Lucky Makropoulos

Founder & Director, Blue Banner Volleyball
Varsity Head Coach, San Mateo High School

Coach Lucky’s passion for volleyball began in high school—sparked by his gym teacher, Mr. Mike Romelo, even though there was no formal program at the time. That early inspiration led to a lifelong pursuit of the sport, from playing club volleyball at Penn State to coaching at every level imaginable.

In the early 2000s, Coach Lucky balanced a thriving 13-year career at Apple Inc.—serving as a project, product, and program manager—while starting a family with his wife, Jessica. But his love for volleyball never faded.

Today, Coach Lucky brings over 30 years of study and 13+ years of elite coaching experience. He’s helped hundreds of athletes thrive—both on and off the court—through coaching roles with USA Volleyball’s High-Performance Program, Stanford clinics, and numerous club and school programs across the Bay Area.

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Coaching Experience

2021 – Present

• Founder & Director, Blue Banner Volleyball
• Varsity Head Coach, San Mateo High School
• Co-Head Coach, Blue Banner 17-1 (2025)
• Head Coach, Blue Banner 15-3 (2025), 15-1 (2024), 13-1 (2023)
• Varsity Asst. Coach, Notre Dame Belmont (Fall ’22)
• Head/Asst. Coach, Rage Westside Volleyball Club (2021–2023)
• Program Director, Notre Dame Belmont Clinics & Off-Season Training

2010 – 2021

• Coach, USA Volleyball High-Performance Program
• Lead Coach, Stanford Advanced HS & Setting Camps
• Assistant Coach, College of San Mateo
• Head Coach, Encore Volleyball Club (2015–2021)
• Executive Producer, Blue Banner Narrative (BBN) Series
• Program Director, Encore Prep (trained 150+ student-athletes)
• Head Coach, Sacred Heart Prep (Menlo/Atherton)
• Creator of SHP’s Outdoor Turf Volleyball Court
• Head Coach, Polaris Volleyball Club

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Certifications & Memberships

• USA Volleyball CAP1 (trained by John Kessel)
• CCCAA Compliance Certified
• Art of Coaching Head Coach Level 1 & 2
• Gold Medal Squared (GMS) Certified
• NFHS, SafeSport, Concussion, First Aid, CPR Certified
• AVCA Member (5+ years)
• JVA Member (4+ years)

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Coach Lucky’s Favorite Reads

• Peak – Anders Ericsson & Robert Pool
• Grit – Angela Duckworth
• The Talent Code – Daniel Coyle
• Mindset – Carol Dweck
• Thinking Volleyball – Mike Hebert
• 8 Reasons No One Cares You’re Tired – Courtney Thompson
• Motor Learning & Whole Training – Bain & McGown
• Turn the Ship Around – L. David Marquet
• Champion Mindset – Jim Afremow
• The Coddling of the American Mind – Lukianoff & Haidt
• Methany Manifesto – Mike Methany
• Optimal Theory – Gabriele Wulf & Rebecca Lewthwaite