Innovator, teacher, motivator, sports marketer, fundraiser and visionary
Ruth N. Nelson put athletes’ opportunities first and gained over 40 years of experience that encompasses successful coaching (16 years at the collegiate level: George Williams College, University of Houston, Louisiana State University and the University of Iowa) with a total of over 500 wins. She also had 3 University of Houston Players (Hyman; Crockett and Magers) start on the 1984 Olympic Team and was the pioneer in the recruitment of minority athletes in the 70s. 5-time Olympian Danielle Scott was part of her first junior club program in Baton Rouge, LA (Baton Rouge Volleyball Club). In addition, Nelson was a USA National Team Player, USA National Team Assistant Coach, USA National Team Technical Advisor, USA Junior National Team Head Coach, USA World University Games Head Coach and Dallas Belles Major League Volleyball Professional Team Head Coach. Nelson was Head Coach of USA Volleyball Senior A2 Team (now the A2 Collegiate Team).
Innovations
Innovations have included the creation and development of the recent GoKids Youth Sports™ (GKYS™) Certification Program for ages 7 and under and 8 and up, the Bring Your Own Parent (BYOP®) Program for ages 10 and under, the Nelson Aquatics Resistance Training (NART™) Program and the MVP Specialized Training Program (Jump Like an Olympian). Over the past 19 years, Nelson has specialized in training 3-10 year olds in her BYOP® Program and GKYS™. Ebony Nwanebu, All-American starter at USC and Texas, was one of Nelson’s first BYOP® players at age 4 ½. Others have included Mary Kate Marshall, PAC 12 Freshman of the Year at Oregon State; still others have progressed to be successful at Cornell, Georgetown, Columbia, Binghamton, Barry, Belmont, Indiana Wesleyan, Newman and Midwestern State.
Abilities
Nelson’s abilities include not only analyzing individual fundamental skills, but also teaching effective decision-making and the execution of tactics within game strategies; unlocking athletes’ capabilities, developing their self-esteem and self-confidence and performance under pressure; jump training (yielding increased height in jumps and improved performance without injuries) and evaluating teams at any level of competition. Since her “Statistical Analysis of Passing and Serving” in her Master’s thesis, she has gathered data for ages 4-10 in jumping by utilizing the VERT technology. In addition, she has tested different sizes, textures, colors, and weights for the new line of BYOP® and GKYS™ approved volleyballs for 10U players.
Honors
Among her honors, Nelson has received two prestigious awards from USA Volleyball. In 2011 she received the All-time Great Coach Award – Pioneer Division in the Hall of Fame. In 1996 she received the George J. Fisher Volleyball Award for significant service rendered to the sport of volleyball for at least 20 years. In 2013 Nelson was inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Hall of Fame as a 5-sport athlete. In 2014 she was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame. Most recently, Nelson was selected to give the acceptance speech for Flo Hyman’s induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Because of Nelson’s experiences, expertise and honors, she has conducted over 600 presentations at various conferences, seminars, and workshops, worldwide. Topics have included developing college-bound camps; high school motivational speaking; successfully training youth in volleyball; becoming knowledgeable in the college-selection process; marketing the student-athlete; developing fundraising programs for nonprofit organizations, telecommunications companies, corporate cause-marketing programs and national sports governing bodies. Her most recent presentations have been at the AVCA Conventions, Art of Coaching, MasterCoaches Clinics, Alabama High School Coaches Clinic, and the Minnesota High School Coaches Clinic. In addition, there were feature articles on BYOP® (Bring Your Own Parent) in American Volleyball Coaches Association’s – AVCA Volleyball Coaching 2.0, Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) Blog, Sports Imports Blogs, the first Coaching Wizard book released in December of 2016 and the 2020 BYOP® Podcast Series hosted by The PlayHers Circle. Host of BYOP® on the Go show and MasterCoaches Wednesday Weekly BUZZ and BUZZ Reaction.
Education
• George Williams College, Master of Science in Physical Education
• University of North Colorado, Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education & Psychology
• Concordia University, Montreal, Canada; studied comprehensive overview of the scientifically based system of sport and physical culture at the Moscow Institute of Physical Culture
