
Kawakita
also worked with Ping and the team last summer. Because of that, he already
knows most of the players and everyone feels comfortable with each other.
“Gen is
getting good experience training at this level,” said Ping. “He is a hard
worker, and he has learned a lot from being at the World Grand Prix this
summer.”
An adjustment that Kawakita has made
nicely is the transition from his hometown of Tokyo to Lock Haven. Moving
from the largest city in the world with a population of 8,273,900 to
small-town LHU with a population of just over 9,000 has been pleasant.
“I have been here for the past five
years,” said Kawakita, “and I truly consider Lock Haven my hometown. I am
very grateful for the opportunity that I have been given everywhere; in
Japan, with the US Team and here at Lock Haven.”
Kawakita also possesses a quality
familiar to most Americans. He is very competitive.
“I don’t want to lose,” said Kawakita.
“I love to coach and I want us to win as a team.”
With all that he has learned this
summer, coupled with the experience of Lock Haven’s two-time defending
conference and regional championship teams, Lady Eagle volleyball will again
be something special this season.
“One thing that I hope to bring back from my experience is
the connection of the national team to our college program,” Kawakita said.
“I just want to do whatever it takes to win.”
