While the roles of a volleyball coach and a beach volleyball coach have notable distinctions, their impact on a team`s performance is equally crucial. To provide fans with a deeper understanding of this profession directly from seasoned practitioners, this “Secrets of Coaching Success” series highlights accomplished European coaches from both disciplines, aiming to extract their valuable insights and experiences.
This seventh installment features Norway`s Jetmund Berntsen, widely regarded as one of the world`s most successful beach volleyball coaches today. He coaches the Beachvolley Vikings and, most notably, guides the reigning Olympic, world, and four-time European champions, Anders Mol & Christian Sorum. In the past year, Berntsen also steered the Norwegian men’s national team to victory at the CEV Beachvolley Nations Cup in Vienna. Here is the complete interview he provided.
What led you to coaching beach volleyball?
I grew up participating in many activities, but anything involving a ball was always the most enjoyable. We played football in the summer and volleyball in the winter, along with other sports in between. In Naustdal, the small town where I lived until 1993, we had a very strong women’s volleyball team, Tambarskjelvar, which included several national team players like my sister Merita. The nearby city of Forde also had an excellent men’s team with professional players. This gave me exposure to top-level volleyball from a very young age. I started organized volleyball at seven. In 1990, I began playing beach volleyball during the summers. A few years later, I played on the national indoor team alongside Jan Kvalheim, who became Norway’s first World Tour winner in 1994. Concurrently, my sister fell in love with Kare Mol, my national team coach and beach volleyball partner at the time. They embarked on their journey towards the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Kare was a major inspiration for my coaching interest. From then on, indoor and beach volleyball became my entire focus, and it remains so today…
Volleyball and beach volleyball have consistently been my way of life. Since the beginning, my aspiration has been to work in volleyball professionally, not necessarily as a player, but by coaching children, youth, or seniors. I’ve always coached younger teams, even while playing at the top level in Norway myself. I truly enjoy working with young people, which is why I dedicated significant time to Toppvolley Norge over the past five years. I highly recommend this school to any coach worldwide. Its culture, knowledge, atmosphere, and people are incredibly energizing.
Could you share the remarkable story of the Beachvolley Vikings?
Kare and I had children around the same time and spent a lot of time together. I was able to observe him closely, have insightful discussions, and experiment at the start of my coaching career. I attended the World Tour event in Stavanger every year from 1999 to 2014. I still recall Anders (Mol) telling us during the 2009 World Championship in Stavanger, “I will be the youngest player ever to compete in a World Tour Grand Slam.” He was just 12. In 2014, he and Mathias (Berntsen) qualified for the main draw in Stavanger at only 16 and 18 years old, making them the youngest team ever in a Grand Slam. They also qualified for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing and won the U20 European Championship in Larnaca the following year, 2015.
The journey was underway. We had a group of promising young players and experienced, knowledgeable coaches. The senior national team wasn`t performing as well as before and failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Our young players were finishing high school (at ToppVolley Norge, which I consider the best volleyball school). We knew we needed to provide them with the optimal program. So, we established the Beachvolley Vikings together. We recognized the special potential within this group. Initially, it consisted of three players: Anders, Mathias, and Christian (Sorum). Our fourth player, Hendrik, needed to complete school and his indoor season in Hawaii. Our primary objective was to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In the first couple of years, 2016 and 2017, we tested various combinations to find the best team setup. It was challenging because everyone was performing well. We won medals at youth championships with different pairings and qualified for elite World Tour events with various teams, making the decision about the future main team difficult. Ultimately, we concluded that Anders and Christian were the right combination. They possessed incredible chemistry and a shared understanding of the game. Looking back years later, their achievements are unbelievable, not only in terms of results but also how they have elevated beach volleyball to a new standard.
Winning almost everything from 2018 to 2022 has been extraordinary, but I still cherish the first World Tour victory at the Gstaad five-star in 2018 as my fondest memory. It felt like a small team from Norway, just two players and a coach, conquering the world`s elite. I think I kissed Nika Fleiss, who was seated next to me, after winning the final match point. It was an `out-of-body experience`! I also won`t forget Christian’s defense on the match point against Gibb & Crabb in the semifinal of that same tournament! Even their coach, Rich Lambourne, thought they had won! It was a deeply emotional tournament and the moment we truly started believing we could win everything!
What is it like to coach a team to Olympic, World, and European titles? How has this success impacted your recognition in Norway? While Anders and Christian are clearly celebrities, do you share that status?
Being part of a team that competes at such a high level and wins titles is always a fantastic experience. The last four years have been an incredible journey for all the Vikings and the staff. We are well known within the Norwegian volleyball community, and the Vikings` results have sparked more general curiosity. Unfortunately, in Norway, winter sports and football dominate media attention almost entirely. This is very traditional and hard to change. Even in major global sports like tennis and golf, where we have top-10 athletes, cross-country skiers and ski jumpers remain the `superheroes.` But we work diligently every day to promote the sport, and perhaps someday…
Beach volleyball rules typically prohibit coaching during matches, unlike indoor volleyball. What do you think is the reason for this, and would you want to see it changed?
I don`t know the specific reasoning behind the rule, and personally, I don`t see a strong need to change it. Many coaches talk excessively, which doesn`t necessarily improve the teams or the sport`s level. We`ve always described beach volleyball as a technical and mental sport; tactics alone don`t guarantee victory. One aspect I love most about beach volleyball matches is the frequent shifts in momentum and how players manage them. That`s the fascination and beauty of the sport for me. I anticipate coaches might become more involved in the future. Limiting coaching to time-outs and between sets could be a good compromise.
Due to the limited in-game coaching, beach volleyball coaches often remain out of the public eye. Do you see this as beneficial or detrimental to the sport?
It`s difficult to say… Perhaps having coaches on the sideline would make it appear more professional? This has been debated for many years, and most countries favor greater coach involvement. Coaching during time-outs and breaks between sets could provide fans and media with more information. This might benefit the sport, but I also feel it could take something away from the game itself. As I mentioned, if coaching is restricted to time-outs and between sets, I think that works well.
Jasper Thornfield 
Finley Blackwood