2009 E. WAYNE COOLEY “YOU CAN” AWARD VOLLEYBALL WINNERS 

COACHES:

Mark Steinbach                        Head Coach            Des Moines Roosevelt

Thank you for the opportunity to nominate our coach for the E. Wayne Cooley "You Can" Award.  Mark Steinbach is in his third year as head coach at Des Moines Roosevelt High School.  During this short time he has transformed the volleyball program at Roosevelt, and created the volleyball model for all of Des Moines.  He possesses the beliefs, energy and work ethic needed to provide a top notch volleyball experience. He believes that conditioned athletes have more success and fewer injuries.  He believes that athletes who have off season opportunities to play increase their skills and knowledge.  He’s worked very hard to implement a variety of new volleyball development activities for students year round, including Roosevelt Club VB.

 Coach Steinbach has a quiet, deep moral base.  He provides students with limited means the chance to play at levels they cannot afford alone.  He sets the volleyball team standards and consequences higher than those developed by the district.  He believes in promoting community service.  For the past several years the Roosevelt Roughrider Volleyball Team has participated in the Walk for the Cure together. Coach Steinbach helped organize a regular season match where both Des Moines Roosevelt and Des Moines East sponsored one of the first Iowa High School Volley for the Cure fundraisers this October. 

And, for the first time in school history, the Roughriders won 24 matches this year!  Coach Steinbach builds relationships with students, parents and other coaches.  He takes the team out for breakfast often before Saturday tournaments.  He encourages team bonding through team dinners held at players' homes.  He and his family host the team to watch opponent matches and prepare strategies.  He is positive and encouraging during matches, and often jokes and enjoys himself talking with officials and other coaches.  He models behavior that he wants to see from his players. Speaking personally, I can't express to you how much Coach Steinbach means to me. I know he would do anything for me, and I would do the same for him in return. We've built a great relationship over the past four years, and having him in my life has meant the world to me. Although we haven't always had such a great bond, we've learned about each other over the past four years, and although it has been rough, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Coach helped me create a recruiting tape that has led to me committing to play in college, a goal of mine that I've had since elementary school. He's stayed with me after practice to try and perfect my still inconsistent serve for countless hours. He yells at me because I know he believes that I’m a good player. All in all, he is an amazing coach, and I’m so grateful to have him as one my four years of high school. Although I value him as an awesome coach, it’s the fact that I know he’s such an unbelievably good person that causes me to feel so strongly about him. I save his consoling text messages when I don’t make a team or his happy and excited ones when I tell him of my college plans. I sometimes listen to his saved voicemails on my phone asking how my day at a tryout or tournament went. I love knowing that he genuinely cares about me and knowing how lucky I am to have him in my life

Thank you.

Anna McNulty, Captain Roughrider Volleyball Team

Mary Kundrat, parent  Pat McNulty, parent

 

Dana Lehner                        Head Coach                        Newll-Fonda

Dana is in her first season as the head coach at Newell-Fonda.  Last year the Mustangs had a record of 5-17.  This year they are 20-9 and are in the 2nd round of regional play.  In her first season, Dana has totally reshaped this team and brought then to high success.  Her knowledge of the game and her ability to grasp the girls’ attention has been some reason for her success.

Dana cares for each and every one of the girls form the freshman to the seniors.  She has taken it upon herself to contact college coaches and try to get her athletes recruited to play at the next level.  The girls trust and respect her on and off the court.

Dana is a special education and Title 1 teacher at Newell-Fonda, which says a lot about her character and drive to help everyone succeed.

Dana has gone the extra mile in her first year as head coach by not only turning around a program, but also being a positive influence to helping shape the youth of tomorrow.

 

PLAYERS:

Megan Escher                        Junior                        Winfield-Mt. Union High School

In February on 2009 Megan suffered a torn ACL in a JV basketball game.  Her surgery was two weeks later.  She was told if everything went well, she might recover in time to play part of the volleyball season.  Volleyball being Megan’s favorite sport might and part weren’t good enough.  She wanted to be fully cleared by day one of practice.

Our school runs an all sport summer conditioning program for two summers now.  Megan comes to all the sessions.  This summer she came to do her rehab exercises.  She did them diligently – everything she was supposed to do without pushing herself too hard, too soon.  She also brought her sister, an incoming freshman, who learned by example.

Megan came to every volleyball open gym.  She did everything she possibly could physically do.  At the first that meant nothing more than sitting on the floor and overhand passing tosses back to me.  That progressed to passing from a stationary position, and from there to down balls, and so on. As often as six days a week, Megan was working on rehab or volleyball.  Megan’s sister followed her every time.  When team camp came around Megan played as much as she could, pulling herself out of the drill that were too much for her knee at that point.  When our normal camp came around, she again did as much as she could.  Throughout the process she refused to consider the possibilities she might not recover in time.  She proved herself right.  Megan was medically cleared for full participation on Friday August 7th.  Volleyball practice began three days later.

As a freshman and sophomore, Megan started every match for us, playing every rotation as an outside hitter.  Her freshman year was especially tough.  Four seniors made her life miserable (when coaches couldn’t see it) because she started in front on one of them.  Then days into practice, Megan’s cousin and volleyball inspiration was killed in an accident at age 19.  Megan toughed it out (the seniors all quit).  So Megan had overcome obstacles before, but she’d always played all the way around: hitting, serving, and passing.

Throughout Megan’s rehab we’d been talking that full recovery for her knee didn’t necessary mean full recovery for her body.  Her vertical jump, in particular would be less for quite a while.  Her full speed skills would be rusty, despite all the work she did in the summer.  Megan’s front row hitting spot might not be there anymore.  Her serving spot might be gone as well.  Megan accepted that.  She understood her role was to help the team.

This season, Megan started every match as a left side defensive specialist.  She finished second on the team is digs behind the team’s libero.  Megan never attempted a serve, her replacement was the team leader in aces.  Megan’s good, but other players were better and Megan accepted that.  Throughout the season, Megan continued to be invaluable in the intangibles that hold a good team together in practices and games.

As for Megan’s sister?  The one who she brought to everything, she started every varsity match as a middle blocker.  She is taller (much to Megan’s dismay), and may prove to be better player when all is said and done – but it will be in no small part because she has Megan as the example and motivator.

Megan is a straight A student and member of the National Honor Society.  She is creative and reliable.  She can be counted on to volunteer assistance for worth causes. 

Nominated by Head Coach David Pieart             Winfield-Mt. Union High School

 

Laura Marnin                        Senior                                     Nodaway Valley High School

Laura Marnin recently finished her high school volleyball career at Nodaway Valley.  Laura was not a starter, but is one of the best examples of a player who works hard, fulfills her role, and has a great, positive attitude.  Laura plays the game of volleyball, not for glory, but for the sheer joy of playing.

When I first gave Laura a varsity uniform near the end of her junior year, she was so proud and happy to be part of the team she could barely keep from jumping for joy.  She is till just as proud and happy to be a part of that varsity team today!

Laura has never started a varsity match or been part of the regular rotation, but you will never hear her complain.  She always works hard at practice and always cheers her teammates on during matches.  On our individual goal sheets this season nearly every varsity player listed Laura as “Best Teammate”.  Laura has been a great positive influence on our team and will be missed after graduation.

Nominated by Linda Hennigar, Head Coach Nodaway Valley High School

 

Hope Wilson

Hopey, as we call her, has had some success in volleyball. She was honorable mention all-conference and led the team in kills. Last year Hope violated the code of conduct during volleyball which pretty much devastated her. So much so that she rededicated herself; she basically changed her life. She went out for track and got in the best shape of her life; she got baptized with her Grandma and Grandpa, and only missed 2 summer weight and agility workouts, one for a job interview. She was the only senior close to making that many workouts! What great leadership and dedication she showed. However volleyball this year started rough for her, tendinitis in her knee. Her efficiency really suffered in the beginning of the year. She is a full rotation player but I decide to rest her a little when she went to the back row. After doing that for a few matches her hitting efficiency is now rocketing back up and she's back to playing some back row defense. There was a time early in the season when things weren't going great that she was questioning all the hard work that she put in during the summer but I assured it was not all for nothing, that this too shall pass and everything will work out!!! Hopey has hung in there, turned her season around and more importantly her life. Her smile lights up the room and I am blessed to have had her be a player of mine!!

Nominated by Head Coach Gary Thompson

 

Paige DeBoer

Paige has had a lot of health issues these past couple of years this is her first year as a starter. She is the ultimate team player. She is always positive and upbeat, always encouraging her teammates not only in matches but in practice also especially when her teammates lose focus on the goal. Her health problems range from a variety of things the last couple of years migraines, mono, broken bones, torn cartilage. She has had exploratory surgery, MRI, colonoscopy, blood transfusion ….. name it she has probably had it, including playing on a bad knee right now. One example of her unselfishness is that there is a sophomore playing back row for her, Paige, even though she was serving 90% asked if her back row sub could serve for her realizing that we scored more points when the sophomore would serve. Amazing!!! I wish more kids were that unselfish. Paige will never make any All-Conference team but if there were one for team players she would! She also holds down 2 jobs during volleyball and is an office aide at school. And when she is not marching in band or playing in tournaments on Saturdays she volunteers to help coach the 6th grade at their tournaments! Paige you are amazing and I will miss you!!

Nominated by Head Coach Gary Thompson

 

Megan Juilfs                        Junior                                    Newell-Fonda High School

Megan is a junior outside hitter for Newell-Fonda High Schools.  Megan comes to practice everyday on time and give 110% through all of practice, not just when she feels like it.  Megan also respects the coaching staff and takes action on what we are teaching her.  She motivates her fellow teammates and helps the underclassmen understand tasks and drills.  She never puts anyone down but instead encourages them.

Megan is not only a vital asset to our success as a team, but she is also an asset of the court as well.  She is a member of the National Honor Society, active in her church youth group, and does various service projects throughout the year.

Nominated by Head Coach Dana Lehner             Newell-Fonda