There’s really no other way to say it – 2007 was a tough year for the East Jackson Lady Eagles volleyball team.
After picking up a historic first victory against the Gainesville Red Elephants on August 23, the team struggled for the rest of its first season to find its footing.
But that was the past, and according to the Lady Eagles’ new coach, Tim Thomas, it has nothing to do with the approach that he and his team will take going into the 2008 season.
East Jackson sophomore Jenna Dukes works out at the EJCHS gym on Monday. Dukes is a newcomer to the Lady Eagles, and Coach Tim Thomas says he expects her to be a major contributor by the end of the season. Photos by Brandon Reed
Lady Eagles Focus On Future, Not Past, In 2008
“The first meeting we had was last May in my classroom, and the first thing I told them was that we weren't going to worry about the past,” Thomas said. “It's behind us and it's going to stay there. We've actually used it to our benefit a couple of times. Whenever we've reached a goal this summer I've tried to point out to the girls that it's a step forward from last year, because last year at this time they were all still sitting on the couch.”
Thomas said that up to this point, everything he and his team have done this summer has been a milestone for the team.
“The only consideration we're giving to last year is in pointing out that we're moving the program forward with everything we do,” he said.
Thomas said there is some difficulty involved in coming into such a young program just because things are up in the air.
“You don't have the stability that comes with a long team history, you don't have as many proven leaders and contributors like you do with an older program,” he said.
However, Thomas is quick to point out the benefits that can be found in such a situation.
“I can come in new to the program and not worry too much about someone else's traditions. The athletes are more willing to follow my lead because they don't have as many preconceived notions about how a program should be run. So it has its benefits and difficulties, but overall it's exciting to be able to build something new and have a chance to set a good precedent for the type of team the East Jackson community deserves.”
Thomas said he and his team are already looking past the season opener next month, and looking ahead to October and the state tournament.
“Our goal is to make the state tournament … and everything we do between now and then is going to be designed to take us one step closer to reaching that goal,” he said. “The difficulty is in getting the girls to buy in to that idea of delayed gratification, because there may be times during the season when I ask them to give up a chance for immediate success in order to better prepare us for that long-term goal. But in the long run, everything we do is going to be geared toward October.”
So far, Thomas said, a large number of girls have expressed an interest in playing since May, but he really won’t have an idea as to how many of those will actually show up until August, when mandatory practices begin.
“I've been pleased with the turnout we've had so far in the voluntary workouts, but we've just now started inviting our upcoming freshmen,” he said. “We need to have a lot of them come out so that we can have a quality JV program to feed the future varsity squad.”
Thomas said he has a good core group of girls to work with as the team works this week on conditioning, and a couple of girls have already established themselves as team leaders.
“They all seem to work well and get along together,” he said. “You always have rough spots with any team, and one of the biggest challenges a coach faces is in getting people who don't otherwise hang out together or maybe even don't like one another to work together as a team. So far we don't have too much of that going on, and if we can work out those few rough spots I think our biggest asset may turn out to be that cohesiveness that can be so helpful to a team's success.”
Thomas said his team must work in other areas to make up for a lack of athleticism, as well as for its youth.
“Playing as a unit rather than a bunch of individuals will go a long way toward making up for our weaknesses,” he said.
Thomas said that the one thing he wants his players to remember as they get ready to start a fresh season is to keep their eyes on their goal in October.
“They need to remember that everything points to October,” he said. “No matter what happens - win, lose, start, substitute, sit out a match so that someone else gets playing time - everything they're asked to do will be geared toward getting us in the state tournament.”
That journey towards October will start for the Lady Eagles on August 26, when they host Apalachee. Their first look at on-court action is scheduled to take place on Aug. 12 with a scrimmage game against the Jackson County Lady Panthers.
Thomas said that up to this point, everything he and his team have done this summer has been a milestone for the team.
“The only consideration we're giving to last year is in pointing out that we're moving the program forward with everything we do,” he said.
Thomas said there is some difficulty involved in coming into such a young program just because things are up in the air.
“You don't have the stability that comes with a long team history, you don't have as many proven leaders and contributors like you do with an older program,” he said.
However, Thomas is quick to point out the benefits that can be found in such a situation.
“I can come in new to the program and not worry too much about someone else's traditions. The athletes are more willing to follow my lead because they don't have as many preconceived notions about how a program should be run. So it has its benefits and difficulties, but overall it's exciting to be able to build something new and have a chance to set a good precedent for the type of team the East Jackson community deserves.”
Tim Thomas
“Our goal is to make the state tournament … and everything we do between now and then is going to be designed to take us one step closer to reaching that goal,” he said. “The difficulty is in getting the girls to buy in to that idea of delayed gratification, because there may be times during the season when I ask them to give up a chance for immediate success in order to better prepare us for that long-term goal. But in the long run, everything we do is going to be geared toward October.”
So far, Thomas said, a large number of girls have expressed an interest in playing since May, but he really won’t have an idea as to how many of those will actually show up until August, when mandatory practices begin.
“I've been pleased with the turnout we've had so far in the voluntary workouts, but we've just now started inviting our upcoming freshmen,” he said. “We need to have a lot of them come out so that we can have a quality JV program to feed the future varsity squad.”
Haley Moore is another newcomer to the Lady Eagles. Thomas says Moore is coming along well considering the limited practice time she’s had this summer.
Thomas said he has a good core group of girls to work with as the team works this week on conditioning, and a couple of girls have already established themselves as team leaders.
“They all seem to work well and get along together,” he said. “You always have rough spots with any team, and one of the biggest challenges a coach faces is in getting people who don't otherwise hang out together or maybe even don't like one another to work together as a team. So far we don't have too much of that going on, and if we can work out those few rough spots I think our biggest asset may turn out to be that cohesiveness that can be so helpful to a team's success.”
Thomas said his team must work in other areas to make up for a lack of athleticism, as well as for its youth.
“Playing as a unit rather than a bunch of individuals will go a long way toward making up for our weaknesses,” he said.
Thomas said that the one thing he wants his players to remember as they get ready to start a fresh season is to keep their eyes on their goal in October.
“They need to remember that everything points to October,” he said. “No matter what happens - win, lose, start, substitute, sit out a match so that someone else gets playing time - everything they're asked to do will be geared toward getting us in the state tournament.”
That journey towards October will start for the Lady Eagles on August 26, when they host Apalachee. Their first look at on-court action is scheduled to take place on Aug. 12 with a scrimmage game against the Jackson County Lady Panthers.
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