SEATTLE – Throughout the fall, spufalcons.com will be producing a series of question-and-answer stories featuring Seattle Pacific coaches and student-athletes and they will appear every Tuesday and Thursday. Watch this brief video of Coach Abbie Wright before checking out today's chapter featuring Falcons volleyball.



The spring and summer of 2020 were certainly unusual. What unique things did you do during that time?
"I played a lot of cards, got slightly better at cooking, and really tapped into my ability to work out in a small space in my apartment."

People were confined inside and had the opportunity to consume more visual content.
     A. What is the best movie that you viewed during the pandemic?
"JoJo Rabbit": is a movie I would highly recommend. Gives a different take on Nazi Germany during WWII, and definitely was well-written, well-acted, and well done."

     B.  What television show or series would you recommend that you recently watched?
"The Last Dance" with Michael Jordan was probably the best thing I watched over quarantine – so good!"

     C.  What is the best book that you read during the last several months?
"God's Smuggler" tops the charts – amazing story of a missionary delivering Bibles into Communist countries. Great book on listening and hearing from God and seeing how He provides in every scenario – both in the small and large situations in our life."

 

 How do your current cooking skills compare to what they were before the pandemic?
"My cooking skills have really always been subpar, but I have definitely learned a few things from my roommate, who is really good at making good dressings / sauces for any meal / salad. I'd like to think I'm a quick learner."

Is there a new dish you learned to cook or if not, what is your favorite food to prepare?
"I made homemade meatballs and pasta sauce – turned out pretty good!  I randomly found the recipe for the sauce on Instagram from Madewell's (the clothing store) website, but it was easy to follow (this is important for my level of cooking), and really good!"

While your athletes worked on staying in shape for the upcoming year, what kinds of things did you do to prepare for the season?
"One of the things we did with our athletes was review a lot of film. Talking through that with them and slowing down how we read the game was awesome for me because it allowed me to really learn and explore further why we are doing what we do. I also tried to listen to podcasts of some great leaders and coaches that I respect. Every time I take time to do this, I gather a piece of knowledge or insight on how I can be doing things better in our gym training or with our team culture

"I also was able to view some tactical webinars and sit in on discussion Zoom calls with coaches around the country to see how they were handling the pandemic and get creative ideas from them on how to engage with our team."

Dealing with coronavirus posed different challenges for different people. In your case, that would include recruiting. What has that been like, and how have you been dealing with it?
"The biggest hit for this was not being able to finish out two-thirds of our recruiting season. With the pandemic closing everything down in March, I only was able to attend a couple of tournaments to see athletes play live, so I really had to depend on the notes I had from those play dates as we headed into the summer.

"We have just been trying to stay connected with recruits via phone, and actually were super-blessed to have two girls sign on at the end of spring without even coming on a visit. Zoom has allowed us to video call with recruits when we normally would have just done a simple phone call, so it actually has helped me get to know a few of the athletes even better than I normally would have. God has definitely blessed us even in the midst of not being able to get out and recruit like normal."

 

Has personal faith played a role in helping you navigate these past several months, and if so, how has that helped?
"Yes, definitely. There was a moment that I was on a run in Colorado in March just as we were getting word that everything would be canceled and I immediately felt a panic that life would look different and sort of had this doomsday "end of the world" feeling. However, just resting in Christ and knowing He is never caught off guard by anything was a comfort to me. In any season of life, He is good and is still powerful and is still in control even if it doesn't feel like it.

"This year has brought a lot of different hardship, difficult emotions, and situations to wrestle with in a way we have not experienced all at once. I continue to find comfort in God's word, leaning in to close friends and family who give Godly advice, and knowing that we can rest in Him has given me peace."

 From a coaching standpoint, how have online team meetings been, and what kinds of things have you done to make that time productive for your team?
"Online team meetings have certainly been different, but we are finding ways to make them fun. We have done different versions of scavenger hunts, found ways to utilize breakout rooms to our advantage, and have watched film / done presentations on them through the option of a shared screen. Technology has definitely made distance bearable, and Zoom will probably be a feature in the future that we continue to use with our team even when things get back to normal."

We all talk about getting "back to normal" at some point. What is one specific thing in your life that you really want to see return to "normal" as soon as possible?
"I would really like to see sports get back to normal – where kids have the opportunity to play in front of a live packed crowd and we don't have to worry about being overly careful about who we let into the gym. I would love to see my church get back to normal, and have the ability to praise and worship without a mask on. I would also like to have the ability to be in public in a packed restaurant or out in a city where people are out and about enjoying themselves. I think this is something I look forward to – having human life around in bigger groups where life feels a bit more vibrant."

We don't yet know when athletic competition will resume. But when they do get started, what is that going to feel like for you as compared to previous seasons?
"This is the first time in 20 years I haven't participated in or coached a volleyball season in the fall. It has definitely made me appreciate the "busy seasons" in life. I think in coaching we are always busy and never really have time to slow down and really take account for how great our job is. This time has made me realize I do love the change and spontaneity of my job. Being away from normal competition has been a challenge and hit me harder than I thought it would."
 
If you have grandchildren in the future, what will you tell them about the year 2020? (or how will you describe 2020?)
That it was definitely a point in time when the world seemed to stop for a bit. That it was the first time where everyone on the planet was experiencing the same sort of challenge, and that our country faced a time where racial reconciliation was the center of a lot of conversations that probably should have been had earlier. That it was a year with a lot of tragedy.

"But it was also a year where depending on God and resting in His promises was more on my mind than ever before, and so for that, I'm thankful."