Saikley carries on family legacy as coach
Charles Saikley instructs Lindsey Tomasson at his volleyball academy. Photo by Olivia Kestin by Mirelle Eid “Higher, higher…diagnose where the ball is before you hit it…better!” Coach Charles Saikley, 33, calls out across the 4th Street volleyball courts to 14-year-old Cecelia Allen, a student of the Charles Saikley Volleyball Academy. It’s 5 p.m. and the summer sun still burns down relentlessly as coach and player practice drills. Saikley is wearing bright red board shorts, sunglasses, and a tiger’s eye necklace. He dons socks that reach just below his knees to cover the blisters that accompany days of volleyball lessons on the scalding hot sands of Manhattan Beach. Next to the volleyball net are Saikley’s daily essentials – a beach umbrella, a gallon jug of water, and a mesh bag full of volleyballs. He sets ball after ball to Cecelia while encouraging her to “strike using her torso” as opposed to her back and to “absorb the ball” before she goes to spike it over the net. He instructs with a gentle authority and praises her when she masters a move. His patience and knowledge of the game make him a natural coach. “He taught me everything from scratch,” says Cecelia, “I thought I…
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