A New Coach, a New Discipline : Now There Is a Price to Pay at Northridge

Coach John Price has a theory: A little negative reinforcement goes a long way.

When he was named coach of the Cal State Northridge volleyball team in April, he put his philosophy into practice. It was a different philosophy than that espoused by Walt Ker, the former men’s coach.

Ker had coached the men’s team at CSUN for nine years and women’s team for the last seven years before deciding to coach only the latter. As a former player, Ker was motivated from within. He did not need discipline or negative reinforcement to excel. He expected the same from the men’s team at CSUN.

Price, who was Ker’s assistant last year, said that Ker’s positive attitude works for the women’s team, but did not seem to be as effective for the men.

Price, who had coached the girls volleyball team at Thousand Oaks High for the past four years, graduated from CSUN in 1982.

“A lot of these guys need a kick in the butt,” Price said. “Coaching women is a whole different ballgame.”

Actually, the new coach isn’t mean. Price’s punishments are mildly meted in the form of disciplined drills. For example, when it comes to practicing serves, Price stands on one side of the net, opposite the 13 players. Each man must serve the ball into a 10-foot-square area. When a player misses, Price points to the wall of the gymnasium and says, “See ya.” Everyone -- not just the man who missed--takes off running .

Two laps later, with the other players breathing down his practice uniform, the same player tries again until he gets it right.

Price doesn’t care if it takes two minutes or half an hour, the drill will be done right.

“If we messed up a drill, Walt might have said, ‘Oh well, you screwed up, you’re human,’ ” senior Scott Juhl said. “John’s attitude is to say, ‘Screw up, pay for it and maybe it won’t happen again.’ With John, we stick to a drill until John’s satisfied.”

Said Ker: “We definitely have a different approach to our philosophies. I don’t think that’s a problem at all. John is consistent in his ways. The main difference is in our styles. He has to coach what he believes.”

And Price’s belief is that hard work will produce a winning team.

The players are satisfied with the notion. For the most part, they agree that Ker’s was a more relaxed approach than Price’s.

“Last year,” Jim Meaney, an outside hitter, said, “we never even broke out in a sweat. Walt would tell us to run five laps and we’d run two. Now we have to run 20 minutes before practice and do four sets of 25 push-ups and 100 sit-ups.”

“Walt was laid back, it seems,” middle blocker John Buffington said. “We were into having more fun, always joking around and doing anything we wanted to. Everyone was goofing off. It was relaxed. We were having fun.”

“Walt lost it last year a little bit,” Juhl said, reflecting on the Matadors’ 3-15 record in the California Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. “In being our friend, he lost some respect as our coach.”

But Ker, who was named coach of the year last season for his work with the CSUN women’s team, said that he didn’t see any problem in being friends with the players. He said that maintaining discipline depends on the individual.

“I could be friends with the guys and go out with them after practice,” Ker said, adding that he didn’t do as much socially with the team last year. “I had no trouble drawing the line between being their friend and being their coach. When I walked out onto that court, I was the coach.”

It wasn’t such an easy distinction for some of the players.

“We’re still kids at heart,” Juhl said, “and kids still need spanking sometimes. Walt was really into being friends with the guys. John said he didn’t want to get in that same groove.”

Price, when asked about Juhl’s comments, smiled and quickly shook his head. “No,” he said, “I’m not too concerned with being their friend.”

The 27-year-old coach is more concerned with the lack of depth on the team, which opened its CIVA season Monday night by losing to Stanford in three games. On Tuesday, the Matadors bounced back with a victory over St. Mary’s.

With CSUN now 1-1 in CIVA, Price is confident that his team is as good as most other teams in the conference.

The CSUN starters include senior hitter Chuck English, an All-American last season, and John Buffington, 6-3, who Price says looks to be a powerful middle blocker. Other senior starters include outside hitter Eddie DeGrasse, middle blocker Juhl and setter Mark Stein. Junior Mike Bird also starts at setter in the 6-2 offense. Meaney, a senior, figures to contribute as an outside hitter.

Other than those seven, Price said, CSUN has several freshman who could become top CIVA players. But for now, Price said he is hoping for an injury-free season in order finish in the top five and qualify for the NCAA playoffs.

To accomplish that, Price is looking to Ker.

Price might be avoiding Ker’s easy-going philosophy, but he is simulating Ker’s other coaching techniques. Price can often be found on the phone to Ker, asking his opinion on everything from practice schedules to player personalities.

“Walt knows the guys,” Price said.

One thing Price has picked up from Ker is planning a structured practice to perfect the many moves needed to play volleyball. The moves include footwork while at the net and jumps for blocking.

Price follows a detailed schedule, which he scribbles on a piece of notebook paper before each practice. Throughout practice, Price consults his notes to be sure he’s spending enough time teaching the various techniques.

“Walt has all that in his head,” Price said.

If Price has fashioned his coaching technique after Ker, he has found his philosophy of negative reinforcement in the coaching of Ken Stanley, men’s volleyball coach at Pierce College. Stanley, a firm believer in tough, physical workouts, coached Price for two years, in 1979 and 1980. Price then transferred to CSUN and played for Ker.

“John came from a program that was physically demanding. He gave 100%,” Ker said, “and he thought everyone needed to be that way.”

At CSUN, Price is even more adamant about getting 100% from his players.

Price and Ker agree that if it comes down to which team is in better physical condition, CSUN should win more than its share of CIVA matches.

Two years ago, Northridge became a member of CIVA, the nation’s best volleyball conference, when NCAA Division II competition was eliminated because of the lack of men’s volleyball programs at that level. Since 1970, when the NCAA began sponsoring national volleyball championships, every title has been won by a CIVA member.

It was not easy for CSUN to move up to a league with four of the best Division I schools in the country, but it has gotten less difficult each year. Although it won just three CIVA matches last season, Northridge was 15-17 overall.

“Last year, the team was made up of cliques,” Juhl said. “This year, John’s broken it down and impressed upon us that we’re a whole team. And we are a team. It feels good.”

CSUN will be among 20 teams participating in the UC Santa Barbara Invitational Tournament this weekend at Santa Barbara. The round-robin tournament will begin Friday and continue Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday night.