Kyrsten Becker-McBride, head coach of the Morehead State volleyball team and assistant coach for the beach volleyball program, shared her journey and coaching philosophy in an interview released on Apr. 20.
Becker-McBride said she originally planned to become a high school math teacher but discovered her passion for coaching while leading club teams during college. “I started coaching volleyball because I initially thought I was going to be a high school math teacher,” she said. “I coached a club team my sophomore, junior, and senior year of college and really enjoyed it.”
She credits former head coach Jamie Gordon as a major influence in her career. “I worked with former head coach Jamie Gordon for 12 years, so he has absolutely shaped how I coach and he is still a mentor,” Becker-McBride said. She also highlighted the support from other women coaches: “I’ve been really lucky to go through some coaching education courses and be a part of an awesome community of female coaches who love to share ideas.”
Becker-McBride emphasized that character is central to her recruiting approach: “One area that we never compromise on in recruiting is character,” she said. She believes finding players who fit the team’s values is just as important as athletic ability: “We need to make sure that whoever we’re recruiting… appreciates what we have here at Morehead State because it’s special but it’s also not for everybody.”
The sense of community at Morehead State stands out for Becker-McBride, who described moments such as alumni hosting team dinners even when they did not play with current athletes. “That sense of community that an alumni who doesn’t really know anybody on our team wants to have us over… is something really unique,” she said.
For Becker-McBride, success goes beyond wins or statistics; it involves personal growth both on and off the court. She encourages players to focus on attitude, effort, patience, and learning from setbacks: “Growth is not linear,” she said. In closing, Becker-McBride advised young athletes to embrace challenges: “Try and see the big picture and not focus so much on immediate success… every time you fail, there’s something to learn from it.”
