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Interview with Eddie Kosiec 3/26/13

1. How long have you played volleyball for? Ive played since sophomore year of high school.

2. How long have you been a part of the UCF Mens Volleyball Club? I am a freshman on the team and started playing in the fall of 2012

3. What position do you play on the court and what is the role of your position? Middle hitter, I block the middle hitter on the opposite side and hit from the middle position.

4. How did you become a member of this club? There were 2 mandatory try outs that I attended. There were cuts after the first one and then final teams were decided after the second. Theres an A team and a B team based on skill level. I am on the A team and there is also a B team, the coach and captains decides placement.

5. How are positions determined and held in this club? No one is ever safe. We are constantly fighting for our spot on our current team and to have a spot on the court. And if you are on the B team then your fighting for a spot on the A team, and can instantly replace someone on there. I can be pushed down to the B team at any time.

6. How much do you think experience plays a role in skill level? I think in most cases players with the most experience tend to be the most skilled, like how our head captain is the most experienced. But, some people just have natural talent, and me being 6

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7. When you first joined the team did you struggle to fit in/ adjust? I knew some kids on the team so I associated with them at first and then gradually became close to other players through interaction on the court at practice and during outside bonding activities organized by the team.

8. Are there rules and guidelines that you must follow to stay a part of the club? Cant miss more than 4 practices per semester, pay dues of $100 per semester, and have a positive ready to play attitude.

9. Are there any other requirements to be a member of this club? I would say you should have some experience in playing volleyball, unless as I said you just have natural talent, but since there is a B team who is always looking for more players, Id say most guys would have a good shot if theyre athletic and know some of the sport.

10. How long has the coach been coaching for and did he/she play volleyball prior to coaching? Our coach is more like an athletic trainer that has played his whole life, he is 28 and also assists in work outs that help us because of his experience in that field.

11. How long has the captain of the team played for? There are three captains that are all seniors and have played all 4 years, and there is 1 head captain who is viewed as the best leader and player on the court.

12. How much of authority would you say your coach has? Hes mostly there for guidance and organizing tournaments and traveling. He also helps resolve any conflict that might arise between players.

13. How much authority would you say the captain has compared to the coach?

Weiss 3 About the same, they assist in placing players, and deciding who deserves to play. They also assist in coming up with drills. The head captain has the most authority of the three.

14. Do you have a structured practice schedule? We practice Monday Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:30pm in the gym located in the Education Building.

15. How do you and members of the club communicate with one another off the court? We have a private Facebook group we can communicate and where important dates are posted. 16. How does your relationship with members of the team affect how you play together on the court? I think it plays a huge part. Theres definitely better chemistry between certain players and since volleyball is such a team sport It helps when the team is really close. You learn to get people and know how they want their sets, and also when theyre having an off game, and then how you can fix that.

17. Are there any examples of ways you communicate to players on your team on the court that other teams will not understand? We have different plays that are called different than they may normally be called so the other team will not recognize them. We call outside hits Blacks and middle hits Golds which is obviously based on our school colors.