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CAOC volleyball team three-time champs

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Dobrydney
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  When the Combined Air and Space Operations Center defeated the 379th Expedtionary Operations Support Squadron in the intramural volleyball championship, Nov. 28, it was another notch in a string of victories.

"Going into and during the match I knew it would be a close game," said Staff Sgt. William Bird, team coach, who led his team to victory 25-21.

Sergeant Bird is not a novice when it comes to coaching. While stationed in Colorado, he was assistant coach at a local high school volleyball club. He has now deployed to Southwest Asia three times and each time he has taken the reins of the CAOC team, they have won the volleyball championship. This is the second time they have won three championships in a row.

"I have always been lucky to get a good group of players each time," Sergeant Bird said.

One of those players is Jason McDonald, a contracted network engineer. In the past, he played volleyball professionally and participated in several U.S. Open Volleyball Championships.

"If you play a sport, you naturally pick it up where ever you go," Mr. McDonald said. The CAOC already had two volleyball championship wins under their belt before Mr. McDonald heard about the team and joined. He added that the camaraderie of the team is what's important to him. "I've coached and played professionally, but I like to play with people who just enjoy the game," Mr. McDonald said.

Not that Mr. McDonald's experience was lost on Sergeant Bird. "[Mr. McDonald] gave our team a much needed advantage this rotation," he said.

Sergeant Bird has since redeployed to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and a new coach for the CAOC team for the current rotation has not yet been chosen. However, Sergeant Bird said playing sports, besides a way to keep fit to fight, is also a morale builder regardless of who is coaching.

"Playing intramurals brings together people you normally would not have contact with or the chance to get to know," Sergeant Bird said.