Our Mission

Club GSL is dedicated to developing athletes, from skill sets to life skills. We strive to help each player reach their full potential, focusing on the process and knowing the results will follow. Our coaching mantra is “Prepare, Trust, and Do.” We help our athletes improve, become self-reliant, and develop a lifelong passion for the game. We have a talented coaching staff and are dedicated to helping our athletes achieve an inner confidence, both on and off the court. We strive to create a competitive, fun, and challenging environment in our gym.

Our History

The Club GSL story begins over 30 years ago, when a 20 year old South African boarded a plane with a dream. His dream was to come to America and get a volleyball scholarship.

Sometimes, dreams come true. Warren Van Schalkwyk, Club GSL’s founder and owner, has been involved in the Utah Volleyball scene since 1989. After playing under Coach Carl McGown at BYU, Warren has been coaching, organizing, and creating volleyball programs in Utah and surrounding states.

His resume includes:

  • Former member—South African National Team
  • Former starting Outside Hitter—BYU
  • Head Coach—Cottonwood High School
  • Head Coach—Jordan High School
  • Club Coach—Players, Utah Juniors, Big Blue and High Country Volleyball Club
  • Founder—WVS Volleyball Club
  • Co Founder—UBVA (Utah Boys Volleyball Association)
  • Co Founder—Wasatch Beach Juniors
  • Co Founder-Champions Challenge AAU Grand Prix
  • Founder and Owner—Club GSL Volleyball

Club GSL was founded in 2015 and has since grown to 4 locations (Draper, Sandy, Herriman, and St. George, UT). We have a staff of 45 coaches, some of whom are working year-round teaching and promoting the game of volleyball. Club GSL has programs designed for boys and girls ages 5–18, ranging from beginners to advanced levels.

Core Values

Empower each athlete with confidence, positivity and belief in themselves. Give them the tools to succeed in volleyball and in life.

Unity is needed to come together to accomplish a team goal. Greatness can be achieved without having the greatest individual talents. Remember the saying. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” We all must subscribe and recognize that the mission of working together will point us in the direction of success.

Commitment by being ALL IN. Learn about controlling the things you can control and how to have fun in the process. Our goal is to build the complete athlete, inside and out. Our coaches will be examples of the values that our club holds dear …..respect for each other, honor and teamwork. Dedication and buying in will build our team.

Sportsmanship is a characteristic of a champion. The foundation of sport is built on principles of fairness and respect, win or lose. We know that the competition can be tough, but players and parents need to respect the effort and participation of everyone involved.

Courage to continue to succeed is an attitude that one needs in order to be the absolute best they can be. The best performers never seem to lose self-belief. If they fail, they just stand up, again and again. Courage comes from deep inside and is fueled by desire and passion. Courage is a choice. There will be times when you must show up and perform under pressure or do something you do not normally do. This is the time when athletes must find their courage and rise up.

Coaching Philosophy

In the end, it’s about teaching, and what I always loved about coaching was the practices. Not the games, not the tournaments, not the alumni stuff.

Teaching the players in practice was what coaching was all about to me.

—John Wooden

As coaches, our job is to teach. In addition to teaching the skill sets required to be great at our sport, we must also realize that we are, in fact, teaching life skills. Club GSL has had a direct impact on the lives of thousands of athletes since our inception. What and how we teach is important to their development as well as the larger community. We encourage our coaches to remember that athletes may not “mature” under their watch. They are just a stop on the road during their journey.

“What your kids learn from you will become part of them forever”.

​Confidence, commitment, teamwork, goal setting, dealing with loss, overcoming fear, learning to handle pressure, and being a gracious winner/loser are a just few of the things our kids will be learn. We try to keep in mind that our athletes are always watching us. How we react to stress, pressure, conflict, and success are all things that they will be adopting in the future. It’s a sobering thought.

Coaching Mantra

Prepare

We dedicate ourselves to giving 100% effort during practice, both physically and mentally. Preparing mentally is the greater challenge. Teach the kids to stay focused for the entire practice session. Have them practice “meditation” exercises at home where they “visualize” themselves playing the perfect game. Repetition with the proper technique is the key to success.

Trust

Once we enter a game we need to learn to trust in our abilities. We must teach our athletes to trust that they are already good enough to compete. This is where their “inner confidence” will be found. All great athletes have an unshakable confidence in themselves and their abilities. Despite failure, criticism and self-doubt, we need to help our kids realize that they are already great, and being successful is a “State of Mind”, not a result. Win or lose, they are amazing. Help them realize that.

Do

Nike made the phrase “Just Do It.” famous. After all the preparation, effort, sweat and hours in the gym, the moment comes when it’s time go to work.  Phil Jackson, the legendary NBA Basketball coach was quoted as saying, “There comes a point where you have to throw yourself into action and put your heart on the line.”

Throw yourself. Think about that. We will work to instill in our athletes the confidence to take that step. We believe that taking this step will have a profound impact on each athletes lives, and can be the genesis of a life filled with the confidence to do amazing things.

One final thought: These young athletes are capable of doing things that we never were. Let’s not allow our thoughts, doubts, and fears place limits on what they may do. Teach them the fundamental basics and strategies of the game, and then let them adapt their own style within that framework.  Believe in your athletes. Win or lose, believe in them.