Old School Coaches- Mark Massey’s Blue Print for Success

Mark Massey was head volleyball coach at Clinton High School (Iowa) for 38 years. He had several teams go to State and five win the Mississsippi Athletic Conference championships. He won 232 conference matches which is the all-time best in MAC history. 

He finished his career with his teams having won 818 matches. 

Mark was the Iowa Coach of the Year in 1994 and twice the finalist for National Coach of the Year. He has been inducted into the NW Illinois HOF, the Iowa VB Coaches HOF, and the Clinton High School HOF. 

I have asked Mark’s players and coaches to share why they think Mark was so successful. 

Stacy Lawrence Powers

Played volleyball for CHS from 99-02

We had a talented group ahead and behind us , so we were a deep bunch at the varsity level . Sometimes our toughest competition was amongst our own teammates. Mass had the ability to see the big picture and set winning expectations for his teams. His willingness to make adjustments when needed and to push his players to the next level , is evident through his incredible career.

Popcorn on the bench ;) Jk Mass… one of favorite memories was when we played at Davenport West and Coach put on the song (Garth Brooks )”Standing Outside the Fire “ 
The line … “ life is not tried, it is merely survived… if you’re standing outside the fire” has stuck with me forever . Anytime I hear or play that song, I think of Coach motivating us to dig deep and give it our all . 

I don’t have words adequate enough to describe the impact he had on me as a then player and student ; and now as a parent / friend . He motivated me , believed in me ( I was a 5 foot 6 outside hitter that played all around ), gave me opportunities , and supported me as a student / athlete . 

He has continued to be there for me in every phase of life . He follows my own kids now and always checks in on my family . He has been there to support me in tough times and celebrated me in my best times . He is incredibly special to me and my entire family. . I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to play for the LEGEND Mark Massey .

Jessica (Geronzin) Heiar

I played for him from 1991-1995

I believe the number one thing that made him successful was his love and dedication to the game of volleyball. His dedication to the game made you want to work harder and get better so you could play for him. His love for volleyball was crucial to Clinton volleyball because it fueled a positive and engaging environment for players, fostering their growth and enjoyment of volleyball. His passion translated into encouragement, effective teaching, and a commitment to not just winning but also developing strong players on the court and as individuals off the court. The love and dedication of volleyball spread to everyone that played for him. He truly lived and breathed volleyball and that was infectious. He put Clinton Volleyball on the map in the state of Iowa!

He focused on creating engaging, challenging, and personalized experiences in practice. He did a great job of incorporating game-like scenarios, incorporating mental preparation, and using music to enhance focus and motivation. He always emphasized the importance of building a strong pre-game routine, including visualization, positive affirmations, and listening to a motivational playlist. Before every game we would take time in the locker room as a team to visualize how we were going to play. We'd visualize ourselves doing everything we needed to do to win that match. 

He significantly impacted my life by fostering growth in areas like communication, confidence, and resilience. He helped me be able to identify goals, improve my performance, and build better relationships, ultimately leading to increased personal and professional fulfillment. He provided encouragement and support, helping me overcome challenges and build confidence in my abilities.  He taught me how to cope with adversity, bounce back from failures, and develop the mental toughness needed to navigate life's challenges both on and off the volleyball court.

I have two favorite game memories. One is when we beat our rival Davenport West on their court to go to state in a 5 set battle. My second favorite game memory is when we played Council Bluffs in the 1st round of the state tournament. It was a battle from start to finish. . We ran out of rotations and Massey subbed by sister Shauna into serve, who was a freshman at the time and only played front row. She had a great serve but had no clue what to do in the back row. At the time I thought he was crazy but it worked. She served great and we fought in the back row about what she was supposed to do. We ended up winning the match in 5 hours and going on to lose in the state championship game to Marshalltown. 

Amanda Steines 

I coached with Mark from 2005 to his retirement from coaching after the 2015 season. 

He was a constant student of the game.  He was always thinking of the next practice, the next season, the next thing.  Also, he made connections with people and remembered them.  Whether it was a colleague, a college coach, official or athlete, he made sure that he knew them and they knew him.  Something that I believe a lot of coaches don't tap into but Mass did was the relationships of his team.  I was a young coach when I started coaching with Mass and I didn't truly understand what he was doing.  He was not only making sure his lineup had the best fundamental players on the court, he made sure that there was no drama going on within the team that may upset the lineup.  This could be the starting player or a member on the bench.  With teenage girls, this was immeasurable to the team and at times constant work.  However, due to this his teams always played as a team.  

Some quotes that come to mind when I think of Mark are:  "Paddle the ball in", "God Blessed", "You have 900 square feet to get the ball in."  Around homecoming we would always hear the saying "Watch out for those who have less to lose than you."  Something I talk to my own teams and children about very frequently. 

I also remember him telling me early on when I was setting up rules for my own team to not have any rules that you wouldn't enforce with your best athlete.  That didn't mean that you let your best athlete get away with things, more that you better make sure that the rules you were setting were ones that you were confident in enforcing. 

Mark came into my life at a pivotal time.  We were coaching together through some big moments in my life: my marriage, the birth of my two children, first house, getting my masters, changing jobs.  All of it.  I wouldn't be who I am today without him.  He still is a part of my life, part of my family.  I just texted him about his proteges coaching their daughters to an Iowa regional championship earlier in April.  I wouldn't be who I am without him.  Both as a coach and a person. 

Well there is the bag of concession stand popcorn that Mass would buy before every game.  Even though he had been in the gym for hours before hand he would enjoy the popcorn on the team bench while the team was warming up for the Varsity game.  I was there when Mark won his 700th win.  He was never one to boast about his accomplishments.  He let his teams do that for him.  But that was a huge accomplishment!  

Thank you for doing this.  I will say that hearing about the relationship you and your brother have has been amazing.  As a parent I hope that my children are just as close as the two of you are.  

For the pictures attached...The one with my daughter Olivia and Mark is when he won his 700th win at the Maquoketa tournament.  The one with just Mark and I is when he met with the team to tell them he was retiring.  The one with the three of us was his induction into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame.  My daughter grew up with Mark.  She was wheeled around in the cart with the volleyballs for many camps and practices.  So I thought it was fitting to include her.

Monique Harris

Played from 2010-2013.

 What made Massey successful as a coach was his care for his players, love for the game and the love of wanting all his players to be the best they could be.

6 on 6 Tip will be a drill that lives rent free in my head thanks to Mark, and not necessarily a quote but just to STAY OUT OF THE DAMN NET haha.

 The impact this coach had on me was just to enjoy the small parts of the game and that the sport won’t last forever.

 My favorite game memory would be beating PV at home in 5  and just all of the excitement between us players and the coaching staff.

Alyssa Wing

Former Clinton High School volleyball player (2009-2012 seasons)

I feel what made Massey successful wasn't only the volleyball skills he taught, but more importantly his love for the game and for his players. He genuinely cared about each and every one of us, tried to make practices fun and entertaining, and was constantly making us laugh or bringing us Krumpet's Cookies. He made it easy for all of us to buy in, to commit to the season, and to each other. Massey is a successful coach because he keeps those relationships with his players long after they graduate, impacting many of us both on and off the court. He stays connected and checks in on a lot of us, and even the ones he doesn't get a chance to, we all know he's cheering on from afar. 

If you've ever played for Massey, you have 100% done the 6 on 6 tip drill in practice. When I was in high school, all I wanted to do was hit hard or hit harder, so naturally this wasn't my favorite drill in the world. Then getting to college and having all of my shoulder injuries, I was forced to become a smarter player and use my shots/tips a lot more. I think Massey played a huge part in my success in college ball, even when I was playing with my bum wing. 

Massey has had a huge impact on my life. He is a big reason why I got connected with and ultimately chose UNLV as my collegiate volleyball program. While at UNLV and through my other travels, Massey has always been supporting me along the way. I feel that I'm one of the lucky few to say that I regularly stay in touch with my high school coach. In fact, I just heard that he recently talked to my grandma, that he did get my wedding save the date, and that it's currently on his fridge. I'm confident and glad to know that we will continue our relationship long into the future. 

I feel like my favorite Clinton High River Queen memory would have to be the final home game of my junior year season. It was senior night, and we were playing against Pleasant Valley (PV). If we won, we were the Mississippi Athletic Conference Co-Champions. If we lost, PV got the title outright. I remember we were down 0-2 against a very, very good PV team, and we came back to win it 3-2 with each set going to extra points. The student section stormed the court when we won, and it was just one of the funnest nights I ever had in Yourd Gym. I do believe that some tears were shed, both by myself and Massey included.

Evan Massey (Little Brother)

It was a joy to go thru teaching social studies and coaching with a brother who was doing the same thing. He was a “coaching counselor” on speed dial- his advice on working with players, handling game situations, and dealing with parents and administrators was invaluable. 

Probably over the last 50 years, Mark and I have had 2-3 phone conversations a week that usually last 30-60 minutes. Our conversations have started with one of us saying,“What would you do in this situation?”

While I valued his counsel, his x/o advice was not at the top of the list of things I wanted to hear. Inevitably, at some point he would drop his line,”Why in the hell don’t you just play a little zone defense as a change up?” I don’t know if I stuck to just playing man to man because of my basketball philosophy or I just didn’t want “big brother” to think he had influenced me. 

He did act as my assistant on the bench for one game vs. Moline. The game was moved from Wharton to UTHS because of a leaking ceiling, so my usual assistants had to go to another gym. It was fun, until he mentioned the zone stuff some more. It was a good “one-time only” experience- I couldn’t have taken any more!!

Mark started out as a JH basketball coach at Lyons JH and then a college coach at Mount St. Claire. The first “Mount” game that I went to, Mark was wearing basketball shoes and sitting on the bench eating popcorn. I gave him crap about it, but I thought it was good. I didn’t get into the eating popcorn but that is where my “casual sideline look” came from. 

Many summers ago, Mark and I were in Madison on a summer afternoon. We had probably been to State St. Brats and then the UW Bookstore before ice cream at the Union. Mark came out of the UW Bookstore and had a book on volleyball. I asked him why he got that- he said he took the Lyons VB job. That was the first I knew he was going into volleyball. I asked him what he knew about volleyball. His reply,”I don’t know anything but I can learn.”

That is Mark. He read about volleyball, attended clinics, and attended camps. Over time, his quest for knowledge resulted in friendships with numerous college coaches, including UW’s Coach Cook (later Nebraska coach), and Terry Pettit (Nebraska). 

Mark had the ability in sports to look at the details and really break the game down. He once explained to me that volleyball is really 12 different games- the six different rotations and then receiving / serving in each rotation. He kept his own stats during games and could tell you which of those 12 “games” was winning or losing the match. 

At the same time, he didn’t get buried in the details. He has always had the ability to watch a football, basketball, or volleyball game and cut thru the “bull” and see big picture what is happening. After one of my games, I started to go into some intricate analysis. He interrupt with- “I don’t know about that stuff, but damn, you foul too much.”

Mark coached his son, Evan in JH basketball, and his daughter, Sarah in HS volleyball. I always enjoy their stories of “Dad as coach.” It is a good make fun of Mark time. My favorite story of their’s is when Mark had Evan in class. Mark evidently felt Evan was dominating class discussions so he decided not to call on Evan anymore. Evan would raise his hand over and over but for weeks was not called on. Evidently Dad thought that was funny until Evan went home and told he mother, Kathy that her husband was not callling on him in class. While Kathy was as good of a coaches wife as you could ask for- in the ensuing  “conversation”, Kathy made it clear if she had to choose between teacher-Mark or student-Evan- it was time to quit messing with Evan!

Whether it was Mark in college bringing stick ‘em to me for a rainy HS football game at North Scott, or him driving to watch my basketball teams play. His support has been always appreciated. And I think that is what made him successful- Mark always went above and beyond to support his volleyball players.