Former athletes becoming coaches is not an uncommon practice, but current players engaging in coaching is a rare sight; Max Senica is one of those rare individuals.
Senica, a member of the Australian national volleyball team since 2021, also coaches and conducts camps for young talent at the Sharks Volleyball programme in Australia.
The 24-year-old is now a part of the Ahmedabad Defenders outfit in the third season of Prime Volleyball League, courtesy positive feedback from his friend and former Hyderabad Black Hawks middle blocker, Trent O’Dea.
The Defenders have always been in the top rung of the points table, and Senica hopes to help them defend their title. The team has made it to the Super 5 after the initial league phase.
Fortuitous encounter
When young, Senica had no intention of taking up volleyball in the first place. But since his family was into football, his ambition was to play any sport.
“I didn’t want to attend school but wanted to be an athlete in anything. I had to choose a sport, and football did not start until later in high school. I was not a good swimmer and was too tall for a gymnast. Volleyball was the last option, so I thought I’d try it,” said the Australian.
However, it was not until much later that he realised that he wanted to specialise in the sport and make a living. “I decided to become a professional athlete when I was eight. I started taking volleyball seriously when I was 15-16 and decided that would be my life and job.”
Having made his mark in Denmark, Cyprus and Qatar, Senica joined the Defenders camp for the Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship 2023 held in Bengaluru and continued his journey with the club for PVL 3.
“When they (Defenders) approached me for the World Champs and PVL, I thought this was an opportunity to showcase my skills. The Worlds wasn’t a tournament where we would play for fun. We were there to win and compete. I feel we certainly showed our ability to play at the international level,” said the 6’ 8’‘-tall outside hitter.
Facing global powerhouse Itambe Minas and the eventual winner Sir Sicoma Perugia, Defenders lost both matches in straight sets. Senica did not brood over the losses and moved on to spend Christmas in Australia, awaiting his Indian expedition.
Max Senica (L) in action against Kolkata Thunderbolts in Prime Volleyball League. | Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN
New coach, new system
When he returned to India for the league in January, the coach he trained under for the Worlds (S. Dakshinamoorthy) was replaced by a Serbian coach, Dragan Mihailovic. This meant that Senica had to adapt to a new style of play.
“We’ve had a big adjustment by introducing new systems, ways of thinking about the sport and our role within the team. I think both coaches (Dakshinamoorthy and Dragan) have a good variety of lessons that can set us up for success, but at the moment, I’m enjoying working with Dragan,” said the Australian.
The competitive training spirit keeps Senica and his teammates on their toes, as no one is guaranteed a starting-six spot.
The 24-year-old said, “No player is guaranteed a position on the court at any time, which is the best thing that can be for any professional team. You don’t want players making it easy at training. The best thing about our team is that we are all highly competitive and want to be in the starting-six.”
The Aussie contrast
While the push to outperform keeps Senica and the team together, it’s the creativity and aggressive approach to the game that the international wants to imbibe from his Indian teammates.
Praising Defenders captain, Muthusamy Appavu, for his ingenuity, Senica said, “The players here tend to be a lot more aggressive. Muthu is very creative, and his playing style is not generic. European volleyball tends to follow a system without much deviation, but he (Muthu) likes to play around a bit, and I enjoy that.”
Senica is also envious of the flexibility of the Indian players, wishing to learn and emulate it in his training and coaching programmes.
Since he started coaching two years ago, his motto of keeping the conversation honest and realistic remains unchanged.
“I like to reiterate to athletes to work with 99 per cent of everything they do in their sports career, because nobody is going to see or care. It’s only when you step on the court that everyone is watching.”
Even though the 24-year-old finds coaching enjoyable, he has no plans of quitting as a professional athlete.
Senica, confident of Defenders retaining the title, has planned the rest of his year following PVL 3.
“After we win the tournament, I’ll have some time off,” he said.
After which he will join the Australian squad for the 2025 World Championship qualifiers and also look to secure a spot in the Volleyball Nations League.
“It’s a big and important season for the Australian team,” he concluded.
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