Rivadeneyra Lets Team Do Talking

His expression was ho hum, his posture relaxed. He appeared as excited as someone sitting down to a bowl of day-old oatmeal.

His Corona del Mar girls’ volleyball team was in the process of a major upset Monday night, beating Laguna Beach, the county’s top-ranked team, in three games. But what was he going to do? Raise his voice? Shake a fist? Tap dance across the court?

Hardly. Not Mark Rivadeneyra. As a first-year coach at Corona del Mar, he has taken over one of the county’s most successful volleyball programs, but he wasn’t about to plug into the old Sea King coaching formula--one that says shouting begets success.

That’s the way it was for years under Charlie Brande and last year under Dale Flickinger. Brande, a fiery sort, probably burned a whole cheesecake’s worth of calories every match. He ranted and raved--and, most times, got more out of his athletes than even they thought possible.

When Brande was fired last year after allegedly violating Southern Section rules, his friend, Flickinger, took over. Flickinger’s style--like Brande’s, but with more cheerleading--certainly didn’t hurt. The Sea Kings went 28-1 and won section and State titles.

This year, Corona del Mar got off to one of its worst starts in school history. The team, now 8-7 and ranked seventh in the county, was 2-6 at one point, and with no one else to blame, fingers started pointing at Rivadeneyra.

Some thought he was arrogant, more interested in how he came across as a coach than the development of his players. Brande offered to fill him in on anything he needed to know about the program. Rivadeneyra said thanks, but no thanks.

“I don’t need a lot of help,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 12 years (as an assistant coach).”

But it wasn’t as if he changed everything. The team still went on its four-day summer camp this year, just as Brande had them do. And the players continued to wear uniforms from the company that Brande is affiliated with, even though Rivadeneyra preferred another brand.

Plus, Rivadeneyra, who teaches elementary school in San Juan Capistrano, brought his own perks to the program. He assigned each of his elementary students to be a pen pal of a player on the team. The students write letters of encouragement before games and also got together to make a good-luck video.

Even so, his was a tough start. It was his first head coaching assignment--at a volleyball powerhouse, no less.

At some schools, volleyball is on a par with soccer, badminton or diving. At Corona del Mar, volleyball is a major sport, rich with tradition--and pressure. With a strong area club program--directed by Brande--most Sea King players have a decade of experience before their first varsity spike. Outside the gym Monday night, a young girl was trying to teach another how to correctly bump a ball. They were 8 and 6 years old.

Rivadeneyra says he knew what he was getting into, had heard all the stories about parental pressure and prima donna players. And he wasn’t fazed one bit.

“When I told my friends I was taking the job, they said, ‘What? They’ll eat you up alive,’ ” Rivadeneyra says. “But I’ve been coaching for 12 years. I can handle it.”

For many of the players, however, the transition was not easy. Rivadeneyra had different strategies, different practice drills and, of course, a much less vocal style than most of them were used to.

Last week, the players asked Rivadeneyra for a team meeting. They wanted to let him know that they were looking for more vocal support, more input, more criticism if need be. He said he’d try to oblige.

“They wanted me to be a little more aggressive,” he said. “That’s fine. If I’m not providing the stimulus, then there won’t be a response. . . .

“But the girls have never seen me play. As a player, man, I was down people’s throats. I hated it when guys made mistakes.”

But he was as calm as could be Monday night.

Corona del Mar played a steady match but made its share of mental mistakes. Few of them brought much of a reaction from Rivadeneyra, 31, a father of two.

After the game, some of the players said they’ve adjusted to their new coach’s style. It’s certainly less intimidating than Brande’s, they said, and now they rely on each other for much of their on-court support.

But some said they still wish Rivadeneyra would speak up more, if not scream and shout.

Perhaps by next year, that wish will pass. Those who played under Brande in high school will all have graduated, and Rivadeneyra will be able to go about his business quietly.