Secrets of Coaching Success: Aigars Birzulis (Part 2)
Interview
If beach volleyball were a computer game, the players would probably be the little figures moving on the screen. However, the coach would not be the actual gamer as in volleyball, but rather the programmer who had to put in all the code ahead of the game. There is a major difference between a volleyball coach and a beach volleyball coach, and to help the fans understand it and gain more in-depth knowledge about the tireless behind-the-scenes work of those low-profile mentors in the sand from the first-hand source, in my Secrets of Coaching Success series, I also present some of Europe’s accomplished examples in the beach volleyball coaching profession and try to pick their brains for insider info about how it all gets done.
Prominent Latvian beach volleyball coach Aigars Birzulis is featured in the sixth episode of the series. His teams won plenty of medals at major international competitions at the senior, the junior and the youth levels, including a London 2012 Olympic bronze. Most recently, he steered Anastasija Kravcenoka & Tina Graudina to the women’s continental title at EuroBeachVolley 2022. Here is the full interview he gave for cev.eu.
What prompted you to become a beach volleyball coach? Please draw a comparison between the coaching roles in volleyball and beach volleyball.
“For many years I was head coaching youth national teams in Latvia starting in the early 1990s. We used to practice beach volleyball during the summers to keep our form. If you remember, in 1997 the first junior European Championship was in Dubulti, Latvia. There we managed to win first and third place in the guys’ competition. That was my start as a beach volleyball coach. I used to say that beach volleyball is just another form of indoor volleyball, but now I can only partially agree. The main difference is the players’ motivation, because in indoor you can change players, but in beach volleyball you can’t. You have to be mentally and physically stronger in beach volleyball.”
Your most recent big success was the EuroBeachVolley title with Tina & Anastasija. Please tell us about your thoughts and emotions at the sidelines of that glorious moment.
“It was an honor that the Latvian federation asked me to lead our teams at the Nations Cup and the European Championship. And I thank them. Tina & Anastasija were without a coach at that moment and they asked me to be with them at the European Championship. I used to work with them when they were juniors. I know them and that’s why I didn’t feel pressure and we all together managed to get a good result.”
In many cases, a beach volleyball coach is an employee of the duo he/she is coaching. Please explain the psychology of such a relationship with the players.
“A coach has to have a good relationship with the players. Without it, there would be no results. You have to know the players as individuals and also as players within a team. It is important to have these good relationships among all team members, players to coach and coach to players.”
Unlike indoor volleyball, coaching during beach volleyball matches is generally not allowed. What is the reasoning behind this rule and would you change it?
“Beach volleyball has taken a lot of things from tennis’s competition organization. In some ways it’s good and in some it’s not. One example is the prize money situation. I think to show beach volleyball’s better performance in a more interesting way you have to allow the coaches to be with the players, because a coach can bring big changes to the game, which can lift game quality. That was proved at the Nations Cup and at youth championships.”
Because of that rule, beach volleyball coaches are hardly ever in the media spotlight and generally unknown to the wide public. Is this good or bad for the sport?
“I think it’s not good and it has to be changed. It’s not good for showing beach volleyball. As in every sport, not only the players put their time, work and heart into it. Coaches do too. That’s why they are in the team. And sometimes coaches are more passionate than the players.”
The CEV Nations Cup you recently participated in as the coach of the women's national team of Latvia was something different. Please share your experience at that competition.
“First, I want to say ‘thanks’ and put the spotlight on the Austrians who organized such a great event, with a lot of amazing spectators. I think, starting from the Klagenfurt tournaments, Austria has had the best DJ’s who create such a great atmosphere. They make players feel free and that’s important. In this kind of atmosphere, every player and coach tries to show their best and everybody is a winner.”
#BeachVolleyball
