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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

Chelsea High School is now home to one of the best young volleyball coaches in the country after varsity assistant coach Joshua Edmonson secured one of the top honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The AVCA named Edmonson to its annual 30 Under 30 list for high school coaches on Tuesday, April 22. The association also released separate lists for the 30 Under 30 college and club coaches.

The award caps a fast ascent for Edmonson, who didn’t play the sport until he attended Auburn University but quickly fell in love with it as he learned its intricacies.

After assisting with his church youth group in Auburn and talking with his friend Krystalynn Leomiti, who plays professionally overseas, he decided to dive in headfirst.

“I played every day for three months straight learning the rules and mechanics of the sport,” Edmonson said. “I never really knew what I wanted to do for a career but I enjoyed interacting and helping people…after the first week of practice, I knew coaching was what God was calling me to do.”

He started his coaching career as the 17U head coach at Montgomery-based club team Capital City Juniors in December 2020, and within six months, he took his first head coaching position as Brewbaker Tech during the 2021 season.

In his lone year with the Rams, he helped them secure their first-ever regular season area championship and their first appearance in the state tournament in five years.

He then took a club coaching position with Mana Toa Volleyball Club as the head coach of the 15U and 13U teams from December 2021 to May 2023.

After that, he moved to the Birmingham area, where he began as a coach with Birmingham Beach Volleyball Club in June 2023, the 16U and 15U coaches at Above Volleyball Club in December 2023 and Chelsea’s varsity assistant coach in April 2024. He remains in each of those positions.

His first year at Chelsea coincided with its best season in school history. As a member of Jamie Gill’s staff, he helped the Hornets reach the Class 6A Final Four after winning the South Super Regional and Class 6A, Area 8 championships.

One of Edmonson’s biggest priorities when coaching is to prepare players for the college level both on and off the court.

At Chelsea, he helped further develop multiple future college volleyball signees, including AVCA All-American Lauren Buchanan, a Texas Tech signee, Pearl River signee Lila Willett and UVA-Wise commit Cara Belcher.

“While coaching high school and club, my goal is to prepare as many players as possible to play in college,” Edmonson said. “For my future, I plan to move into coaching at the collegiate level. The goal for any coach is to teach the sport, but I also teach my players time management, mental strength and the willingness to work.”

Edmonson values those relationships and the great coaching breakthroughs that happen as a result of the time from building them.

“The relationships built and seeing the growth of the players on and off the court,” Edmonson said about what he enjoys the most about coaching. “That moment when it clicks and they look back at you saying, ‘I did it,’ the joy on their face and the excitement felt is so amazing.”

Edmonson also took time to spotlight his many coaching influences, including Gill, Above’s Donnie Alleman, Mana Toa’s Tanielu Mose, University of West Florida head coach Melissa Wolter, Pensacola State College head coach Pati Gandolfo and Birmingham Beach Volleyball Club’s Joe and Jodie Alaimo.

Edmonson is one of three coaches recognized from the state of Alabama, joining Vestavia Hills’ Kaylee Gilchrist and Homewood’s Ainsley Schultz.