Erik Peterson 

Erik Peterson - Master Coach

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Erik and his wife moved to Calgary in 2020. This American transplant arrives with a distinctive skillset and extensive experience in beach as well as indoor volleyball at all levels. He has over 20 years of coaching experience, including 17 years in the NCAA. He is USA CAP 1 and BCAP 1 & 2 certified.

Growing up in Hawaii, Erik has always loved the beach game. And his beach coaching resume is unmatched in Canada. Erik has built NCAA beach volleyball programs from the ground up – everything from court design and construction to recruiting, technical direction, and NCAA championship appearances. He was the inaugural beach volleyball head coach at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth as well as indoor and beach head coach at St. Leo University in Florida. Erik previously served as the head coach of the UCF beach volleyball program from 2009-12 and was the beach volleyball director at the Orlando Volleyball Academy from 2007-09. He is well-versed in beach volleyball as both a coach and player, with strong ties to both coasts. He’s a unique authority on recruiting rules and tips for both Division I and Division II.

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Since moving to Canada he has expanded his experience to the international level.  He has coached team Saxton/O'Gorman & Corah/Goodman on the Beach Pro Tour.  His team of Clement/Gilmour competed in Roi Et, Thailand at the 2023 U21 World Championship's & he is currently coaching with Volleyball Canada's beach national team.

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In Calgary he started Kokoro Beach Volleyball and Kokoro Beach Academy.  The Academy has provided athletes the opportunity to train year round beach volleyball and compete in multiple events in the US preparing them for the opportunity to continue their academic and athletic careers in the NCAA.  In the 2 short years of the academy's existence he's had 8 athletes that have gone on to compete at the post secondary level in the states.

Erik’s high-level indoor experience includes the University of Oklahoma, where he helped guide the Sooners to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances with 20-plus win seasons each campaign. Before his time in Norman, Erik coached at the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida, and the University of Florida (including the 2003 NCAA Championship Match). He has made 6 NCAA Tournament appearances as a coach and has worked with 7 NCAA All-American players. He also worked with the 2004 US Women’s Olympic Team to prepare for the Athens Olympic Games. Erik has extensive experience in training outside hitters and defensive specialists – he himself set an NCAA record for Career Digs.

At the club level, Erik has coached in 2 AAU National Championships and has recorded 2 USAV Top 5 Open finishes. He has coached with USA Beach High Performance since its inaugural year (2008), was the USA Beach High Performance U19 Lead Coach in 2017, and in 2019 earned 3 Gold medals as the Team Florida Beach High Performance head coach. He was also the head camp coach at the A3 Development Camp at the Chula Vista Olympic training Center and has served as tournament coach for USAV High Performance Championships at Hermosa Beach as well as assisting at the M2 Volleyball Clinics in Florida and Hawaii that are owned and operated by three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor.

Erik & his wife welcomed their first child Cru in October 2022 & have a seven-year-old rescue pup. He loves bikes, skiing, camping, good espresso, and Spud’s (if you know you know).

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