The coaches of the VIU Mariners work tirelessly to ensure their team is well-oiled, that conflict is non-existent, and that the team and staff are working to their full capacity.

VIU Men’s Basketball coach of 14 years, Matt Kuzminski, takes charge on and off the court. Kuzminski works hard during matches to see the best outcome for his team.

During a match, Kuzminski has to motivate his players to move from one play to the next. “We’re not looking at the total outcome of the game, we’ll focus on the next play, our next job, and try to do that to the best of your ability,” he says.

Before and after games, Kuzminski uses the motto, “Sweep the Sheds.” This means you clean up your area and clean up the bench. That’s everything from dealing with referees to other aspects that go on in the game. “Nobody takes care of the Mariners. The Mariners take care of themselves. We’re not looking for someone to bail us out, we’re going to take care of ourselves,” Kuzminski states. He focuses on humility as a core value for his team.

While dealing with conflict between players or staff members, Kuzminski says that a proactive approach is the most effective. He explains that building relationships and investing in each individual member, showing that he cares on and off the court, allows him to be clear and direct with conflict, in a way that shows it’s coming from a place of care and not hostility.

After a loss, Kuzminski explains that “success is never final, failures never fatal.” He uses each loss as an opportunity to grow. “We’re not waiting for a losing game to evaluate and look at how we get better, we do it every single time.”

After battling sickness and injuries in the first half of the season, Kuzminski says that they’re starting to get back to a full roster with a healthy team.

On the other side, with the VIU Mariners Women’s Basketball team, head coach Tony Bryce also values the relationships he’s built with his team. He started as a Mariner’s coach back in 2006, coaching the Men’s Basketball Team, and transitioned to the Women’s in 2017. During a match, Bryce works with his team to make sure that even with the ups and downs, his team is not getting too high or too low.

“We talk about palms down, calm down/relax, vs. palms up, like we’re panicking or complaining. When things feel tense, it is important that I show [myself being] calm and confident in my people,” Bryce says.

When it comes to inner conflict, Bryce squashes any and all drama down immediately. His players know that an individual’s feelings are never bigger than the whole team’s. Having love and appreciation within team members and staff makes sure that this is an environment people want to be in. “I cancelled practice indefinitely years ago knowing there was ‘stuff’ going on. When those involved had sat down and dealt with it as adults, we would continue.”

Whether a win or a loss, Bryce’s post game ritual stays the same, a cold beer and watching game footage. His pre-game ritual is to send his wife and kids a text message telling them he loves them. “They have been my number one supporters so I want them to know I appreciate them for allowing me to do what I love,” Bryce says.

On the same court but with different equipment, the VIU Men’s Volleyball team is led by head coach and chiropractor, Dr. Abe Avender. Dr. Avender makes a point that his team is grateful for every moment they have, on and off the court.

He takes an approach that is light-hearted and compassionate when it comes to his players. Dr. Avender makes the time to crack jokes, high-five the team, and celebrate every moment.

“If you don’t play sports to have fun, why the heck are you here? We are competitive and want to win but at the end of the day, if we’re not having a good time doing it, what are we doing it for?” Dr. Avender asks. For years, his motto for the team has been HFF, or Have F*%# Fun. He writes it on every whiteboard during practices and makes a point to have it as his final message of every talk. Previous player, Jeff Webb, tattooed this saying on his chest to show how much this acronym meant to him.

It’s clear that Dr. Avender makes this competitive atmosphere fun. “We’re not getting shot at, it’s a ball. If anyone gets hit by it. We’re going to be okay. It’s a game, let’s play it that way,” he says.

After every win, the teammates celebrate by blasting a celebration song. Every year, they pick out a new one, and the 2025/26 season is “La Bomba” by King Africa. “We always wait for the song to finish; you don’t talk before it’s done. We had a good win Friday night. I came into the room and La Bomba was just pounding,” he states.

The recovery after a loss is just as important.

Dr. Avender preaches resiliency, and that “if you don’t learn from a loss, you lose twice.”

Dr. Avender’s impact on his players throughout the years is prominent. Being a coach for the past 16 years, Dr. Avender has seen his players grow, create families, and look back at their volleyball career as a positive experience. “Past players have said, ‘Abe, I was a train wreck coming out of high school. I could have been in a ditch somewhere, but you never let me not care.”

The biggest challenge his team is facing this year is transferring what they learn from practice onto the court. With a mix of senior and new players, they need to continue to integrate as a team and as individuals. He tries to stray away from the superstitions and focus solely on his team. “I do believe that your prep is an important part [but] who you’re putting on the floor is going to make a bigger difference than what colour you write your lineup in,” he explains.

Moving away from the VIU Gym and off to the Nanaimo Ice Centre, head coach Chris Jones skates us through the VIU Mariners Men’s Hockey team.

His pregame ritual has been consistent throughout the past couple of years. While a player, Jones had many superstitions to get him through the game, but as a coach, they’ve adapted. Jones eats the same foods, wears the same clothes, takes the same route to the rink, and always makes sure he has his triple grande white chocolate mocha.

While dealing with conflict between coaching staff and players, Jones preaches communication. “If it’s a heated scenario, then a rest period is needed first. Then it’s a sit-down. I always make sure it’s never just one-on-one; there’s always more people involved,” he explains.

Much like the other coaches, game morale is simply enforcing positivity. Being pessimistic and having negative attitudes brings down other players. Instead, Jones suggests taking the time to move on and be positive about the future.

The January season is always tough as players are coming back from a month-long break. Jones is working at getting his team back into game mode and game condition. “To win our games and get into the playoffs is the biggest challenge [and I’m] trying to get everybody back into the winning attitude as we had before the break,” Jones says.

Jones’s favourite part of this job is being with the guys. This answer was consistent with Kuzminski, Bryce, and Dr. Avender. All of these coaches enjoy being with their team the most. “It’s about building a family atmosphere and cherishing that,” Bryce says, which applies to all of the coaches in the Mariner’s family.

If you’ve ever watched the show “Ted Lasso,” he often tells his players to be a goldfish. Goldfishes have a ten-second memory, therefore they’re able to forget about their past mistakes and live in the present. Kuzminski, Bryce, Dr. Avender, and Jones all show this mentality in their own teachings, proving that your mistakes cannot determine the rest of the game.

What’s the point anyways if you’re not going to HFF?