Director of Volleyball, Mr Eric Smith has spent the past 20 years at Toowoomba Grammar School not only shaping the minds of the young men in his science classroom but also working tirelessly on improving his capacity to coach volleyball to the highest level.
Starting at the School in 2003, Eric quickly rediscovered his passion for volleyball, something he had not experienced since playing for Ipswich Grammar School during the ‘90s.
“I felt completely at home back on the volleyball court and transferring my passion onto the athletes in my charge”.
It was the very next year that he took over the program as the Master-in-Charge (MIC) from 2004 – 2012.
“They were exciting times for the sport. It was really getting a great footing in the GPS community and our team numbers effectively doubled in these few short years,” said Eric.
Coach education was never far from his mind, completing his Level 1 and Level 2 in 2004, and his Level 3 in 2007.
“Completing my Level 3 back then really enabled me to guide the growth and impact of the TGS Volleyball program on our athletes. It gave me greater understanding of the psychology behind the game and the methods for tracking key statistical data from every match at 1st VI level,” Eric stated.
During the ensuing years, Eric coached a number of teams for TGS, including the 1st VI, 8A and 9A teams and externally with the Darling Downs U15 Boys and Queensland U15 Boys. In 2018 when the opportunity for the Director of Volleyball role became available, he knew what was needed.
“A Director role is greatly different to an MIC – you have more command of the direction of the sport and greater capacity in engaging with the wider community,” said Eric.
“I was now in a position to improve the teaching and learning of all of our coaching staff, adding to their volleyball knowledge and we could extend our players to the high-performance realm.”
The past four years has seen the greatest number of TGS athletes not only attend state team trials but also be selected across both volleyball disciplines, indoor and beach.
“There has been the occasional player to represent Queensland in the past, the likes of Cameron Weber, Alex Kerridge, David Marsh and William Cavaye, but the sheer volume of quality volleyball athletes we are producing today is not only a credit to the program but to all the coaching staff who have had an impact on those athletes to strive for the highest level.”
The icing on the cake for Eric was to have one of his players invited to the Australian Volleyball Academy in 2021.
“Ben Hood is an exceptional athlete and once he knew volleyball was going to be his pathway to success, he has never looked back. I am immensely proud that we have been able to produce an athlete like Ben who represents Australia.”
In July, the first ever Australian-based opportunity to obtain a FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) qualification was jumped on by Eric as another opportunity to extend his coaching knowledge. The five-day course involved both theory and practical work with the 29 participants really put through their paces.
“This qualification is a ticket to coaching at the elite level throughout the world,” Eric stated.
“You needed to not only know your stuff but be able to execute it practically.”
Participants included former national Australian and Serbian players and high-performance coaches at the Australian Volleyball Academy. Unfortunately, not all participants passed the testing but still learnt so much about the game and methods of coaching that their clubs and schools will benefit from their new knowledge.
Eric’s focus for the next six months is to engage within the TGS community to develop our most junior players to their potential and to push our new 1st VI to a level they have never been.
“Achieving this accreditation gives me a sense of personal pride that I can match it as a coach at any level,” said Eric.
Further education of the TGS coaches and the wider Darling Downs volleyball coaches will ensue in time.
Latest Blog
Erik Sheppard - making TGS Army Cadet Unit history
The 2024 Dining in Night was made even more special with the appointment of the first Toowoomba Grammar School Army Cadet Unit (TGS ACU) Regimental Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Erik Sheppard who was awarded his rank and pace stick by the 16th Battalion Commanding officer MAJ (AAC) Gary MacLachlan. WO1 Sheppard enlisted in the TGS ACU just before the COVID shutdown in 2020. Although this was not the ideal way to begin a cadet career, he was able to adapt and overcome the virtual…
The Big Six Reading Tips
Unlocking Literacy - The Big Six Elements for Your Child’s Reading Success Literacy skills are a core component of each day for our students, and parents often ask how they can support this from home. I am delighted to share with our parent community the essential components that underpin successful reading development. These elements, known as the Big Six, provide a solid foundation for your son’s literacy journey. These critical building blocks include: Oral Language: Communication skills are…
Boarding - Building Men of Good Character
Over the past five years, we have found one of the most valuable lessons that boarding can teach teenage boys is the ability to self-navigate and overcome challenges. Entering a boarding house is the first time many boarders have stepped away from the comfort and security of their parents and guardians. Although this can be a daunting experience, one of the things that this unfamiliarity creates is the ability to organise yourself. With a larger workload than previous years, a greater number…
The Learning Pit
Learning is at our core and covers all subject disciplines, co-curricular pursuits, personal development and interest areas. Helping our Toowoomba Grammar School boys view learning as a disposition that goes well beyond the classroom context is incredibly important. Learning has a life-long value in all we do. We also acknowledge that learning can be challenging at times, and it can be uncomfortable, but also wonderfully inspiring and fulfilling. Appreciating the full range of feelings and…
Leap Before You Look
The boarding journey offers students a plethora of opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone and take advantage of new environments, relationships, and opportunities during their time at Toowoomba Grammar School. We often talk about “character education” – a theory that originated in the US and has been increasingly embraced by leading schools globally. It is encouraging all students to develop new approaches to their learning, including aspects of morals and ethics, thinking,…
Literacy at TGS: A research-informed approach
A recent Grattan Institute report has shared that one-third of Australian students are failing to learn to read proficiently, referring to the situation as a ‘preventable tragedy’. In addition, the report identifies evidence-based approaches utilising structured literacy programs with phonics and explicit instruction as the most effective methods of teaching literacy. At Toowoomba Grammar School, we implement a structured synthetic phonics approach to teaching spelling and reading that…
Past Mothers, Present Supporters
Any Old Boy will tell you the Blue and Gold is part of their blood. They love the history, the traditions, the memories, and the lifelong friends they made during their time at Toowoomba Grammar School. Well, it seems the same can be said for many TGS mums. The Past Mothers’ Group was formed in 1979 by Mrs Mary Campbell who contacted as many past mothers as she could and invited them to meet at her home where the Past Mothers’ Group was officially formed with the intention of retaining links…
The TGS Interact Club - the Reward for Work Well Done
The Interact Club successfully raised over $10,000 last year for charities and services on a local, statewide and international scale through the hard work and commitment of its members. With these funds, the Interact Club has donated Backpack Blankets to Toowoomba's homeless, helped AEIOU's efforts in supporting children with autism, contributed to the "Are You Bogged Mate?" campaign for rural mental health and raised funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. As well as many other individual…
A Question of Character
In an age bursting with technological innovations and an overwhelming abundance of information, the present era appears to be characterised by a swift and unrelenting pace of change. Our society, young and old alike, finds itself constantly bombarded with provocative and sensationalist narratives. The media floods our consciousness with constant streams of global dilemmas, highlighting the flaws of our leaders, uncovering corporate or political scandals, and bringing conflicts and tragedies…
