During her 30-year tenure, Suzanne Marble guided La Conner volleyball teams to multiple state titles and inspired students to succeed on and off the court. Now, she has transitioned from the clipboard to the keyboard with the release of her new book, Coaching with Confidence. The 89-page guide offers a blueprint for success rooted in values such as trust and resilience — qualities Marble believes drive peak performance.
Photo courtesy Suzanne Marble
Marble said she felt compelled to write the book after witnessing how positive coaching influences both athletic performance and personal growth.
“I wanted to provide a resource that equips coaches to unlock the potential in their athletes and themselves,” she said.
Although written for coaches, the book’s strategies and lessons can benefit teachers, school administrators, and parents, Marble said. She describes teachers as mentors who build leadership and confidence in students, and notes that administrators play a key role in fostering a culture of excellence. Parents, she said, often seek to understand the philosophies that guide coaches and how those beliefs can support their children.
“After retiring from a 30-year coaching career,” she said, “I knew I wanted to stay involved in athletics and still work to accomplish something meaningful that could help others.”
A Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame member and 2023 Skagit County Pioneer Spirit Award recipient, Marble hopes the book becomes a valuable resource for anyone in a leadership role — inside or outside of sports.
“Coaching goes far beyond game day,” Marble said. “It’s about shaping character, fostering growth, and instilling values that last a lifetime.”
Marble recorded more than 500 career wins at La Conner High, where a training room in Landy James Gym has been dedicated in her honor. In Coaching with Confidence, she emphasizes the importance of leadership, goal-setting and resilience as tools to build lasting confidence in athletes.
Writing the book presented a new kind of challenge — one that stretched her in unexpected ways.
“It was completely different compared to teaching and coaching,” she recounted. “I thrive in active, hands-on environments where you can see progress right in front of you. Coaching is like that. You can watch athletes improve and adjust in real time.
“But writing?” Marble contrasted. “That’s a more solitary and self-focused process. You don’t really see the improvements until the book is finished and out there for others to read.”
Bill Reynolds: bill@laconnercommunitynews.org. Bill is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
