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Ryan Hofer on mental toughness, trust, and building stronger athletes

Mariel Anderson sits down with Ryan Hofer, coach of the TWU volleyball program and a deeply relationship-driven leader, to talk about what really shapes athletes beyond skill. They dig into mental performance, handling hard things, confidence versus courage, and how trust, vulnerability, and identity affect both recruiting and performance. In this episode, Ryan shares:

• How hardship has become one of his biggest teachers as a coach and parent, and why avoiding discomfort limits growth
• Why “bringing hard things into the light” matters more than pretending thoughts and feelings are not there
• Practical tools for athletes, including pausing, breathing, naming thoughts, journaling, and reframing
• Why identity and self-talk shape performance more than confidence alone
• How he uses trust, integrity, and competency to evaluate mentors, teammates, and recruits
• Why he believes every athlete on a team should have a voice, not just designated captains
• The idea of “performance languages” and how different athletes need different kinds of sideline support
• How families can navigate pressure and cost of sport more wisely

About Ryan

Ryan Hofer has been Trinity Western’s women’s team’s head coach since 2006. Since taking over as head coach, Hofer has guided TWU to seven national medals, including gold in 2015 and 2022, silver in 2016 and 2023 and bronze in 2011, 2013 and 2017. He has also coached the Spartans to six Canada West titles in the last eight seasons, including each of the last four conference crowns. Hofer has also spent many years coaching at the grass roots club level winning five National Club medals with both male and female players

Individually, Hofer was recognized as the Canada West coach of the year in 2010-11 and 2021-2022 and U SPORTS women’s volleyball Coach of the Year in 2010-11. Hofer also has experience coaching internationally, with Team Canada, as he has been the head coach or the assistant coach at a number of major international women’s events.

Hofer was an assistant coach with Canada's senior women's team, helping lead the Canadian entry at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Prior to that, he was also the associate head coach with Canada’s women’s team at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Korea.

In 2012, Hofer coached his Spartans team, who was representing Team Canada, at the U23 Pan American Cup. Before that, Hofer was an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2009 FISU Games in Belgrade, Serbia. In 2005, he was also an assistant coach with Canada’s Junior National Team and, in 2006, was the head coach of Canada’s Youth National Team.

Before being named head coach of the TWU women’s team, Hofer was an assistant coach with the Spartans for five years and, in 2006, helped TWU win a bronze medal at the Canada West Final Four tournament. That year, TWU also made it first appearance at the women’s volleyball national championship. Prior to that, Hofer was the interim head coach for the 2003-04 season, while his wife Carol took maternity leave. While as an assistant coach with the Spartans, Hofer was also heavily involved in coaching club volleyball and, following the 2004 season, he was named Volleyball Canada’s Male Coach of the Year.

Hofer graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry from Briercrest Bible College. He is a certified NCCP Level IV (indoor) and Level II (beach) coach. He is currently completing his Master in Coaching and Leadership at the University of Missouri.

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