Success
Stories

"I am extremely grateful to have been coached by Simo during my experience playing volleyball in high school. His passion for teaching along with mentorship combined to create an extremely transformative experience for a 15 year-old navigating my love for the sport along with life. His knowledge of the sport transcends the court, allowing athletes to become well-rounded individuals and leaders, and I continue to lean on him for guidance throughout my collegiate career and adulthood. Through his mentorship, I have recognized his persistent pursuit for visibility and access to resources for those who may otherwise be hidden under the confines of underrepresentation. As a Nigerian-American coming from an immigrant family, these qualities became extremely valuable in my journey to harnessing the resources around me to maneuver society. Having gone through my collegiate career under several coaches and playing with a myriad of personalities, Simo has served as a reference of a coach with an ability to connect and instill character-building qualities in his players. The world of athletics offers more than scholarships and collegiate opportunities. During this time, players have an opportunity to find and curate their understanding of life. Now that I am on the other side of my experience playing club volleyball, I can confidently say that Simo helped facilitate this process for me and the players around me."

"I worked with Simo for about four years and was able to grow so much as a player through his lessons. He truly cares for all his players and offers advice specific to each person. As a freshman in high school, I had the opportunity to play on his 17-1 club team, despite being two years younger than my teammates. He believed in me and the skills he had helped me develop, ensuring I could perform well in this role. Initially, I was worried about feeling out of place, but Simo made sure I was well integrated into the team, allowing me to fit in right away. With individual and group lessons, I saw great improvement even after just one lesson and saw further progression after every class. He not only teaches technical skills, but also allowed me to improve my volleyball IQ and leadership abilities. Initially quite a shy player, I now have great confidence in taking on a leading role on a team and in life. With the physical disadvantages I faced in volleyball (not being the "right height"), I was able to stand out amongst players by having greater technique and knowledge sharpened with Simo's coaching. There is no question in my mind that without Simo's help, I would not have been able to play at the collegiate level."

"As a coach, Simo is incredibly hardworking and dedicated. He puts so much time and energy into helping his players become the best they can be and to truly grow their game, which has been inspiring to see over the many years I've known him. More specifically, in my own experiences with him as a coach, Simo not only helped me to expand my volleyball skills, but to also grow my volleyball IQ and confidence on the court. As a person, Simo is compassionate and loves to crack a good-spirited joke. He is incredibly caring and supportive, and it is so clear that coaching volleyball is more than just a job for him; it's about the relationships he's built from it. I'm very proud to say that he has become a large influence in my life, and has helped me to become who I am today as both a collegiate athlete and as a person."

"Simo is the true embodiment of a phenomenal coach. Through patience and unwavering support, he has positively transformed my volleyball game. By trusting Simo's process, I have learned to embrace the challenges behind each and every rep because volleyball is not a static game. This forced me outside of my comfort zone and helped me take more risks in my game. Rather than punishing mistakes, Simo embraced and referred to them as moments of learning. Through his technical expertise, he was able to directly pinpoint areas of improvement for all position groups. Additionally, Simo never let me end the day on an average play. Meaning, I was pushed to make my last rep my best rep. Simo helped remind me why I love and play volleyball. Through his cheering and jokes, he quickly became my biggest supporter, and this is something I have never had in a coach."

"I am a D3 collegiate player at Wesleyan University whom Coach Simo has coached through private lessons over the past few summers. Coach Simo has an incredible ability to connect with players, understanding their unique strengths and areas for improvement. I went to Simo as I transitioned to play 6-ro outside from being a middle blocker my whole career. With his coaching, his technical knowledge of volleyball helped me immensely in changing my hitting technique to fit the needs of a successful outside hitter. Not only this, but before I went to his privates he would always take time to ask what exactly I wanted to focus on to ensure I got my money's and time's worth. Simo's programs consistently attract high-caliber athletes and training with other collegiate athletes in his lessons helped to create an environment where I could watch and learn from others while simultaneously receiving feedback from him. I definitely recommend him as an outstanding volleyball coach!"