Sports - The Lessons in Losing

New players, new coach, new season. Same game.
Coach Larry Gibson isn’t new to this at all. In 2002, he re-started the W3CD volleyball program from the ground up, putting his hands on every aspect of the game. He’s been a success everywhere he’s been, moving from the high school level to the college game effortlessly. Yet success starts slow, and it’s apparent his girls are going to need a lot more practice.
HFCC’s volleyball team lost 3 out of 3 games last week against Alpena Community College, Macomb Community College, and Ancilla College in Hamlet, Indiana. The early-season losses are understandable, seeing as HFCC played the games back to back. Nevertheless, Coach Gibson doesn’t make excuses. He expects excellence out of his girls, out of his team, and out of himself.
The team is stocked with youth: ten freshmen are on his roster this season along with only three returning sophomores.
“We have to play better, flat out. We have to communicate, learn to cover the net, and play better defense,” said Erica Cross, a promising freshman who played at Southgate Anderson High School.
Cross’ teammates seem to have similar feelings, along with a passion and drive to win. If all goes well on the defensive side of the ball, this team will be a juggernaut. The fact is, this team is in a “re-building process” from top to bottom.
A new coach, new plans, and a majority of new players are all challenges the team faces this season, and hopefully, they’ll come out on top.