Adviser’s Note:  Jacob VanOoyen, interviewed by the Journalism I students, shared his passion for volleyball–both playing and coaching.  A few of the students’ stories are below.

“I want to own my volleyball club,” said Jacob VanOoyen, a graduate of Notre Dame Academy 2023 class.

Since graduating, VanOoyen has been attending St. Norbert College with two majors, environmental science and business, and two minors, sustainability, and sports management. 

“I’ve always liked volleyball, but I didn’t know boys’ volleyball was really a thing,” said the college student. His passion for volleyball started in high school, and even though the first time he played volleyball was his freshman year his experience shaped his life course.

“After my freshman year, I started helping with the girls’ volleyball,” said the coach. He is the head coach for girls’ volleyball at Preble and runs a club team as well. He was the youngest head coach in Wisconsin when he started as Preble head coach at 19 years old.

VanOoyen has also faced some challenges during his career. He expressed that his biggest challenge is accepting that not everything is in your control as a coach. He explains that the coach should always coach with the players in mind and coach differently for different players.

He is currently focused on his own college volleyball, his club volleyball team, and his Treble coaching job, but after college he hopes to become a college coach.

 VanOoyen also shared a preference for coaching girls and said boys don’t like being told what they did wrong and that their egos are too fragile.

“I want to own my own volleyball club,” said the volleyball expert. Wisconsin is one of the top states for volleyball but doesn’t have a space for beach volleyball. Mr. Vanooyen hopes to create a space for this. 

On top of all the sports, he has a job and college. He works as one of the managers at Woodside senior facility and has worked there since he was 15 years old.

VanOoyen struggles with sleep due to his double majors and minors as well. He originally took environmental science in high school and really enjoyed it. He also sees it as something to fall back on if coaching doesn’t work out.

“It is a lot of late-night studying…I like to be busy.  It keeps me on track,” said the alum. 

Some challenges he faces in his day-to-day life include paying attention in class, managing his calendar and saying “no” to people. 

In his limited free time, he likes graphic design and has even designed NDA spirit wear in the past.–Ally Paprocki

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“I like being busy because it keeps me on track,” said Jacob VanOoyen, a 2023 Notre Dame graduate. 

VanOoyen is double majoring in environmental science and business at St. Norbert’s with minors in sustainability and sports management.

He was on the boys’ varsity volleyball team all four years at NDA and has continued his passion in coaching.

“I coach a couple volleyball teams right now,” VanOoyen said. He coaches both the girls’ volleyball Preble team and a girls’ Wisconsin travel team.

When VanOoyen was at NDA, he assisted the volleyball coaches as well. “I was there as stability for all the coaches.”

“It’s not always easy to understand what’s going through a player’s mind,” VanOoyen said. He explained that for a coach a drill might be easy, but a player could struggle with. 

One day VanOoyen wishes to open up a beach volleyball club in the Green Bay area. He said there are almost none in the area, and it would give volleyball players a chance to experience a different type of volleyball. 

Besides coaching and playing volleyball, he works at Woodside Senior Communities as the manager of the dietary department. 

In his free time VanOoyen enjoys digital design and all sorts of artsy things.--Ryah Wasilkoff

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“There are lots of late night studying from 2-5 a.m.,” said Jacob VanOoyen, a Notre Dame Academy graduate from 2023.

VanOoyen attends St. Norbert College and is studying for a double major in environmental science and business, and a double minor in sports management and sustainability.

“I’ve always found the environment to be interesting,” said VanOoyen, “and I want to protect it as much as I can.”

Besides being interested in the environment, VanOoyen loves playing volleyball, and he’s on the Saint Norbert boys’ volleyball team.

VanOoyen said, “When the boy’s volleyball season starts, I have no time to do anything but school, work and volleyball.” 

VanOoyen has been the head coach of the girls’ volleyball team at Preble High School since he was 19, making him the youngest head coach in Wisconsin.

“I’m also a coach for the One Wisconsin Club Volleyball team,” said VanOoyen.

VanOoyen has to balance running a club team and being a head coach for Preble High School, all whilst still being a student, but there is more.

“I’m also the dietary manager at the Woodside Nursing Home,” said VanOoyen, who took the job over when the old manager left, and he was asked to be the replacement.

With his busy schedule, VanOoyen doesn’t get much free time, but he can’t wait to spend Christmas break with his family and “fly back to start coaching my volleyball teams again.”–Andreas Schweiner