These young women have found the secret to success on the court
Jan Mitchell is the head volleyball coach at Lakeside High School in Plummer, Idaho. In her first year with the Lady Knights, her team went 13-0 in the North Star League and added three more games in winning the Mullan Jamboree tournament. This would be quite an accomplishment for a veteran coach whose sole focus is on sports, but Mitchell is a busy mother of eight and this is her first year as varsity coach! Talk about multitasking!
When BFS contacted Coach Mitchell, she had just come from NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 an assembly where the entire school gave a pep rally for the volleyball team to cheer them on to the state championships. “The undefeated season has really united the school and brought a lot more school spirit,” says Mitchell. She adds that the girls were not happy with their 6-6 season the previous year, and as such many of them spent the summer getting a head start with BFS. “As long as the weights are lifted with accurate posture and are observed by a BFS leader,” says Mitchell, “it definitely improves the team. We’ve been injury free this season.”
Mitchell adds that they have also implemented the Be an 11 program, adopted the slogan “24/7 Be an 11” and set up 11 major goals at the start of the season. Their goals included practicing sportsmanship, earning good grades and giving their all on the court – their number-one goal was to go to state. As for their progress in achieving their goals, the team is maintaining better than a 3.5 GPA, they had one match where they s! k c o s e h t s es - it’ o h s e h t t It’s no only had three serve misses. “Because our team started the season focusing on being an 11, they were already geared up to work hard,” says Mitchell.
“As a coach I could build on that and work on their confidence level even more. The team has really improved since last year: They can jump higher and block better, and they are stronger hitters.” BFS clinician Wade McGee trains the Lady Knights out of Coeur d’Alene Tribal Wellness Center located a few blocks from the school. McGee says his athletes work hard on all the core exercises in the BFS program but that they are especially fond of the power clean. “These girls like it all, but I think they enjoy the power clean because they know it increases the vertical jump the most,” says McGee.
One of their most impressive athletes in the weightroom is Hannah Donnaberg, who can power clean Joelle Miller (left) and Hannah Donnerberg (right).
165, bench press 200, squat 275 and deadlift 300. Although ankle injuries are common in volleyball, the Lady Knights have avoided that problem completely this season. Explains McGee, “They do dot drills every workout, and I believe this is one reason we have not seen any ankle injuries this season.
But when we started dot drills, these kids were pitiful – we’re talking 60-90 seconds to complete the series. Now we’ve got girls completing it in 45 seconds.”
McGee says he is also giving the Lakeside High School athletes a head start by implementing the BFS Readiness Program at the middle school and even the elementary school level. With that advantage, plus a winning coach in Jan Mitchell, good days are ahead for the Lady Knights.
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• The complete BFS program • Taught by some of the most successful coaches in America • Hands-on training in Strength and Conditioning 2 Day Clinic $2300 Up to 50 athletes. Addl athletes add $25 each 1-Day 1 Day Clinic Be an 11Upw/ To 50 Athletes 1900 $1900 Additional Athletes $10 Each Up to 50 athletes. Addl athletes add $10 each ONE DAY $ Certification Clinic Be an 11 Seminar $1700 299 Per Coach - Practical & Theory 299 Per Coach - Practical & Theory Course, 1 Day, Hands on Course, 1 Day, Hands on Practicum and Up to 50 athletes. Add’l athletes add $20 each Regional Certification
From BFS Magazine — November/December 2008. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
