Dorothy Hudson-Gayle, Coach
Impact Certified

Dorothy has been coaching for more than 10 years. She first played volleyball in high school in the ’70s, and went on to play at her university in Jamaica, serving as the team captain. She played competitively until 2000, when she turned her focus to more administrative work with the Jamaica Volleyball Association.

Before she moved to the U.S., she acted as manager for the Jamaica National Female Volleyball Team and as the junior development manager for the Caribbean Zone Volleyball Association (CAZOVA). Prior to moving to Georgia she played in many senior leagues in New Orleans and refereed with the Louisiana High School Sports Association. Currently she referees with the GHSA and with USA Volleyball, and she sometimes plays at Central Park.

Over the years she has enjoyed playing volleyball competitively and recreationally. “It has been my favorite source of exercise and stress release,” says Dorothy. “I love playing the game—even though the knees are not very cooperative anymore.”

As a coach she says she has been the person her players look to for proper guidance as it relates to the required skills and behaviors of the game. She wants them to love the sport as much as she does. “I try to build my players’ self-confidence and self worth, to teach them teamwork and proper decorum,” says Dorothy. “I get a great sense of satisfaction when I see the skill level of my players improve and their confidence in the sport increase.”

She played some contact sports in the past, but her favorite thing about volleyball is the lack of personal contact with opponents. “It was always so refreshing to focus on my skill with the ball rather than on playing people,” she says. She also loves that volleyball is truly a team sport: “Excelling in volleyball requires all members on the court to be performing well and teaches inter-dependence, which is a valuable skill in all facets of life.”