Weidi Zhang traveled a long road before his two decades with Sacramento State’s volleyball team. After spending 43 years behind China’s Iron Curtain he came to America to live out his life’s passion.

Just a few years after earning his degree in physical education from Shanghai Institute, Zhang moved to Beijing and played for the Chinese National Team. In 1975, Zhang became the team captain of the bronze medal team at the first Asian Games to include volleyball.

After playing for the national team, Zhang continued on to coach several Chinese teams before being sent to Nigeria in 1979. Since most programs were government owned in China at the time, Zhang did not have a choice of his assignment, but he always loved a challenge.

“I was sent to Nigeria to coach the men’s and women’s national teams, because the Chinese government and the Nigerian government had a contract to help their volleyball programs,” Zhang said.

Once the stint in Nigeria was over, he was sent back to his hometown of Shanghai to coach its professional team. After three years he was given the nod to return to the national team as an assistant coach.

The first time Zhang came to the United States was with the Chinese National Team for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. This was the first time China would compete in the Olympics.

“I was coaching at the highest level in the world,” Zhang said. “We were around eighth in the world. It was much different than the Shanghai team.”

While Zhang spent every moment living and breathing volleyball in Beijing, his wife, Xiaoping, and son, Yu, were feeling the strain of a fatherless home back in Shanghai. There was nearly 700 miles separating Zhang from his family.

“I was only seeing my family once or twice a year, and I couldn’t take that anymore,” Zhang said. “No one would want to resign [from] a national coaching job. I could only think about my wife and child.”

In 1985 Zhang decided to step down from the position and spend more time with his family back in Shanghai. But the leaders of the volleyball association in China were frustrated with his choice.

“Everyone had respect for me before I quit. I liked the job, but the problem was with my family,” he said. Life was pretty tough when he went back to Shanghai. “My wife said I might find a new job. She said maybe I could find something in the United States.”

When Zhang returned to Shanghai, it was a rough welcome. Several volleyball officials had turned their shoulder and scratched their heads, wondering how someone could step down from such a prestigious position. Zhang and his family decided to go overseas to the United States to find a new opportunity.

“A friend gave me an address and I gathered the letters and I sent them over here. I didn’t know (Sacramento State) then, I had only heard of Stanford, Berkeley and the big names,” Zhang said.

The athletic director at Sacramento State decided to bring Zhang across the Pacific for a meeting. That meeting turned into a yearlong stay in the director’s home until Zhang could find an apartment.

Zhang began teaching volleyball classes at Sac State and soon took the assistant coaching job for Sac State’s women’s team. This is Zhang’s 19th season with the team.

Meanwhile, Zhang took on head coaching duties for the men’s volleyball club, after Debby Colberg’s husband, Gary, stepped down from the position. During the 13 years Zhang spent with the club, he collected two NIRSA Div. I national titles.

“Coaching the men’s team in the United States was much different than back in China,” Zhang said. “Here I could only practice for two hours a day, four days a week. In China practices could go for eight hours, everyday of the week. Asian thinking is much different than American thinking.”

Zhang has also assisted Debby Colberg to nine Big Sky conference championships. The team is on the verge of making it an even ten this season. The Hornets are 18-7 and riding an eight game winning streak, the longest in five years.

“The (women’s) program is very successful,” Zhang said. “Debby is a real good coach, she is very serious about playing and her players must follow her example.”

As for Zhang’s future, he is very happy where he has ended up.

“I will just enjoy my life as it is now, until I retire,” he said.

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Brad Alexander can be reached at [email protected]