H.S. SPORTS: Seven new coaches join area ranks
After a very successful six-year stint during which Greencastle-Antrim’s girls volleyball team went 115-21, Blue Devil coach Corry Eagler decided to resign.
She had some complications with work and didn’t feel like she could devote as much time as she needed to be the head coach of a successful program.
“But I missed it tremendously,” Eagler said.
So now she has come back to the Blue Devils ... although she never left completely.
During her three-year absence, Eagler continued to work with Greencastle’s middle school program, and she was also the JV coach last year.
“I definitely feel like I have a rapport with the girls since I coached for a long time before and have done stuff with the youth and middle school programs,” Eagler said. “If they’ve played volleyball in Greencastle, they’ve probably had a chance to mix in with me, so that’s really helpful in terms of getting back in it.”
But there is a certain amount of pressure associated with Eagler’s return. Not only did she have a .846 win percentage, Eagler also led the Blue Devils to six straight District 3 Class AAA playoff berths and was the Public Opinion Coach of the Year three out of her six seasons.
“I put a lot of that pressure on myself,” Eagler said. “When I talked to my husband about coming back, he was completely supportive, but he said, ‘Don’t expect the same success right out of the gate.’ So, I need to take a step back because this is a different time frame with different players, so we’re going to focus on small accomplishments.”
Eagler isn’t the only new volleyball coach to join the area. Tanya Miller has returned to her alma mater to be the head coach of the James Buchanan Rockets. She graduated from JB in 2001 after playing four years of volleyball.
“I love being back at the high school,” Miller said. “I love James Buchanan. I was coaching track here for awhile, so I kind of got my foot back in the door. I love seeing the familiar faces. I have a lot of pride in James Buchanan.”
Miller has spent the last four years as the volleyball coach at St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown, Md.
SLEW OF OTHER NEWCOMERS >>
In addition to Corey Grove taking over Chambersburg’s boys soccer program, Shalom Christian also has a new boys soccer coach in Chris Lehman.
Lehman graduated from Shalom in 2004 and since then has spent six years in Kenya teaching high school English as well as coaching high school boys soccer and girls volleyball. He returned to Marion last year, when he was the assistant coach under Jeff Garner.
“I really felt blessed last year to be the assistant coach and already begin to develop the relationships with players on the team,” Lehman said. “Coaching is much more than just skills of the game for me. It’s about coming together as a team and using the gifts that God has given us.”
At Shippensburg, the Lady Hounds’ field hockey team will also be under the direction of a local. New coach Angela Boardman graduated from Chambersburg in 1999 before going to Ship University. She played field hockey all through high school and has also served as a PIAA referee.
“I’m enjoying being around the kids,” Boardman said. “We have a good group of girls, so it’s just a matter of learning new things and doing things different than they have in the past. We’re focusing on teamwork, hard work and the desire to win.”
James Buchanan also has a new cross country coach in Jerome Staniszewski, who is in his 11th teaching year at the middle school, and Steve Myers has taken over Waynesboro’s football program.
PAIR OF NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTORS >>
After coaching McConnellsburg’s boys basketball for just one year, Dane Pollock has another bullet on his resume, as he was named the Spartans athletic director this summer.
Pollock, who succeeds Alicia Mellott, said he had always considered being an AD possibly in the future, but jumped on the opportunity when it came about.
“When I took it over, I felt like an athletic director’s job is about long-term growth and the stability of each program,” Pollock said. “I wanted to make sure someone was in it for the long haul. Alicia was there for several years, and Greg Hays was there forever before that. I thought they did a tremendous job, and they’re both giving me some pointers. It’s going to be big shoes to fill coming after Alicia.”
Austin Sanders is also the new AD at Cumberland Valley Christian, taking over for Amy Garvin.