This year’s volleyball season began with an interesting twist. Two weeks before tryouts the head Varsity coach, Sarah Price, informed the other coaches that she would be moving to Texas due to her husband’s career. This meant the current JV coach, Bret Wobker, would take the position of Head coach and that a new coach would need to be found to replace him.

Wobker said the stress load he already had was multiplied when this situation came about.

“Finding out two weeks before tryouts that Coach Price would be leaving and that I was being offered the head coaching job was very stressful,” Wobker said. “Tryouts are always stressful and this just added to the stress.”

Wobker was ready to put his new ideas into action and therefore improve the volleyball program and the skill level of the girls.

“I am excited to be the head coach and I think I have a lot of good ideas that I will be implementing over the next year or two that will help build the volleyball program at North,” Wobker said. “My goal every year is to see the girls in the volleyball program have fun and improve their volleyball skills.”

Varsity player Rebecca Simkins said the switch was quite an adjustment.

“It was a really big change from having Price last year,” Simkins said. “We had to adjust to it, but I just tried to stay positive”

Kelsey Dobbs coached recreational youth volleyball for 7-12 year old girls and became the JV volleyball coach this season. She missed tryouts and the first couple weeks of practice.

“It was a little frustrating not to be a part of the tryouts and first weeks of practice because I felt that I was not there for the girls, putting me and them behind,” Dobbs said, “as it took that much longer for them to adjust to me and my coaching and for me to adjust to each player. I am very thankful for Coach Price though because she was so wonderful and helped make the transition smooth.”

Sophomore Grace Wicinski said it was a struggle to get used to the change.

“It was hard at first,” Wincinski said, “but then it all worked out.”

Dobbs said her goal for the season was to continue to improve.

“As we know this was my first year coaching at this level, my plan was to learn as much about being a coach as I could to better myself,” Dobbs said. “My goal in life is always to improve and do better than I did last: this was the same for the girls. I always told them each match I want us to improve from the last game.”

Dobbs said that the JV team, although they faced complications, continually got better throughout the season.

“This season had a rocky beginning,” Dobbs said, “going from one coach and their style of coaching to another coach with a different coaching style, as the team probably agrees. The team definitely progressed through the season and was able to mesh and play as a more successful team.”

Wobker looked forward to working with Dobbs as the season progressed. He believed she did a great job with the predicament she was put in.

“She was thrown into a very stressful situation,” Wobker said, “and did a great job handling the situation. Coach Dobbs was not able to participate in tryouts and did not find out that she had been hired until the same day as meet the parents night.”

Dobbs said she has new ideas she plans on enforcing for the next season.

“Next year I would like to find a way for better team unity, a way for the girls to trust in one another and to maintain positive attitudes,” Dobbs said. “I do plan on constructing a conditioning program into the mix as I feel that it will benefit the girls learning endurance. I feel endurance is a key aspect to athletes; it will help boost energy levels and give them lasting quality to push through to the end.”

Dobbs said from this season, one of the things she has taken away is the importance of encouragement.

“It seems that words of encouragement can improve sports performance,” Dobbs said. “It does make a difference in athletics and the game of life to have people who believe in you and encourage you to reach your goals. Let that be a lesson to all of us.”