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Probably so. Lynn, a senior math major at Whitman, turns 21 just prior to the 1997 fall season. In his particular case, however, youth doesn't translate into inexperience.
A native of San Diego, Calif., where volleyball thrives as a sport, Lynn was a four-year member of the boys varsity at Francis Parker High School and a starter at outside hitter for nearly three seasons. He also played with the San Diego Volleyball Club for three years.
His first taste of coaching also came during his high school years. He was the assistant coach of the girls varsity for one season and the team manager for two years.
Even though men's volleyball isn't a varsity sport at Whitman, Lynn has found plenty of opportunity to stay active with his favorite game.
"My freshman year I played a lot of pick-up ball with people here at the college and in the local community," he said. "My sophomore year I wanted to move the men's club program to a more serious level, so we solicited money from the college and started to build. The men's program is on a much stronger foundation this year."
Lynn also got involved with the women's varsity team at Whitman during his sophomore year, serving as the team manager. He became assistant coach at the start of his junior year.
"It takes a lot of time, but it's also a lot of fun," Lynn said. "I meet with our head coach, Dean Snider, every day (during the season) to plan practices, run practices and talk about the team. It's good to be part of the team."
Dean Snider
Working with Snider, a native of Canada who played collegiately at Trinity Western University, has been a unique learning experience, Lynn said. "Because Dean is from Canada, some of his methods and techniques are different. But there's more to learn than just coaching specific technique. What I'm learning from Dean is how to coach the players, how to keep them motivated and make sure they're having fun."
Snider said his first year at Whitman was aided greatly by Lynn's contributions as assistant coach.
"David has very good rapport with the team," Snider noted. "The players like him, they respect him and they listen to him. He's a great liaison between myself and the team."
Snider, who coached the previous four seasons at Western Washington University, also said Lynn brings a good deal of volleyball savvy to his assistant's role.
"David is volleyball knowledgeable," Snider said. "I like to argue the game, taking one side or the other, and David can do that. He is a very intelligent sounding board."
Snider also appreciates Lynn's courtside contributions during matches.
"We'll be talking during a game and I'll say something like, `I need to make a sub adjustment. Do you have any ideas?' David responds with a suggestion and the reasoning behind it, and he does it quickly. He's a bright guy, a sharp guy who thinks quickly on his feet."
Apart from playing and coaching, not to mention keeping pace with a demanding academic schedule, Lynn works as a consultant in the campus computer laboratories. He has assisted Computer Services personnel in recent years with design and implementation of Whitman's ever-evolving home page on the World Wide Web.
Last summer, Lynn and four other Whitman students pooled their Internet expertise and formed "Code 5," a web design business that offers a wide variety of services.
All things considered, it sounds like a busy life. But Lynn has grown accustomed to squeezing one more activity onto his fall semester "to-do" list at Whitman.
"Before winter sets in, I'll find time for as many bike rides as I can." on everyone else to do their job."
Snider also likes to "run a fast game that can turn transition quite quickly, and I like to adjust the speed of a game at times, using that as a tactic."
He plans to make good use of his educational background in sports psychology.
"Even though sports psychology is not a cure-all, it is something that can help improve your stability and performance," he said. "Everyone works on the technical and tactical aspects of their game, but not everyone works on the mental aspects. In a game like volleyball, where the fewest mistakes often makes the difference between winning and losing, mental stability becomes very important."
In addition to his master's degree concentration in sports psychology, Snider received training in that field while earning his national coaching certification in Canada. "If you coach in Canada, you are trained in the mental aspects of sport. You are taught to teach your athletes mental toughness."
The performance enhancement techniques used in sports psychology can be used in all aspects of life, Snider said. "The business world in particular has taken notice."
Whitman returns a solid nucleus of volleyball players from last season, when the Missionaries battled a series of health problems en route to a 6-22 season. "I remember very clearly playing Whitman a year ago," Snider said. "I was watching them warm up, hoping my team wasn't going to take them lightly. It was obvious they had some excellent athletes who hit the ball hard and move very well."
Returning players include junior Stephanie Meier and sophomore Mandy Rockwell, each of whom earned honorable mention all-conference honors last year. Also back are junior Donna Hager, who gives the squad another strong presence in the middle, and talented junior setter Wendy Wilford, who returns after injuries sidelined her last season.
Snider was raised in Langley, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. He graduated from Langley Secondary School where he earned team Most Valuable Player honors during his junior and senior seasons.
At Trinity Western, Snider was captain and MVP during his senior
season, leading his
teammates to a second-place finish in the province. In his three years of
coaching at Trinity
Western, his squad captured the school's first-ever province title and
nearly won a second
championship. Snider earned province coach-of-the-year honors in 1991.
Snider and his wife Darlene have three children -- Madison, 5; Kennedy, 2; and Bailey, three months.
If you have questions about Whitman's intercollegiate volleyball
program,
or if you want information about the men's or
women's
intramural and
club sport volleyball programs at Whitman,
please click here to send an e-mail message to
head volleyball coach Dean Snider.
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