THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408260240
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
ALTHOUGH THERE is a saying to the contrary, according to Greenbrier Christian girls basketball coach Cal Woolard, you can go home again.
Once the assistant coach at Norfolk Collegiate, Woolard, in his first year as coach of the Gators, returned to his old stomping grounds this past weekend for the Norfolk Collegiate Tipoff Tournament. He was scheduled to face his old team in the opening round.
``I don't know how that happened, but I suspect that the athletic directors set it up that way,'' Woolard laughed. ``(Norfolk Collegiate coach) Larry Bowman is one of my best friends. It's going to be hard to play him because I admire him so much.
``But it will be an honor to beat him.''
Woolard decided to jump ranks and join Greenbrier Christian in order to ``be more a part of a school, of a program.'' The Gators were no slouches without him, compiling a 19-7 record last season, good for second in the Metro Conference. They finished the season strong, winning the conference tournament.
However, things have changed. Greenbrier Christian now plays in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools, and Woolard knows that his players will have to adjust.
``Most of our losses last year were to TCIS teams, so we know this year is going to be a challenge,'' he said. ``We've talked about it, and the players understand that things will be different. Everything will depend on how the team starts.''
When Woolard arrived at Greenbrier Christian, he found players with outstanding individual skills. The only problem was they didn't always play together as a team. Woolard has been working to fix that.
``We took them to a team camp in Pennsylvania for a week, and I think that really helped them grow together,'' he said. Woolard also plans group activities, such as cookouts, to maintain team unity during the season.
``If the kids can mold into a unit, we'll be fine,'' he said. ``If not, it's going to be a long year.''
``Going to camp helped us get used to each other,'' said senior Casey Montgomery, the Gators' starting point guard. ``It's been an easy adjustment. We're excited about the season.''
Much of the credit for that excitement goes to Woolard, who seems to have a good rapport with his players. He's always quick to praise them, and he corrects their mistakes through positive feedback.
``I think the game is fun, and it should be played that way. You have to say things when they do something negative, but we just explain what the problem is instead of yelling,'' Woolard said. ``But these are good kids. It's not hard to motivate them.''
``He's definitely not afraid to tell you what you did wrong,'' said senior Robin Smith, a 6-2 forward. ``He'll correct you, but in a positive way.''
According to Montgomery, even though Woolard is a fairly easy-going coach, he's demanding when he needs to be.
``He doesn't let us slack off,'' she said. ``But I think that's really good because we need to be pushed and challenged.''
One challenge Woolard will have to face right off the bat will be finding a replacement for junior forward Mandy Havens, who did battle with a leaf blower, and lost.
After shucking corn with her boyfriend, Havens used the blower to get the silk off her front porch. A protective covering on the blower was missing, and Havens' left index and ring fingers were sucked in and wrenched back and forth, resulting in a severe sprain and some colorful bruises.
Aside from Havens' freak accident, the preseason has been relatively quiet for Woolard and the Gators. The starting lineup is set (Erin Van Faussien and Karen Carmichael join Montgomery for a three-guard backcourt), and Woolard says that his team has met all his expectations so far.
Most importantly, Woolard has his players believing in themselves.
``I think we'll do very well,'' said Smith. ``I feel like the last couple of years we haven't been playing together. But this year, we're playing as a team. We are one.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
``I think we'll do very well,'' forward Robin Smith says.
Cal Woolard is the girls basketball coach at Greenbrier Christian.
by CNB