Head volleyball coach and assistant girls basketball coach, Jamie Dibbens, has been involved in sports since the fourth grade. However, her earliest sports memories come from her crib in the gym during her mother’s sports practices. Some may say that coaching is in her blood with an uncle, cousin, and mother all involved in coaching. She played volleyball, basketball, and softball for the Moundridge Wildcats and continued volleyball and basketball at Bethel College in North Newton. With one year at Andale and 11 years in Newton, Dibbens has a lot of experience.

How much time do you spend on sports daily?
I would say I spend, coming up with a practice plan, looking up new drills, at practice, putting film online, I probably spend four hours a day. On saturday I probably spend 12 hours a day. And that’s just volleyball [not basketball].

With your family’s background in coaching, was coaching always a given for you?
I think it made me really competitive. I love to try and find ways to get people to win and just being around so many coaches. I mean we are competitive playing a card game at our house. So I think that was always instilled in me.

What goals do you have as a coach?
I kind of had some goals that I set for myself. I would love to see our team get in the top 50 rankings in the nation. There are three KS schools that are in the top 50 now and I just think it would be cool for Newton’s name to just be mentioned in the top 50. I mean I think my goal [over my career] would just to be to maintain our success we’ve had year after year. In the past 12 years Newton volleyball has been really good and I just wanna keep it at that high level.

What would you say is an obstacle for you as a coach?
My most negative [feature] is that I’m not very quick to point out the positive things. I might think them but I don’t always say them. I think the girls would say I yell. I don’t think I ever raise my voice too much but they do know when I’m upset.

Who do you look to for coaching inspiration?
I think now I talk to my mom more than anybody, you know just a point of view from her. I also had a really great high school volleyball coach.