THIS WAS SUPPOSED to be a profile piece on the successful season of the Indy Ignite’s rookie coach. I had no idea head coach George Padjen was going to retire when speaking with him earlier this month while he drove to Minneapolis/St. Paul to reunite with his family and reconnect with friends.
As I think about our conversation, now that he has officially stepped down after one year at the helm, I read more into his words. This statement alone, now put into current context was possibly a harbinger of things to come. “As for next year, I’ve got some ideas in my head. I don’t want to give anything away just yet.”
During our chat, he lamented several times about missing much of his daughter’s freshman year of high school. And how his summer, at that time, was planning to be spent “following my daughter around and do whatever she wants. That sounds great to me!” Padjen’s retirement press release said he needed to spend more time with his family. Now I get it.
In retrospect though, Padjen was impressed, in awe, and extremely thankful for many of this season’s ups and downs—mostly ups. He finished with a 13-15 record, a fourth-place ranking in the Pro Volleyball Federation, and runners-up in the federation tournament. But it was the team’s accomplishments, combined with fan and city support that also made a huge impression on the coach.
“The year was an incredible experience,” he says. “When I first got to Indy, everyone was saying this was a sports town and I didn’t get it. Now after being here, I get it.”
Padjen recounted how the intensity hit him right off the bat: “On opening night alone, the scene was almost emotional for me. Just to see the passion in the stands, of the people, of the city, and of those involved with the team. That part took me by surprise. I had to look away at times to suppress my emotions.”
“The team exceeded everyone’s expectations,” he boasts. “Making playoffs year 1. That was big. It’s an accomplishment. Winning the semi-finals [over No. 1 seed Omaha] when people didn’t even want us there in the first place or thought we snuck in was huge. Making it to the finals with that many rookies on the floor [five] in the finals … Huge.”
According to Padjen, this first year served as a massive learning experience. And some lessons held more importance than others. “I think there is a real balance to the length of the season, making sure you have the players’ well-being in mind. I heard from talking to players and other coaches, the balance of life was good for our players and that was very important to me. That means a lot,” he says.
What he is referring to are things like how many reps, how long to practice, and how many days off after traveling. Taking care of the physical and mental well-being of the players. Making sure there was a good balance of life for the team. “That is very gratifying to me.”
Padjen kept circling the conversation back to relationships and, looking at things now, those are very important to him. “Honestly, some of my favorite moments came when I would share a laugh with a player during the game on the sidelines. The human side is important to me because you do create an individual relationship with the players.”
So now begins the search for a new head coach.
