Today we’d like to introduce you to Nabil Mardini.
Nabil, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I moved to LA at the age of 18 in 1990. Went to SMC and then UCLA where I received my bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering. My playing career spans the globe: I competed internationally with the Lebanese National Team and professionally with regional power Club Relevement Social Knat before coming to the United States, where I earned All-Conference and All-State honors at Santa Monica College, including recognition as the school’s 1996 “Athlete of the Year.” In 1997, I decided to follow my heart and passion and pursued a career in coaching. The best decision I have made in my life as I felt it is time for me to give back to the game that has given me so much and more importantly happiness and self-fulfillment.
In 2000, I accepted the job at Pierce College (Woodland Hills, CA) where I revitalized a flagging program that was last place in the state to one of the premiere and recognizable two-year programs in the nation. I coached at Pierce till 2017 and during this time, I took the program to the State Finals 6 times of which I won three of them. Won the Conference Championships 15 out of 17 years., I was also honored to have received the highest reward a coach may receive after being named AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Two-Year Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2012.
During my time at Pierce, I bought a small boys club called Santa Monica Beach Club from my mentor and my dear friend, Turhan Douglas, and I launched the Los Angeles Volleyball Academy in 2010. Today, LAVA is a conglomerate of junior volleyball clubs in cities such as Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Camarillo, Corona, Santa Monica, and Thousand Oaks.
In 2017, I opened an indoor cycling and strength training studio in Calabasas and I spend my time between running the businesses and spending time with my four years old son Danyal.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been smooth. I believe that one must possess a second to none work ethic and you combine this with good moral ethics, one builds a solid foundation that one can live by. I learned from coach Lombardi that: “Winning is not everything. Winning is the ONLY thing.” What I believe coach Lombardi meant by this is not the win and loss record, but the preparation to win is what counts. Most [people know what it takes to succeed in life, but not everyone is willing to pay the price to win. So, this is sort of the mantra I live by.
Having said that, the number of obstacles I had to overcome are countless. From having to work close to 70 hours a week (40 hours on weekends at times) to not having a day off for four straight months, and having to be a full-time student of Engineering at UCLA, were some of the toughest times I have had to go through whether mentally, physically, and emotionally. But if it weren’t for these challenges, I would not have learned much nor grown.
I always tell people that it is a wonderful thing for a human being to pursue the highest level of education in one’s field. But it is the challenges and obstacles that life throws at you that will make or break someone.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
First and foremost, I am obsessively passionate about coaching volleyball. This is what I enjoy doing the most and I do not beehive I will ever retire from this profession. I am passionately in love with the game of volleyball.
I have a knack for teaching and coaching which requires one to wear different hats: coach, father figure, big brother, nutritionist, psychologist, etc. I run coaching clinics through my small company, Mardico, and the first thing I tell coaches is that “students will forget their teacher but they will never forget their coaches. Good or bad, they will; never forget the person who has the second most impact on them besides their parents.”
What I specialize in is being able to get a group of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures to think and act as one. To become a family in the true meaning of the word and work for one goal where no one cares who gets the credit. I believe that every person on the team should bring value of some sort, and you don’t measure this by the size of the value, and if they don’t bring any value, and without sounding harsh, I consider them insignificant to the team, When one person on the team feels that his/her role is more important than someone else on the team, we have a dysfunction. No one is more important on a team. We all have different roles including the coach.
What I am most proud of is the long-lasting relationships I have built with my players. Nothing is more rewarding to me is when I receive a letter/email/phone call from my former players to tell me “Coach, I get it now……I get why you pushed me. I get why you were hard on me. I now know the WHY and not just the HOW….” The second most rewarding thing to me is looking at the accomplishments I have shared with my players. People use the word “proud” somewhat loosely at times. I believe that pride should only apply to what one person can do with his/her aptitude and talent.
What sets me apart from others is not only being able to detect the challenges and obstacles that a team faces throughout the course of its lifetime, but to have the technology to address it and correct it.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel the city has a lot of potentials. The fact that the population is diverse and concentrated in LA provides lots of opportunities to business owners. Of course, there will be competition but this can only incentivize business owners to do better.
However, some of the city laws and ordinances, hefty fees for permits, and high taxes are not considered business-friendly so to speak.
Pricing:
- Cycling Monthly Unlimited (Outdoor currently) for $159/month
- 8 Classes for $160 and they never expire
- TRX/Strength Private Training – $50 to $80 a session (1 or 2 people)
Contact Info:
- Address: Dig Cycle and Strength – 5727 Las Virgenes Rd. Calabasas, CA 91302
Los Angeles Volleyball Academy – San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Corona. - Website: https://www.digcycle.com and https://www.lavacademy.com
- Phone: 310.433.2623
- Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digcycle/ and https://www.instagram.com/lavacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DigCycle and https://www.facebook.com/lavacademy/
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