The George Brown Huskies are excited to announce Olympian Sam Schachter as their new Head Coach of the Men’s Volleyball team, effective immediately.
“I’m totally honoured to be selected for this position. Following in the steps of Garrett May (former Huskies head coach) is a big deal. I know the kind of level he brings and I’m hoping to continue on the legacy he’s created and bring this team to a new level here,” he stated. “I’m excited to establish myself as a head coach at a very high level, and work with a bunch of different college student-athletes. I hope to make a positive impact in their lives both on and off the court.”
The 30-year-old truly has an impressive resume as an athlete, having been a member of the Canadian National team for Volleyball Canada since 2010, and competing in the World Tour in Beach Volleyball since 2012. So far, Schachter has collected five medals across 81 FIVB (Fédération Internationale de Volleyball) events, including two golds. Schachter is also a three-time National Champion and has represented Canada internationally, including having competed on the grandest stage of them all: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He played in the 2015 PanAm Games as well as 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he and his partner Josh Binstock earned silver medals. He hopes to qualify for the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo this upcoming August.
Schachter believes the experiences he’s gained so far from playing at the highest level will translate into success in as a head coach in the OCAA.
“I think the number one thing is that I can relate to the athletes,” he explained. “Being able to relate to the athlete is the number one thing [so] you can create that connection, empathize with them and possibly give new insights they may have not considered. Anyone can teach a skill, but the best coaches connect with their athletes and make sure they know how to navigate through challenges.”
On the coaching side, the Richmond Hill, Ont. native has for several years been carving out his bench resume to complement his extensive playing experience. He served most recently as an assistant coach for the University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues from 2018 to 2020, before the OUA season cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019-2020 season, U of T experienced one of their best seasons of the twenty first century, putting up an OUA-best 17-1 regular season record, earning a conference silver medal and qualifying for the U SPORTS National Championship for the first time since 2004. Schachter also coached at the university level during the 2017-2018 season, when he was the 1st Chair Assistant Coach for the York University men’s squad. The Lions finished tied for first in the OUA East Division with a 12-6 record.
The Olympian has also done extensive work at the senior youth level, working as Senior Strategist focusing on game analysis and scouting for former Beach Volleyball National Team Head Coach Lennard Krapp with the Markham Revolution. Additionally, he founded and managed the On2 Volleyball Club in North York from 2014 to 2018. In this role, he put together programs that developed youth volleyball players between the ages of 14 and 18.
"We're very excited to have an energetic and passionate individual with Sam's levels of coaching and high performance backgrounds join the Huskies," said Manager of Athletics & Recreation, Melanie Gerin-Lajoie. "Not only does he have experience coaching with two of the most successful OUA teams in the last handful of years, but he also personally knows what it takes to compete at the highest level. And that's an incredible combination to be able to bring to the table to keep moving our Huskies program even further in the upward direction it's been trending over the last few years."
Schacter takes over a squad that has a 42-30 regular season record over the past four years, while qualifying for the OCAA Championship tournament in two of those four seasons. He believes the culture and high standard performance he wants to implement will help the student-athletes achieve their goals both on and off the court.
“I definitely want to bring a competitive culture, but it’s not the most critical element I want to create. The most critical part is creating personal development, and making sure these student-athletes take care of their academics and give back to the community. All of these things are an important part of sports, even if some people don’t directly associate the two,” he explained. “I want to make sure they trust the process and focus on that process because I think it will lead them to becoming better athletes and people.”
For more information on George Brown Men's Volleyball and upcoming tryouts for the 2021-22 season, contact Huskies Varsity Coordinator Deanna Oliver at doliver@georgebrown.ca
