Joe Losik

I grew up near Seattle, WA where there weren’t a lot of opportunities to play organized men’s volleyball but I took advantage of every chance I found, including rec, club, intramural, sand, and weekend tournaments. This continued throughout my life until I finally had to grow up and begin raising a family. My wife and I met at BYU where I earned a degree in mathematics. After graduation, I began teaching at Layton High. In addition to teaching math, I coached several sports: cross country, track, basketball and of course volleyball! As my family grew, I recognized that although I loved coaching, it was not going to provide the income we needed to raise our family so I began a new career as a software developer. Fortunately, as my kids began to grow, they also had a passion for participating in sports so I was able to coach many of their athletic teams – flag football, basketball and yes, volleyball! This is my third season coaching at Vortex and I have loved the opportunity to work with so many wonderful young athletes! I’m excited to begin a new season and look forward to watching each athlete become the best version of themselves!

One of my favorite quotes is a reminder to me that the way each of us make the world (or maybe our team) better is not by playing down to make someone feel better but rather by being the best possible version of ourself and lifting others up to our level:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson