Coach Mika Robinson

Directions

Coach Mika Robinson Pursuing excellence with , , and a .

There are some games on the schedule that mean a little more to me.This is one of them. 💙🖍️Every year, our Colorful & Co...
10/08/2026

There are some games on the schedule that mean a little more to me.

This is one of them. 💙🖍️

Every year, our Colorful & Courageous Game reminds me that what we do as coaches and athletes is about so much more than volleyball.

It’s about people.

This tradition was inspired by Sophie Piller, a young cancer survivor who found comfort and joy in coloring while she was in the hospital and then found a way to give back by creating a crayon drive for those who were still battling. Her story has stayed with our program, and every year I’m reminded of how something as simple as a volleyball game can become a way to make a difference beyond the court. Sophie is now a thriving college student, but her impact has been felt for years!

So, TARS… let’s fill Warden with COLOR.

💙 Wear your brightest colors or tie-dye
🖍️ Bring new crayons or coloring books to donate to pediatric patients in our community
🏐 Cheer for your Tars

Saturday | 4 PM | Warden Arena
Rollins vs. Saint Leo

I hope you’ll be there not to just to watch us play, but to help us remind some kids that they are seen, they are supported, and they are not alone.

That’s what being a Tar is about. 💙

Every once in a while, someone asks me, “How long are you going to keep coaching?” I’ve been known to respond with, “unt...
10/06/2026

Every once in a while, someone asks me, “How long are you going to keep coaching?” I’ve been known to respond with, “until I can go sit on a beach every day.”

The truth is that coaching has given me some of the highest highs of my life… and some of the hardest days, too. I’ve missed things like family dinners, weekends, birthdays, my own kids’ stuff, probably more than I care to admit.

I’ve spent way too much time thinking about a practice that didn’t go right. I’ve questioned myself. A lot. I’ve wondered if the sacrifice was worth it. I’ve wondered if I was making a difference. I’ve wondered if I was still good enough. I’ve wondered if there was an easier way to spend my life.

And then…

A former player sends a text years after she graduated.

A young woman who once doubted herself is standing in front of her teammates as a confident leader.

An injured player realizes that her worth was never tied to what she could do on a volleyball court.

A freshman who barely spoke in August is laughing in the locker room in November.

A player looks at you after accomplishing something she didn’t think she could do, and you get to see that moment on her face.

You get invited to a wedding and look around the room and realize that eight different classes of your players are still connected.

That’s when I remember. This is why I coach. Not for the wins. Not for the titles. Not even really for volleyball.

I coach because I love watching people become who they are meant to become. I love teams. I love connection. I love watching people learn that they are capable of more than they thought they were.

The volleyball eventually ends. The score gets forgotten. The season becomes a memory, but if we do this right, the relationships don’t. The lessons don’t. The impact doesn’t.

So, on National Coaches Day, here’s to all of us who have given a ridiculous amount of ourselves to this profession, because we believe the return isn’t measured in wins.
It’s measured in people.

One of the greatest gifts a team can give you is people who stay through the good and bad days. More than 30 years ago, ...
10/04/2026

One of the greatest gifts a team can give you is people who stay through the good and bad days.

More than 30 years ago, I had teammates who became some of my people. And all these years later, they still celebrate me, encourage me, and show up for me.

It reminds me just how powerful a team can be.
Find people who celebrate you. The people who jump up when you make the play. The people who celebrate your success like it’s their own. The people who believe in you, encourage you, and make the moment bigger because they’re in it with you.

That’s the power of a team.

Because the value of a team has never been about individual performances alone. It’s about what happens when we choose to invest in each other, when one person’s success becomes our success.

The best teams don’t just make each other better players. They make each other better people, and they give you relationships that last long after the season is over.

Celebrate each other. Lift each other. Be each other’s people.

That’s the kind of team worth building. 💙💛

One of the fastest ways for an athlete to lose focus is trying to control the outcome.The score.The officials.The other ...
09/24/2026

One of the fastest ways for an athlete to lose focus is trying to control the outcome.

The score.
The officials.
The other team.
The next play.

The same is true in coaching, and in life.

We care so much that we can convince ourselves we’re responsible for everything, but there’s a big difference between caring about something and controlling it.

I try to come back to three questions:

🟢 What is mine?
My preparation. My effort. My attitude. My decisions. My response. My support. My joy.

🟡 What can I influence?
Relationships. Team culture. Other people’s growth. The environment I help create.

🔴 What is not mine?
Other people’s opinions. Unexpected setbacks. Other people’s choices. The outcome.

This applies whether you’re an athlete, coach, parent, leader, or simply trying to navigate a busy life.

Burnout often begins when “I care about this” quietly becomes “I am responsible for this.”

You aren’t.

Focus on what you can control.
Influence what you can.
Let go of what you can’t.

One contact at a time. One day at a time.

“Be where your feet are…”This quote always makes me think of one of our former captains Marlee Moore. I’m pretty sure sh...
09/20/2026

“Be where your feet are…”

This quote always makes me think of one of our former captains Marlee Moore. I’m pretty sure she learned it from her mom Cherry Johnson-Brascho. It’s no wonder that she was a champion at this (remind me to share how she shifted her mindset to her teammates and how she could still lead and impact them mere moments after suffering a career ending injury).

Few quotes are more helpful for an athlete or coach (or really any human!). No matter how much we’d like to control the past or the future, the only thing we truly have control of is what we do in THIS moment. In an age where we all know our successes and failures can become instantly known, it’s no wonder this can seem overwhelmingly hard to do. However, the irony is that it is truly the secret to always walking away from a moment feeling good about it.

So, when the thoughts of outcome (good or bad) start to cloud your now, what can you do to stay present in THIS moment?

1) Take a deep breath
2) Connect with another human (social media doesn’t count), preferably with your eyes and with physical touch
3) Narrow your focus to ONE next step
4) Do it all over again

Hope your feet are taking you one step closer to your goals today!

One of the hardest parts of coaching isn’t knowing what the standard should be. It’s deciding what to do when someone yo...
09/16/2026

One of the hardest parts of coaching isn’t knowing what the standard should be. It’s deciding what to do when someone you care about doesn’t meet it.

Do you confront them?
Do you let it go?
Do you punish them?
Do you have the difficult conversation?
And how do you hold one athlete accountable without making the entire team feel like they’re walking on eggshells?

After nearly three decades of coaching, I’ve learned this: Accountability and relationships aren’t opposites.

Done well, accountability is one of the ways we show people that we believe in them.

Here’s what you can do -

🔹 C — Clarify the standard
Did the athlete actually know what was expected?

🔹 A — Address the behavior, not the person
“You were 10 minutes late.”
Not: “You’re irresponsible.”

🔹 R — Reinforce the reason
Connect the standard to the team’s values and the athlete’s development.

🔹 E — Expect better
The conversation should end with belief, clarity, and a path forward.

Instead of:
❌ “You need to start taking this seriously.”

Try:
✅ “Being on time is one of our standards because your teammates need to be able to count on you. I know you’re capable of meeting that standard. Let’s figure out what’s getting in the way and what needs to change.”

A few accountability mistakes I see coaches make:
1️⃣ Only enforcing standards when they’re angry.
2️⃣ Having different standards for different athletes.
3️⃣ Making consequences punitive instead of developmental.
4️⃣ Correcting publicly when the conversation should be private.
5️⃣ Allowing one talented athlete to operate outside the culture.

That last one can be especially damaging, because culture isn’t just what you say you value. Culture is what you consistently allow, reinforce, and expect. The goal of accountability isn’t to make athletes afraid of disappointing their coach. It’s to help them become the kind of teammate—and person—others can count on.

Save this for your next difficult conversation.

CoachLife Accountability AthleteDevelopment LeadershipDevelopment VolleyballCoach ProgramsOfExcellence

A young talented coach, a high school game being played around the corner from my house, several friends’ players on the...
08/26/2026

A young talented coach, a high school game being played around the corner from my house, several friends’ players on the team…a full circle moment that means the world to me.

Ten and half years ago I took a giant leap of faith to move my family and tackle a huge professional challenge (one that I wasn’t even sure I wanted until I met this now young professional and her teammates who were rising juniors). Watching her lead her team with grace and ease and them responding with their strong play, work ethic, and positive culture put a huge smile on my face.

THIS is why I coach…keep being great Alexis and loving those girls in the process! They are so blessed to have you and I am so blessed to have had you call me coach!

We are 10 days into the 29th preseason I’ve had as a coach. Some moments have already been terrific highs, and some mome...
08/20/2026

We are 10 days into the 29th preseason I’ve had as a coach. Some moments have already been terrific highs, and some moments have left a lot to be desired. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that neither define me nor this group of women who trust me to come to work every day to help them pursue excellence! I’ve also been reminded of a few of my favorite things about being a coach:

It forces me to be better today than I was yesterday.

It forces me to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

It gives me a view of what is right in this world…young people pursuing excellence and believing in each other.

Here’s to day 11 tomorrow! 😉

“Mika, thanks for recruiting my best friends.” “This isn’t normal.” “I miss all of it.”As I prepare to start year 19 as ...
08/06/2026

“Mika, thanks for recruiting my best friends.” “This isn’t normal.” “I miss all of it.”

As I prepare to start year 19 as a college head coach, and year 29 overall, these are the comments that are ringing in my head.

Yesterday, we were asked to identify our “super power” at a department retreat. I landed on “I connect people and build cultures that outlast me.” The self reflection that followed reminded me that no matter how challenging the day to day of a season or year gets, the reason I’ve always felt it was worth it was because of this bigger picture. Convincing a group of unique and diverse individuals to come together for a common good and leave so connected that they remain connected forever creates a dopamine reward unlike any other.

College athletics is an ever changing landscape (a new rule went into effect just yesterday that drastically changes things), but connecting people and building cultures of excellence will always be a worthwhile way to spend my days! Here’s to a new season!

Have you ever thought about your “super power”? How do you use it daily?

This past weekend I was honored to be asked to speak at a symposium aimed at helping girls grow their leadership and com...
05/19/2026

This past weekend I was honored to be asked to speak at a symposium aimed at helping girls grow their leadership and communication skills. I was interviewed on stage by a 14 year old and blown away by the professionalism that she and her teammates all displayed in the ex*****on of the symposium.

I was also fortunate to stay to listen to two current club coaches and former college athletes speak on their lessons learned as college athletes. Both women were articulate, confident and inspirational in what they shared.

I walked away remembering just how powerful sports are in developing the leaders that this world needs. While the landscape of college athletics continues to change, there is one constant that never does…the work we do is so much greater than volleyball, and the ripples will be felt for years and generations to come!

Coaches, keep leading and pouring into the next generation of leaders! Parents and administrators, keep investing in this vehicle that makes this growth happen! Our world needs them now more than ever!

Address

1000 Holt Ave S Interlachen Ave
Winter Park, FL
32789

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Coach Mika Robinson posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category