Alex Porter celebrates 10 years at Essex

Former England and Great Britain volleyball player and Essex Rebel's coach Alex Porter celebrated ten years at Essex last week.

Alex began his time at Essex in 2013 and spoke about how the sport has developed and his proudest moments of being the Essex Rebels head coach.

Alex speaks about how each year has brough its own unique proud moment making it difficult to pick one specific moment. 

“Being the first team from any sport at Essex to win a BUCS National Championship in 2019 will be up there, along with the multiple Student Cup winners medals along the way, that being said, the off-court moments top them.”

"Over the last 10 years we’ve (Essex Performance) helped 27 students win their first National Team cap and 24 students have gone on to sign their first professional contracts".

Essex has changed massively compared to when Porter began his time at the university. 

“Volleyball was the first Performance Sport at Essex, the pathfinder for others and since then basketball, tennis and football have joined the program. The facilities are completely different, the 1,600 seater Essex Sport Arena opened 5 years ago, and more recently our own weights room, changing rooms and film room have been added.”

Having these implemented into the Essex Performance Centre and developing the level of the sport showcases the growth of volleyball in a university setting. 

Porter also speaks about how his role has changed with the development of Essex.

"When I started I was employed as a coach but the role encompasses so much more than this, pastoral support, budgets, awarding of scholarships, accommodation management, managing timetables, injuries, fixture scheduling and the big one recruitment".

"It’s been a challenge to ensure volleyball is involved in these developments, but totally worth it".

After ten years Porter is still looking towards the future of his involvement in the sport. 

"This year we were the first club to use the international sports person visa to sign four professional athletes, two female and two male, and we want to build on this".

"We will be throwing everything behind our home fixture against the University of Nottingham on 3rd Feb to set a record attendance, currently 440, last year the equivalent basketball fixture smashed the club and league record with 1,505 fans screaming for the Rebels".

"Essex is not just about developing athletes, we’re trying to develop the sport, this year my assistant coach Alex Chinery went full time and we are investigating ways we can help the next generation of coaches, with support whilst studying part time masters".

"Every year we learn more and signing four professional athletes was a steep curve for us both the internal politics and the external processes involved but these will be far easier in the future for us and other clubs that want to use the visa". 

"Previously we’d recruit undergrads and then fill the remaining gaps with postgrad students, we look to get the best professional athletes who may or may not be students and acknowledge the undergrads will need to work even harder to close the gap but one of the key principles remain, they must be good people".

"As the program has grown, so too have I. I couldn’t have done this without my family or the coffee addiction".

Volleyball England wants to congratulate Alex for his ten years of service to Essex and we hope there are many more years to come. 

Essex’s first game back after the winter break is at home to Leeds Gorse who both faced Durham in the last week of action before the Christmas break.

If Alex’s passion for the sport has inspired you to get involved in the sport you can find a club local to you here.