While the roles of an indoor volleyball coach and a beach volleyball coach present unique challenges, they share an undeniable common thread: the profound influence of the coach on a team`s journey to victory. To offer enthusiasts a deeper look into this critical function and to reveal the intricacies of achieving coaching excellence, our “Secrets of Coaching Success” series shines a spotlight on leading European coaches from both disciplines, inviting them to impart their invaluable wisdom.
This installment features Jetmund Berntsen, Norway`s celebrated beach volleyball coach. He is at the helm of the “Beachvolley Vikings,” including the world`s premier men`s duo, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, who boast Olympic, world, and four-time European championship titles. In the past year, Berntsen also guided the Norwegian men`s national team to gold at the CEV Beachvolley Nations Cup in Vienna. Here, we present an exclusive interview with this distinguished coach.
The Path to Coaching Beach Volleyball
What inspired your journey to become a beach volleyball coach?
“I actually grew up doing lots of activities and everything with a ball was always the most fun. We played football in the summer and volleyball in the winter. And in between we did all sorts of other sports. In Naustdal, a very small place where I lived until 1993, we had a really strong women’s team, Tambarskjelvar, with several national team players, including my sister Merita. And the closest city Forde had the best men’s team, also with professional players. This gave me the opportunity to watch and play top-level volleyball from a really young age. I started with organized volleyball when I was seven years old. From 1990 I also started playing beach in the summer. A few years later, I played on the national indoor team with Jan Kvalheim, who Norway’s first winner On the World Tour in 1994. At the same time, my sister fell in love with my national team coach and beach volleyball partner Kare Mol. They started their journey towards the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. My coaching interest was inspired by Kare. From that time on, for me, everything was about indoor and beach volleyball, and it still is…”
“Volleyball and beach volleyball have always been my lifestyle. Since the beginning, my dream has always been to do volleyball for a living, not necessarily as a player, but working with kids, youths or seniors. I have always been a coach for younger teams, even when I played at the top level in Norway myself. I really enjoy working with youngsters, and that’s why I spent a lot of time at Toppvolley Norge in the last five years. I can recommend every coach in the world to come visit this school. The culture, the knowledge, the atmosphere and the people there give you a lot of energy.”
Berntsen`s early life was profoundly shaped by sports, with a particular affection for ball games. Hailing from Naustdal, a quaint Norwegian town, he was exposed to elite volleyball from a young age, thanks to formidable local teams and his sister, Merita, a national team player. His journey into organized volleyball began at seven, and he embraced beach volleyball by 1990. After a stint on the national indoor team with Jan Kvalheim, his path veered towards coaching, heavily influenced by his brother-in-law, Kare Mol, a national team coach and beach volleyball partner. From then on, both indoor and beach volleyball became central to his life.
His enduring dream has been to forge a career in volleyball, not exclusively as an athlete, but through mentoring players of all ages. He has consistently coached junior teams, even while competing at Norway`s highest level. Berntsen finds immense satisfaction in nurturing young talent, a passion evident in his dedicated five years at Toppvolley Norge—a school he wholeheartedly endorses for its dynamic culture, vast knowledge, inspiring atmosphere, and passionate community.
The Genesis of the Beachvolley Vikings
Can you recount the remarkable story of how the Beachvolley Vikings came to be?
“Kare and I got kids at the same time and spent a lot of time together. I could follow him closely, have good discussions, and try things out at the start of my coaching career. I followed the World Tour in Stavanger every year from 1999 through 2014 and I still remember how Anders (Mol) told us during the 2009 World Championship in Stavanger, ‘I will be the youngest player ever, to play at a World Tour Grand Slam event. He was 12 years old. In 2014, he and Mathias (Berntsen) qualified for the main draw in Stavanger. They were only 16 and 18 years old and the youngest team that ever played a Grand Slam. They also qualified for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, and the year after they won the 2015 U20 European Championship in Larnaca.”
“The journey had started. We had a group of talented young players, coaches with a lot of experience and knowledge. The senior national team did not perform as well as they had used to and didn’t manage to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Our young players finished high school (ToppVolley Norge, the best volleyball school in the world), and we had to give them the best program. And we started the Beachvolley Vikings together. We knew we had something special in this group. We started out with three players: Anders, Mathias and Christian (Sorum). Our fourth player Hendrik had to finish school and his indoor season in Hawaii. The main goal was to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”
“The first years, 2016 and 2017, we tested all combinations trying to find the best team. It was not easy, because everyone performed so well. We took medals at youth championships with different teams, we qualified for elite World Tour events with different teams, and it was not easy to pick out the best team for the future. Finally, we concluded that it had to be Anders and Christian together. They had some amazing chemistry and the same understanding of the game. Years later, it’s just unbelievable even for us – not only their results, but how they have taken beach volleyball to a new level.”
“Winning almost everything from 2018 to 2022 has been amazing, but I still cherish the first World Tour victory at the Gstaad five-star in 2018 as the best memory: a small team from Norway, with two players and a coach, beating the rest of the world’s elite. I think after winning the match point in the final I kissed Nika Fleiss, who was sitting next to me. It was an ‘out-of-body experience’! And I don’t forget the semifinal of the same tournament. Christian’s defense on that match point for Gibb & Crabb! Even their coach Rich Lambourne thought it was a win for them! It was a really emotional tournament and the start of believing we could win everything!”
Berntsen vividly recounts the origins of the “Beachvolley Vikings,” a narrative woven into his close collaboration with Kare Mol. He witnessed Anders Mol`s precocious talent firsthand, recalling Anders`s youthful declaration at 12 about becoming the youngest World Tour Grand Slam participant. This ambition materialized in 2014 when Anders, alongside Mathias Berntsen, made history as the youngest team to enter a Grand Slam main draw. Their early successes included a qualification for the Youth Olympics and a U20 European Championship title in 2015.
The turning point came after the senior national team`s failure to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. A strategic decision was made to foster the burgeoning talents emerging from ToppVolley Norge. This led to the creation of the Beachvolley Vikings program, initially featuring Anders, Mathias, and Christian Sorum, with the primary objective of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The formative years of 2016 and 2017 were dedicated to evaluating various player combinations. Despite the challenge posed by a pool of highly skilled athletes, the unparalleled chemistry and shared vision between Anders Mol and Christian Sorum ultimately designated them as the optimal pairing. Their subsequent achievements have been nothing short of extraordinary, pushing the boundaries of beach volleyball.
While their dominance from 2018 to 2022 has been exceptional, Berntsen holds their inaugural World Tour victory at the Gstaad five-star in 2018 as his most cherished memory. He describes this triumph—a modest Norwegian team besting the global elite—as an “out-of-body experience,” particularly recalling Christian Sorum`s pivotal defensive play in the semifinal that instilled a profound belief in their capacity for overall victory.
Coaching Acclaim and Media Presence
What has been your experience coaching a team to such pinnacles of success—Olympic, world, and European titles? How has this recognition translated for you in Norway, especially compared to the celebrity status enjoyed by Anders and Christian?
“It’s always fantastic to be a part of a team that performs at such a high level and wins titles. The last four years have just been an amazing journey for all the Vikings and staff. We are well known in the Norwegian volleyball family and with the results of the Vikings more people are getting curious. Unfortunately, in Norway, winter sports and football take up almost everything in media. It is so traditional and really hard to change. Even in big sports like tennis and golf, we have top-10 athletes in the world, but still cross-country skiers and ski jumpers are the ‘super heroes’. But we work hard every day to make the sport grow and maybe some day…”
Berntsen conveys immense pride in being part of a team that achieves such stellar performances and secures illustrious titles. He characterizes the past four years as an incredible journey for everyone affiliated with the Vikings. While their triumphs have undeniably elevated their standing within the Norwegian volleyball community and sparked wider curiosity, beach volleyball continues to vie for mainstream media attention in Norway. He observes that traditional winter sports and football command the lion`s share of national media coverage, making it challenging for other sports, even those with globally ranked athletes in disciplines like tennis and golf, to gain substantial visibility. Despite these obstacles, Berntsen and his team remain steadfast in their daily efforts to expand the sport`s reach, holding out hope for greater public recognition in the future.
The Rules of Coaching in Beach Volleyball
Unlike indoor volleyball, coaching during beach volleyball matches is generally prohibited. What do you believe is the rationale behind this regulation, and would you advocate for its amendment?
“I don’t know the reason behind the rule, and for me, it’s not important to change it. A lot of coaches talk too much and that will not always make the teams and the level better. We have always said that beach volleyball is a technical and mental sport. Tactics never win games. One of the things I like the most about beach volleyball games is all the momentum changers during a match, and how players handle it. That’s the fascination and the beauty of the sport for me. I guess the coach will be more involved in the coming years. Let’s keep it at time-outs and between the sets. That can work out well.”
Berntsen admits he is unaware of the precise origins of the rule forbidding in-match coaching in beach volleyball, but he sees no compelling reason for its alteration. He posits that excessive coaching can sometimes impede player development, asserting that beach volleyball is fundamentally a technical and mental discipline where tactics alone are seldom decisive. What truly fascinates him about the sport are the dynamic shifts in momentum during play and the players` innate ability to adapt to these evolving challenges. While he foresees a potential increase in coach involvement in the future, he suggests that confining coaching to timeouts and the intervals between sets would constitute a pragmatic and effective compromise.
Considering these restrictions, beach volleyball coaches rarely achieve widespread public recognition and remain largely unknown to the general public. Do you perceive this as beneficial or detrimental to the sport?
“Hard to say… Maybe it will look more professional with coaches on the sideline? This is a discussion that has been going on for so many years and most of the countries want the coaches to be more included. Coaching during time-outs and between the sets can give fans and media some more information. It can be good for the sport, but I think it will take something away from the game. But as I said, keep the coaching for the time-outs and between the sets and we are all good.”
When queried about the limited public profile of beach volleyball coaches due to current coaching regulations, Berntsen acknowledges the difficulty in providing a definitive answer. He considers the possibility that a more visible presence of coaches on the sidelines could enhance the sport`s professional image, a topic frequently debated within the community. He also notes that allowing coaches to interact during timeouts and between sets could offer valuable insights for both fans and media. Nevertheless, he voices a concern that an increase in coaching might diminish certain intrinsic qualities of the game. Ultimately, he reiterates his stance that restricting coaching to timeouts and breaks between sets strikes an appropriate balance for the sport`s integrity and appeal.
Finley Blackwood