In sitting volleyball’s colourful world, where skill, strategy and sheer resilience converge, one of the tacticians that resonates profoundly is Dr. Mosaad Elaiuty.

With his years of experience and passion for the discipline, he has not only steered Egypt to Paralympic success but is now weaving his magic with the men’s and women’s teams of Rwanda.

Reflecting on his remarkable career, Elaiuty shared insights gleaned over 15 years of dedicated service to the sport – all with heart and hard work.

“I joined many tournaments, from World Championships to African Championships and Paralympic Games with the Egyptian team, gathering invaluable experience” he recounted.

“This journey of collecting a lot of information, experience and system from the different teams, culminated with winning a Paralympic bronze in Rio de Janeiro.”

Now, in Rwanda, the Egyptian coach is embarking on a mission to usher both the men’s and women’s team into a new level of excellence. Drawing from his rich reservoir of knowledge and techniques from around the globe, he crafted the programme’s roadmap for success.

“When I arrived here, I put a plan to put both teams in the right way to be the best teams in the world,” Elaiuty remarked.

“The women’s team has already been successful when I arrived here and they were eighth or ninth in the world. Now they are fifth and aiming to be fourth in the world. As for the men’s team, my plan is to improve the Rwandan League because with a stronger league, I can get a lot of new players.

“Even now, my focus is on young players. This way, we will have a pool of players for the national team. My plan is to go step by step to be in the Top 4 teams in the world, and then fight for a medal in the Paralympic Games.”

His coaching style is simple yet effective – focus on the basics, nurture talent, and never stop learning.

Central to his coaching philosophy is also the holistic development of his players. Beyond honing their skills, he places a premium on fostering a healthy lifestyle and instilling a sense of discipline and responsibility.

“The best lesson I can teach my players is how to be committed players. This means having responsibility for themselves and for their team, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and understanding the importance of proper nutrition, rest and recovery,” he said.

“The first thing I teach my players before learning the skills is teaching them the right way to move on the court. Learning skills without the right movement will just result in making a lot of mistakes. Moving the right way first will make an athlete learn the skills better.”

Navigating the unique challenge of mentoring both the men’s and women’s teams, he underscored the importance of good organisational and time management skills.

“It’s not easy to handle two teams because a system and a schedule must be in place every single day. There are days that you train with both teams at the same time of the day, and days wherein you can have two trainings in a day for your teams. You need a system and a supportive team of assistants to help you with different tasks in handling both teams,” he noted.

To aspiring coaches, Elaiuty offered advice rooted in his own journey of growth and learning, and that is by staying hungry for knowledge, cultivating a vision and being patient.

“You should gather information on (sitting) volleyball. You have to know everything about it. You should have a clear plan and you should also have patience. This way, you can also develop yourself and your team,” he said.

“You should learn from other teams and from new systems. And always ask. Coaches gain experience through these things. Learn from these things and then you can develop your team.”

For Elaiuty, coaching extends far beyond the confines of the sitting volleyball court. It’s an exploration of empowerment, resilience, and dedication. Through his transformative leadership, he creates champions out of his athletes – on the court and in life.

Watch the full interview: