The volleyball community in our area is pretty tight-knit. And many players and parents know Kevin Troup, or “Coach Kevin”, as many refer to him. But they may not know everything about Coach Kevin…or why he is so passionate about changing the face of Reynolds High School Volleyball.Fact #1: He was (and still is) a volleyball player
“I started playing volleyball on the beaches of South Florida. I couldn’t surf and sitting on the beach bored me. I loved the game so a group of friends and I started playing sand doubles,” shared Troup. His coaching career started at Winston Salem State University when a good friend of his had just been hired and needed an assistant coach. With absolutely no coaching experience Troup said “sure”! and coached by his side for 3 years. He then spent a year at a private high school in Greensboro, worked a year at a Forsyth county middle school, put in three years of JO coaching and this is now in his second year at Reynolds High School (RJR).
Fact #2: He attended RJR himself
He started as the JV coach but quickly became head of the volleyball program at RJR. “I know that RJ Reynolds high school was a good program in the past. Being an alumni, I wanted to see it get there again,” said Troup.
Fact #3: He wants RJR to be a contender again
He believes in the rich history of the school, and has a strong desire to see it contending for conference titles again. “It’s no secret that Reagan, Tabor, and West are successful programs year after year. I want RJR mentioned in that same breathe. It doesn’t happen overnight, but is a work in progress,” Troup explained.
Fact #4: He has secret weapons and knows how to use them
Troup has been strategic in making some changes at RJR that will help the program reach his goals. Last spring he was one of only a two schools in the county that added sand volleyball, one of two schools in the county. Teaching the outdoor game enabled the players to learn all aspects ( passing, setting, hitting), thus creating a more all around player. Troup also gave the players ownership in the team with the addition of a team store. He wanted his players to be proud of their team and wearing merchandise like other programs.
Fact #5: He knows how to instill belief in his players
Troup shared that as a coach, the most rewarding thing is when a player or group of players, play to the potential he sees in them. He loves the “light bulb moment” when they run up to him, excited that they did something – and they start to believe in themselves.
“Last season”, Troup shared, “the JV team had a match where we lost the first set and were down in the second. I called a timeout, calmed the team and watched them come from behind to win the second set and match. Normally they would have given up, this particular day they trusted me and started believing in themselves.” If you are high school team in the Forsyth Country area – watch out! Kevin Troup and Reynolds High School are planning to take the conference by storm. “Volleyball is an incredible game and anything I can do to grow the sport I will,” says Kevin. “We are a young team and expect us to play hard from the first point to the last.”
I think the best thing about Kevin is his style of coaching. He has a way of making them [the players] want to be better. He has such a love & passion for the sport that it inspires the girls to play hard even when they are down.– C. McCarthy, Reynolds volleyball player parent
Coach Kevin has been instrumental in making volleyball a part of the culture at Reynolds. Since arriving, he has created an awareness of the program within the school and advocated for the needs of the team. – S. Dobson, Reynolds volleyball player parent
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