Amy Buchanan
Coach, Girls’
18
Rox
Along with her nearly 20 years of playing experience and 15 years of
coaching experience, Coach Amy Buchanan brings passion for the game and a wealth
of knowledge to Energy Volleyball Club.
Coach Amy began playing volleyball her freshman year at Corona del Sol in
Tempe, Arizona after her parents and the sweltering Arizona heat crushed her
soccer dreams. The freshmen volleyball coach was far from impressed with her
court skills and slight frame but offered her a roster
spot because there were three jerseys left. She quickly learned the game,
took a starting position and never looked back. Her high school finished
second in state her sophomore and junior years, saving the state
championship for her senior season. That same year, her team was nationally
ranked in both Volleyball Magazine and USA Today. She also played club
volleyball for East Valley Juniors. She captained many teams and was voted
All-Conference her junior and senior years, as well as All-State her senior
year. She was also the MVP of the East vs. West Senior Showcase.
After high school, Coach Amy Volunteer’ed her talents to the University of Tennessee
where she played as an outside hitter. Her mullet, dry sense of humor and
her volleyball skills won over her coaches and teammates enough to earn her
a starting role on the team. She was thrilled when the team transitioned
away from the traditional “bun huggers” into spandex shorts. Enthusiasm soon
faded when she learned that the shorts were tri-colored and the inseam was
eight inches. Despite those setbacks, she enjoyed her time in her Rocky Top
home in Knoxville managing to study Psychology on the side.
Coach Amy returned home (which was Denver at the time) for home-cooked meals and free
rent in 1996. After a couple years away from collegiate volleyball, she
played her final year of eligibility at Metro State in the fall of 1998. As
the old lady of the team (24 years old), she was recognized for several
all-tournament, All-Conference, and All-Region teams. She very quickly began
her coaching career when she realized that playing pro beach volleyball in
the Rocky Mountains wasn’t going to be very lucrative. She coached at Green
Mountain High School and starting coaching club for Flatirons Volleyball
Club. During her time with Flatirons, she went from assistant coach to head
coach to assistant director as the club grew from one team to over 10 teams.
She also spent two seasons as coaching at Metro State, helping the
Roadrunners finish a 28–5 season that included a conference championship in
2001.
Coach Amy played on Bumpers, Inc., a competitive group of college
has-beens in USAV Women’s AA tournaments in the Denver area. She also
racked up some championships, winning minimal amounts of cash, free
volleyballs, and sunglasses with her doubles partner in Colorado Professional
Volleyball Association.
In 2004, Coach Amy moved to Bozeman, Montana. She
coached for four seasons at Bozeman High School where the Lady Hawks faired
well in the state tournament in three of those seasons. She began coaching
club with Big Sky Volleyball Club (Mountain One Volleyball Club at the time)
in 2004. She transitioned into her new role as Head Coach and Program
Director for the club in 2007. In that time, she led the club through its
biggest growth in program history. She had no idea what she was getting
into, but now respects all individuals who devote their time to directing
club athletics.
The summer of 2011 brought on new opportunities as Coach Amy
moved to Chicago in June. She spent over a month talking to various clubs
in the area before deciding that Energy Volleyball Club was the best fit for
her experiences and skills. She is excited to meet new athletes and
families after hearing about and seeing first-hand the positive interactions
between Energy’s staff and athletes.
Coach Amy will spend her first Chicago fall
with the Raiders at North Shore Country Day School. Coach Amy is thankful for
the journey that volleyball has led her on and she values all of the great
people she has met along the way. If you see her in the gym, please say
“Hello” and then offer your advice on where to find goodies to soothe her
sweet tooth.