While there are distinct differences between the roles of an indoor volleyball coach and a beach volleyball coach, their crucial contribution to a team`s triumph remains a shared fundamental. To help enthusiasts grasp this pivotal role and gain deeper insights directly from accomplished sources, I`ve initiated my “Secrets of Coaching Success” series. In this series, I feature some of Europe`s leading coaches from both disciplines, aiming to extract their invaluable insider knowledge.
This seventh installment features one of the world`s most distinguished beach volleyball coaches today, Norway`s Jetmund Berntsen. He guides the formidable Beachvolley Vikings and, most notably, oversees the world`s premier men`s duo – Olympic, world, and four-time European champions Anders Mol & Christian Sorum. Last year, Berntsen also steered the Norwegian men’s national team to victory at the CEV Beachvolley Nations Cup in Vienna. Below is the comprehensive interview he graciously provided.
What sparked your journey to become a beach volleyball coach?
“I actually grew up immersed in a variety of activities, and anything involving a ball was always the most captivating. We played football in the summer and volleyball in the winter, supplementing these with all sorts of other sports. In Naustdal, the very small community where I lived until 1993, we had a remarkably strong women’s team, Tambarskjelvar, which included my sister Merita among several national team players. Similarly, the closest city, Førde, boasted the best men’s team, also featuring professional players. This environment provided me with the opportunity to observe and participate in top-tier volleyball from a remarkably young age. I began organized volleyball at seven. By 1990, I had also started playing beach volleyball during the summer. A few years later, I played on the national indoor team alongside Jan Kvalheim, Norway’s first World Tour winner in 1994. Simultaneously, my sister became involved with my national team coach and beach volleyball partner, Kåre Mol. They then embarked on their journey towards the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Kåre’s influence profoundly inspired my interest in coaching. From that point onwards, indoor and beach volleyball became my entire world, and they still are.”
“Volleyball and beach volleyball have consistently been my way of life. From the very beginning, my aspiration was to dedicate my professional life to volleyball, not necessarily as a player, but by working with children, youth, or senior athletes. Even when I competed at the highest level in Norway, I consistently coached younger teams. I genuinely enjoy mentoring young individuals, which is why I’ve dedicated considerable time to Toppvolley Norge over the past five years. I wholeheartedly recommend this school to any coach worldwide; its culture, knowledge, atmosphere, and the people there provide an immense source of energy.”
Could you recount the incredible story of the Beachvolley Vikings?
“Kåre and I had children around the same time, leading us to spend a great deal of time together. This enabled me to closely follow his work, engage in valuable discussions, and experiment with different approaches early in my coaching career. I attended the World Tour in Stavanger every year from 1999 through 2014, and I vividly recall Anders (Mol) telling us during the 2009 World Championship in Stavanger, ‘I will be the youngest player ever to compete at a World Tour Grand Slam event.’ He was only 12 years old then. In 2014, he and Mathias (Berntsen) qualified for the main draw in Stavanger. They were just 16 and 18 years old, making them the youngest team ever to play in a Grand Slam. They also secured qualification for the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, and the following year, they triumphed at the 2015 U20 European Championship in Larnaca.”
“The journey had officially begun. We had assembled a group of incredibly talented young players, complemented by coaches possessing extensive experience and knowledge. The senior national team was not performing to its usual standard and consequently failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. Our promising young players had just completed high school (at ToppVolley Norge, which I consider the world’s best volleyball school), and we recognized the imperative to provide them with the optimal development program. Together, we launched the Beachvolley Vikings. We knew we had something truly exceptional within this group. We initially started with three players: Anders, Mathias, and Christian (Sorum). Our fourth player, Hendrik, still needed to finish his schooling and indoor season in Hawaii. Our primary objective was clear: to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”
“During the initial years, 2016 and 2017, we meticulously tested various player combinations to identify the strongest team. This process was challenging, as every player performed exceptionally well. We secured medals at youth championships with different pairings and qualified for elite World Tour events with various combinations, making the selection of the definitive future team difficult. Ultimately, we concluded that Anders and Christian had to unite. Their chemistry was astonishing, and they shared an identical comprehension of the game. Years later, their achievements are simply beyond belief, even for us – not just their remarkable results, but how they have unequivocally propelled beach volleyball to an entirely new echelon.”
“Achieving victory in almost every major competition from 2018 to 2022 has been extraordinary, yet I still hold our inaugural World Tour triumph at the Gstaad five-star event in 2018 as my most cherished memory: a modest team from Norway, comprising just two players and a coach, overcoming the rest of the world’s elite. I believe that after securing the match point in the final, I spontaneously kissed Nika Fleiss, who was seated next to me. It was truly an ‘out-of-body experience’! And I can never forget the semifinal of that very tournament – Christian’s defense on that match point against Gibb & Crabb! Even their coach, Rich Lambourne, was convinced it was their victory! It was an incredibly emotional tournament and the definitive moment we truly began to believe we could conquer anything!”
What was it like guiding a team to such pinnacles as Olympic, world, and European titles? How much recognition has this coaching success brought you in Norway? While Anders and Christian are undoubtedly celebrities, are you?
“It is always an incredible privilege to be part of a team that consistently performs at such an elite level and achieves major titles. The past four years have been an amazing journey for all the Vikings players and our dedicated staff. We are quite well-known within the Norwegian volleyball community, and the Vikings’ outstanding results have certainly piqued the interest of a wider audience. Regrettably, in Norway, winter sports and football overwhelmingly dominate nearly all media attention. This is a deeply ingrained tradition and remarkably challenging to alter. Even in significant sports like tennis and golf, where we boast top-10 global athletes, cross-country skiers and ski jumpers remain the quintessential ‘superheroes.’ However, we diligently work every single day to foster the growth of our sport, and perhaps one day…”
Unlike indoor volleyball, direct coaching during beach volleyball matches is generally prohibited. What is the rationale behind this rule, and would you advocate for its change?
“I am not privy to the specific rationale behind this rule, and truthfully, I don’t believe it’s crucial to change it. Many coaches tend to be overly vocal, and that doesn`t always lead to improved team performance or elevate the quality of the game. We have consistently emphasized that beach volleyball is primarily a technical and mental sport. Tactics alone are never sufficient to secure victories. One of the aspects I most admire about beach volleyball matches is the frequent shifts in momentum that occur throughout a game, and how players skillfully navigate these changes. That, to me, embodies the sport`s fascination and inherent beauty. I do suspect that coaches will become more integrated in the coming years. For now, let’s keep coaching confined to time-outs and between sets; that arrangement can certainly function effectively.”
Given that rule, beach volleyball coaches rarely find themselves in the media spotlight and are largely unknown to the general public. Do you believe this is beneficial or detrimental to the sport?
“It’s difficult to say… Perhaps the presence of coaches on the sideline would enhance the professional appearance of the sport? This discussion has been ongoing for many years, and indeed, most countries advocate for greater inclusion of coaches. Allowing coaching during time-outs and between sets could offer fans and the media additional insights. While it might potentially benefit the sport, I also believe it could detract something inherent from the game itself. However, as I previously stated, if we limit coaching to time-outs and between sets, I think we are positioned quite well.”
