Mar 9, 2018Ongoing Success
Hear the word Cadillac, and you likely think luxury car, a pink one if you’re an Elvis (or Bruce Springsteen or Natalie Cole) fan. If you’re a volleyball coach in central Michigan, however, you think dynasty.
Cadillac (Mich.) High School has won 11 straight district championships, captured 10 regional titles in the last 11 seasons, and gone to the semifinals of the state tournament four times. In 2016, the Vikings were 50-8-2, and made a showing in the Class B state semifinal.
Behind the success is Michelle Brines, who has served as Head Coach for 18 years. With a record of 709-204-37 at the start of the 2017 season, her achievements have been recognized widely and include the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA) All-Regions Coach of the Year Award in 2002, 2007, and 2012.
Alongside the victories and honors, Brines is adamant about teaching life skills, such as communication, working hard, and giving back to your community. In the following Q&A, she reveals the secrets to her success.
What is your coaching philosophy?
I coach volleyball because I love the game and I love to see the progress the girls make from the beginning to the end. My goal is to make them better players, better teammates, and better people. Of course, it’s always nice to win, too, but there is more to life than volleyball.
Have your coaching methods changed over time?
Players from teams early on in my career say I’ve gotten softer, and that’s probably true. But that’s mainly because players are different now than when I started. We need to treat them with kid gloves, so to speak.
Early on, when I was building a program, I felt the need to draw more of a line in the sand — to set certain standards and protocols. Now that we have done that, I can be more open and approachable. And it’s become important to show today’s players that I’m a real person who cares about them and their feelings.
How do you set your players up for success?
At the beginning of the season we sit in a circle in the middle of our gym with our feet spread so they are all touching. I start the conversation by saying, “That banner up there has nothing you guys have done on it. You want your own name up there. You’ve got to make your own way and put your own footprints in the sand.” Then I open it up for the players to speak. They can talk about whatever they want, such as the expectations, what they envision for the team or themselves, or how they are going to contribute to the team.
We get in this circle again before districts. We talk about what we have done up to that point and what we still have to do. It’s become a tradition for us.
Do players ever feel daunted by the team’s past success?
They don’t. I’d say they welcome the challenge and wouldn’t want it any other way. It does add some pressure, but I’ve always told my team that pressure is a privilege. It means there are expectations and you want to be able to work hard to achieve them.
What do you do when your team is struggling during a match?
The main thing I emphasize is to communicate and encourage each other. If it’s silent out there, good things are not going to happen. For example, when we played against Notre Dame Prep earlier this year, a number one team, we were really struggling. So in the timeout I told them that we were going to be nothing but positive. If you are talking and having fun, you will play better. I constantly try to remind them that they put a lot of work in and now is the time to make it pay off.
If we are way down in points, I tell them to not even look at the scoreboard. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with no chance for recovery, we concentrate only on the next point. Then we focus on the point after that, and the point after that.
What about if they lose?
Nobody likes to lose. However, I firmly believe that it’s okay to lose as long as we learn from it. When we talk the next day in practice, I ask them what we could have done better. Then I say, “Alright, that’s it. We are not talking about it anymore. We are moving forward to get ready for the next game.”
At the beginning of the season, when we get in the circle, I always tell them that I am not here to put them down or criticize them, but to make them better players and better people. When I am coaching them, I try to correct them and then give them a positive note immediately afterwards. We’re going to make mistakes, but we have to shake them off and not let it snowball.
You have been involved in the leadership of the MIVCA. What are the benefits?
When you start coaching, you think you are all alone on an island. Associations like the MIVCA help create connections. You get to know people who have been successful and pick their brains. We have a lot of younger coaches in this area, and MIVCA offers them support. There is a new coach at another school this year who contacted me and asked to come to my team’s conditioning. Had I not been a member of MIVCA, we probably wouldn’t have connected.
What does your role as Hall of Fame Chair entail?
I receive the forms and letters nominating coaches for the Hall and bring them to the board, and then we decide who will be selected. We look for people who have been involved in MIVCA or local volleyball organizations and those who are good respectable coaches. It’s not just about how many state titles they have won — there are folks in there who don’t have any. It’s about what they have done for volleyball and for players in their area.
It’s been a great experience because I get to see more than just my little bubble. The role has also put me in touch with a lot of great coaches who have a vast amount of experience. It’s helped me grow as a person and as a coach. I’ve built a network, and I have also been able to help others.
Ten years ago, a Title IX lawsuit switched the girls’ high school volleyball season from winter to fall in Michigan. What were your thoughts on it then and now?
Initially I didn’t like it. I thought that our high school players were not going to be seen by college coaches because they are playing at the same time. It was also cutting into summer break.
But now I love it. We go right from our summer practice into our season and we don’t have to fight Christmas and Thanksgiving break. We also don’t have to worry about snow days and driving in the winter. And while it is hard for college coaches to come watch the high school teams, there are benefits to playing when everyone else is. College programs invite us to special matches where my team can get in for free, and we enjoy doing this. If we weren’t in season, it would be hard to round everyone up. I’ve changed my tune.
What do you see as the major challenges in coaching today?
One of the biggest is that kids are simply not playing sports as much as they used to, volleyball included. Our numbers are down this year, and I’ve talked to other coaches who say theirs are as well. A lot of times, kids are being pulled in one direction, doing just one activity.
At a school my size, I encourage them to do other sports. It’s actually better for me to have an athlete over a volleyball player. I’ll take an athlete and develop her and soon she is making plays that the girl who only participates in volleyball can not.
Getting the backing of parents is also becoming difficult. Coaches are being second-guessed and feeling more pressure. I lay everything out on the table at the preseason meeting and I am open and honest with parents. I’ve found that helps a lot.
