Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball head coach Charles Parkinson was recently inducted into the Volleyball BC Hall of Fame.
Parkinson, who is also a faculty member of Camosun’s Centre for Sport and Exercise Education, is both appreciative of and humble about being chosen for induction.
“It’s awesome. I can’t say that I’ve ever thought about it a lot. For me, it’s always been about the journey and not really the destination,” says Parkinson. “But I think it’s great at the end of the day that you are recognized for maybe having made a bit of a difference.”
Parkinson first considered playing volleyball in high school after a bout of tuberculosis caused him to seek out a sport that wouldn’t be too aerobic. He tried it and, he says, he was terrible.
“I obviously didn’t enjoy being terrible so I just worked hard and got better and better and started to like it more and more and pretty soon became passionate,” he says. “I went on to play in college at Langara and we were the best in the country at that time, so I was invited to try out for the national team, and I made it.”
After four years at the national level, Parkinson moved back to the west coast, got married, and started his coaching career. Since then he has continued to work in the volleyball business, including providing colour commentary during professional volleyball events for major television networks. He does admit, however, that he’s not as young as he used to be, and he says that it shows on the court.
“I could probably still play a specialized defensive position at the national level, and I could probably play for one or two sets, and then my gas tank might be a little emptier,” says Parkinson. “In my mind, of course, I could still play with everybody; as you get older, your brain still remembers, but your body can’t respond the same.”
Despite this, Parkinson still strives to demonstrate excellence when teaching his student athletes. He pushes them in training to be excellent and knows that leading by example is the best way to facilitate that. The same goes for exhibiting his love of the game.
“I’m as passionate about the game today as I was when I was 19. I could have the worst day in the world and I’d go into the gym with the team and it just basically changes my whole perspective,” he says. “I appreciate that so much from them. They infuse that energy into me, and it makes me re-double my efforts to make them better.”
Chargers men’s volleyball team captain Vitor Macedo says Parkinson has had an “incredible journey” as a player and that definitely contributes to his coaching abilities.
“Charles is an incredible coach and we all have a lot of respect for him,” says Macedo.
Parkinson says that he would not have been able to achieve what he has in his career if it weren’t for the support he gets from his wife and children.
“My family has endured 40 years of road trips,” he says. “I was either playing with the national team or coaching and gone with my students, and they were always so supportive; that’s part of why I believe I’m so successful. It means a lot, because, you know what? I’m still doing it.”