May 30, 2007

HUNTINGTON - Assistant volleyball coach Patrick Nicholas will travel to Pakistan June 4-11 to work with the country's high performance volleyball teams.

"I'm honored that they asked me to travel to Pakistan," said Nicholas. "Foreign coaches normally come over here to look at coaching methods and player development, and I think we're some of the first to travel overseas and take what we know to them."

Nicholas will meet with the top coaches and players in Pakistan, sharing with them some offensive and defensive volleyball systems and teaching technical and fundamental aspects of the game of volleyball.

"I've been involved with USA Volleyball for quite some time and have had experience with some high performance teams here in the United States," said Nicholas. "The International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia want us to implement this type of organizational structure in Pakistan. The high performance teams here are a pipeline for future national team players, and that's what the Pakistani's need to compete on the continent of Asia."

Nicholas will be joined by a track coach and a Take Wando coach in Pakistan. All will be working with coaches and players in their respective sports.

"I'm excited to be heading over there," said Nicholas. "I think I'll learn a lot about my coaching style after this experience and I believe it will help us this fall in our own season."

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