By Mary Whitfill
Features Editor
It took more than cowboy miles, serving drills and play practices to make state champions out of the 2011 CHS volleyball team. When Julie Green took over the position of head volleyball coach last March, she implemented new drills and routines designed to increase both physical fitness and competitive nature.
When Green’s strict policies met the varsity volleyball team’s desire to bring home a state title, the result was a record-breaking season and comeback year for the girls who were eliminated in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. Green is now being recognized on a national level for her unique coaching and undeniable results as ESPN names her High School Volleyball Coach of the Year.
“I was actually really surprised to have won,” Green said. “I’m competitive, so it was good to win, but really there are no individual accolades that come outside of team achievement. A lot of girls, and now myself, have been honored on our own, but everything came from being part of this team.”
While Green attributes the team’s success to the player’s hard work and dedication, the team is quick to recognize everything she brought to the table as well.
“Without her determination and passion for the game, we would not have been as successful as we were,” senior volleyball player Sarah Arnold said. “She pushed us even when we thought we didn’t have anymore to give. Coach Green believed in finishing a drill before we move on to the next one. She wasn’t worried about anything else but what we were focused on right that second. She made sure we did everything right and to the best of our potential.”
Green brought new conditioning and practicing drills to the team, as well as a competitive spirit and desire to win.
“I’m just really intense and I’m really passionate about Volleyball,” Green said. “I tried to instill values like playing hard and being unselfish. They really bought into it and the result was great.”
One of the major changes brought to the girls conditioning schedule was the Monday Mile. On Mondays, the girls are asked to run a mile as fast as they can. Next Monday, their mile must be faster or they will have to do additional running.
“Coach Green introduced Monday Mile,” senior volleyball player Kristin Dickerson said. “It was our weekly ‘gut check’ as she would say, and made us push ourselves to improve every week. Even though we didn’t see results immediately it helped us in our long 5 game rallies, and we all noticed at the end of games.”
Green has influenced her players both on and off the court as she attempted to instill values that would last long after the end of the season.
“By shaping us into better volleyball players she also shaped us into better individuals,” Dickerson said. She taught us the value of hard work, responsibility, and perseverance.”
Reflecting their new coach’s desire to win and competitive spirit, the CHS volleyball team is appreciative of all of Green’s hard work.
“Over the year she became really close with all of us girls,” Arnold said. “Even though it was her first year at Coppell, she adjusted quickly. I loved playing for Coach Green because she made us work our absolute hardest. That way, when we pulled out a win, we appreciated it that much more.”
Green is appreciative not only of the state championship win that the girls brought to the table, but she knows that the girls will continue to push themselves in other aspects of their lives.
“Now that we’ve won, I’ve heard all of the girls saying that they realize now all of the hard work we did pays off,” Green said. “I knew everything we did would pay of in the end, the hard part was just getting the team to see the connection between what we are doing now and what would happen in the end.”
