At the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the Omega interviewed WolfPack coach Chad Grimm following his year-long absence. After almost a year, Grimm once again sat down with the Omega to discuss what had changed.
Omega: In last year’s interview, you mentioned that one of the main aspects you wanted to focus on was building relationships with the girls. Was that goal realized?
CG: We always try to build those relationships through open communication. We try to do stuff in the summer; [for example] we have a book club [where we] talk about things we value. [We] try to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We had a trip to Turkey as a team. I think those things help when you’re travelling internationally and people [are in] their comfort zones. There are outside stressors [as well], and I think that helps bring a group together. That’s something we’re always working on, but I think as you go through the years and you [have] an older and more mature team, those things start to improve.
Omega: Considering that, what aspect has improved the most over the past year?
CG: I think, generally, our level of maturity as a group has improved on and off the court. We can manage a game better as a team on the court. Off the court, we’re able to start to have more open dialogue [and] communication. When issues arise, we’re better at addressing those things. It’s always a work in progress and things will always be up and down, but those areas we’ve improved upon.
Omega: What is the mentality for the next half of the season?
CG: Come and try to improve a little bit every day. Results will take care of themselves. You’re going to have good games and get a result. You’re going to have a good game [and] maybe get a bad result. We don’t focus on that, but controlling what we can, performing to the best of our abilities and then, at the end of the night, see what happens.
Omega: What drew you into coaching?
CG: I was a player for a long time [after which] I was a teacher. So, I think teaching was always part of what I enjoyed. It kind of became a natural fit. I was a system coach with the men’s team for a long time. I’ve coached my kids a lot. I think sport is a great vehicle to help to teach life and this provides an opportunity for me to try to do that.
Omega: What do you think is the most rewarding part of our coaching?
CG: It’s seeing the growth of the players as people. I met up with two alumni yesterday just to see where they’re at and see how they are doing in their lives after they graduated. Now they can pick up some skills […] that are positive when they get out into the real world. So, I think, as a coach the nicest thing to see is how the players go through their journey when they leave here.
Omega: What do you think the team taught you?
CG: I think the teams teach you a lot of things, but what we value the most is not getting stuck on just results all the time. It is a performance-based industry where we’re kind of judged on that as a coach, but not getting stuck on that and not making decisions based on that. I think that it’s an easy thing to do as a coach: making decisions solely based on performance.
Omega: What do you think is the most memorable moment of the season so far?
CG: I think it’s our trip to Turkey. It was an amazing experience. A lot of people have not traveled internationally before and to just see them experience those things and kind of open up your eyes and see the world is a little bit bigger place than in Canada.At the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the Omega interviewed WolfPack coach Chad Grimm following his year-long absence. After almost a year, Grimm once again sat down with the Omega to discuss what had changed.
Omega: In last year’s interview, you mentioned that one of the main aspects you wanted to focus on was building relationships with the girls. Was that goal realized?
CG: We always try to build those relationships through open communication. We try to do stuff in the summer; [for example] we have a book club [where we] talk about things we value. [We] try to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We had a trip to Turkey as a team. I think those things help when you’re travelling internationally and people [are in] their comfort zones. There are outside stressors [as well], and I think that helps bring a group together. That’s something we’re always working on, but I think as you go through the years and you [have] an older and more mature team, those things start to improve.
Omega: Considering that, what aspect has improved the most over the past year?
CG: I think, generally, our level of maturity as a group has improved on and off the court. We can manage a game better as a team on the court. Off the court, we’re able to start to have more open dialogue [and] communication. When issues arise, we’re better at addressing those things. It’s always a work in progress and things will always be up and down, but those areas we’ve improved upon.
Omega: What is the mentality for the next half of the season?
CG: Come and try to improve a little bit every day. Results will take care of themselves. You’re going to have good games and get a result. You’re going to have a good game [and] maybe get a bad result. We don’t focus on that, but controlling what we can, performing to the best of our abilities and then, at the end of the night, see what happens.
Omega: What drew you into coaching?
CG: I was a player for a long time [after which] I was a teacher. So, I think teaching was always part of what I enjoyed. It kind of became a natural fit. I was a system coach with the men’s team for a long time. I’ve coached my kids a lot. I think sport is a great vehicle to help to teach life and this provides an opportunity for me to try to do that.
Omega: What do you think is the most rewarding part of our coaching?
CG: It’s seeing the growth of the players as people. I met up with two alumni yesterday just to see where they’re at and see how they are doing in their lives after they graduated. Now they can pick up some skills […] that are positive when they get out into the real world. So, I think, as a coach the nicest thing to see is how the players go through their journey when they leave here.
Omega: What do you think the team taught you?
CG: I think the teams teach you a lot of things, but what we value the most is not getting stuck on just results all the time. It is a performance-based industry where we’re kind of judged on that as a coach, but not getting stuck on that and not making decisions based on that. I think that it’s an easy thing to do as a coach: making decisions solely based on performance.
Omega: What do you think is the most memorable moment of the season so far?
CG: I think it’s our trip to Turkey. It was an amazing experience. A lot of people have not traveled internationally before and to just see them experience those things and kind of open up your eyes and see the world is a little bit bigger place than in Canada.