TORONTO - The George Brown College Department of Athletics and Recreation is pleased to announce Daphne Choi as head coach of the women's volleyball program.
"My core tenets are integrity and hard work; I'm looking to build a program that is successful on the court while building leaders off it," said Choi. "'I've worked with a wide variety of athletes, from those new to the sport to junior national team members, and I'm excited to bring that breadth of experience to George Brown."
Choi has been coaching with Volleyball Canada since 2013, where she has worked on developing some of the country's top young talent for provincial and national play. She is the head coach of the 16U Etobicoke Titans Volleyball Club, head coach of a Region Five 'A' team that won gold, and has had roles as a head coach and club co-director with the Toronto United Volleyball Club since 2012.
Choi has turned program's around in the past, a crucial fact in her appointment.
"She fits the mold of what we want in our head coaches," said Manager of Athletics Melanie Gerin-Lajoie. "Daphne has a great passion for the sport, and is going to develop a strong culture with clear goals for the program. You look at her involvement with Volleyball Canada and successful experience with rebuilding situations in the past, she's really a great fit to be the next leader of our women's volleyball program."
In addition to her prior work outside of the college, Choi spent the second semester of the 2016-17 season on the Huskies bench shadowing former head coach and Michigan State Hall of Famer Dana Cooke, an invaluable experience and one that allowed her to familiarize herself with the program. Cooke will stay on with the program as a technical consultant.
"Last year was great for me, and I greatly appreciate Dana's expertise. Looking forward, mental training, fitness development, and implementing a long-term development program is going to be at the forefront for me as a coach. My motto is to do no less than a little better, and I'm a firm believer that if you're going to do something you give it your all," said Choi.
The Huskies had great success under a trio of first-year coaches in 2016-17, a run that Choi will be looking to extend.
"We want student-athletes who are passionate about representing George Brown College," said Gerin-Lajoie. "We believe that Daphne is going to play a big role in ensuring that is the case."
Tryouts for the women's volleyball team begin on Monday, Sept. 11. If interested please contact Athletics Coordinator Deanna Oliver at doliver@georgebrown.ca.
Source: George Brown College