By Joshua Huff, sports editor
PINSON — Few things are as unnerving as starting a new job.
Take this writer for example. Just two weeks removed from his first steps into Alabama, the anxiety of moving, the reality of upending years of routine and the loss of familiarity places a tight hold on the nerves.
That’s the reality that Clay-Chalkville volleyball head coach Alison Bright faces as she attempts to navigate a squad accustomed to clearer waters through the murky depths of transition. Granted, Bright’s situation is not as earth shattering as starting a new life in an unknown place — She was the middle school volleyball head coach prior to her making the jump to high school. But faced with the task of succeeding former head coach Natasha Brown, who guided a winless team to consecutive Jefferson County championships, any rational coach’s nerves would be frayed.
This is by no means a slight to Bright. For all we know, the bumps in the road for the Cougars early in this season could be nothing but a team facing the headwinds of change and just need a shift in the wind to gather enough steam and cruise through the rest of the season. Even the greatest of coaches suffer through the transitional blues: Bobby Bowden, Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Frank Beamer ect.
So, despite the Cougars’ winless record early this season, not all hope needs to be lost. Hope becomes dashed when a team gives up. They stop fighting for themselves and for those in charge. But, when a team faces adversity and battles to the last point, that’s when a coach knows that they have a group capable of achieving great things. That might not happen tomorrow, or the next day, but with enough work the sky is the limit.
“I told them that it was going to be a bit rough to begin with,” Bright said. “I’m a different style of coach. (I bring) a lot of skill work. Coach Brown played so she really understands the interactions during and before. I am more of a skills coach. I can relate, ‘In this play, you remember that drill? That’s what that drill is for. You should have been able to do it because we do it every day.’”
Fortunately for Bright, she inherits a team that graduated just two seniors from this past year’s squad. With a strong cast of returning seniors this season, Molly Evans, Sheliah Harris, Rachel Smith and Byronni Tubbs, and with just three freshmen, the adjustment from one coaching philosophy to another has been relatively smooth.
“As far as I know, most of them had played all four years,” Bright said of the seniors. “They’re buying into it in the fact that they’re kind, respectful and they know that I still expect the same kind of thing. I don’t have any issues with them. I think they’re good.”
Like us average folk, volleyball players are susceptible to change. Just as a hunting knife cuts both ways, the large number of upperclassmen could be viewed more as a detriment then say with a team flush with freshmen and sophomores. With the upperclassmen accustomed to a certain type of coaching, the introduction of new styles, drills and techniques could take some getting used to over coaching a group of underclassmen oblivious to the past regime’s ways.
Take for instance those who have played for Bright know that she is a fan of drills. She made a point to emphasize that the Cougars run lots of drills, which for her team, has been like a little leaguer facing a curveball for the first time.
“But, they’re trying,” Bright said. And improving each step of the way.
For Bright, the success of her team begins before the girls even hit the gym. She is emphatic that her team display strong morals and a clear sense of right and wrong. Bright’s player expectations revolve around everything but the court.
“Grades are first,” Bright said.
When she was coaching middle school volleyball, nearly all her kids were in the honor society. As Bright said, “If they don’t have certain grades, they don’t have practice. You’ve got to sit down and do your work. I don’t care how good you are. If your SAT score is not high enough, you’re not getting into college.”
A coach can only do so much, however. With college volleyball ascending in popularity, the recruiting landscape has seen a deluge of talented recruits. It’s key that players find ways to stand out. Coaches can teach a less polished player if they’re a smart player. If you know the game, and are a student of the game, most college programs will take that over someone who is just athletic. Smart players make less mindless mistakes, and they make the level of the program better.
That’s why Bright is pushing her players to find different ways to stand out. Travel volleyball is one big focus. If not that, Bright pushes her players to play different sports.
“One sport helps the other,” Bright said.
Clay-Chalkville travelled to Chelsea, Alabama, for a Tri-Match tournament against Oxford and Chelsea High this past Tuesday. Though the Cougars failed to win a set in both games, the fight was there. Down deep in the second set against Oxford, the Cougars willed themselves back into the match. This followed a first set in which Clay-Chalkville nearly won. Even the most casual fan would be hard-pressed to overlook the passion the Cougars played with.
For a team experiencing growing pains and adjusting to change, success will be defined not in the final win-loss column but in the improvement of each player and of each coach.
“I want to see some personal growth for my own coaching,” Bright said. “For the ladies, I would like for them to be able to communicate. I need for them to be leaders. I tell them all the time, ‘You’re here now, but you’re not going to be here next year. You don’t want to leave it in shambles. You want to leave a legacy. You don’t represent us; You don’t represent yourself; You represent your school, town and the entire community.’”