BUCYRUS — High school coaches are eager to start a new season as soon as it is legal to do so in accordance with Ohio High School Athletic Association guidelines.
None more so than Bucyrus volleyball coach Amber Christy.
August 1 is the designated first day for volleyball practice this year. Christy wasted no time getting the season off and running by planning her version of Midnight Madness.
“This is the first year I’ve ever done a Midnight Madness,” Christy said. “We came up with a neat shirt design. The girls love the shirts. Bucyrus Chevrolet sponsored us tonight and we’re really grateful they did that.”
The idea has been in the works for a few months, unbeknownst to the girls.
“The girls were surprised. They had no idea what to expect,” Christy said. “About March, we decided, let’s do something for the beginning of season.”
Christy — entering her third year at Bucyrus — is trying to rebuild a program that at one recent stretch won two matches in three years and hasn’t had double digit victories in a season since 2017 in the rugged Northern 10 Athletic Conference. Bucyrus finished 7-16 last year.
Numbers of girls participating was one of the first things she addressed.
“I came in with 15 kids, last year we had 16, and this year we have 21,” Christy said. “It’s awesome. We only have two seniors and two juniors this year. We have lots of sophomores and freshmen that will get massive playing time at the varsity level.”
Because of the predominance of youth, Lady Red will be on a steep learning curve that could pay dividends in the years to come.
“We’re going to win some games, but it’s going to be a learning season,” Christy said. “Every time we step on the floor, it’s going to be a battle.
“We will get some teams that are just stacked. It’s just teaching the girls to believe in themselves and trust themselves and each other on the court. This year, we have to be focused on doing the best we can do and to learn every time we are on the court and not panic.”
Midnight Madness was the coaching staff’s idea to help create some excitement for the volleyball program and that success will arrive as a result.
The evening started with team and individual pictures. The theme T-shirts — with ‘Let the Madness Begin’ emblazoned on the front — were then passed out. Following that, the team watched a volleyball themed move entitled ‘Miracle Season.’
“Parents brought hot dogs, we have a popcorn machine,” Christy said. “We’re going to do some cool volleyball games. But come midnight, things will get a little bit serious because we will open our first practice at midnight. We’ll probably go to about 1:30. We’ll have a little bit to eat when we get up in the morning and then we’ll back on the court at eight o’clock.”
Even the shuteye was going to be on the court. The girls all brought air mattresses that were to be placed on the gym floor after the midnight portion of the practice.
Christy said she had the backing of school administration.
“I think they were kind of shocked that I was doing it,” Christy quipped.
The veteran coach noted that demanding work would be necessary from the get-go if they were to achieve their ultimate goal.
“We graduated a huge group last year, a nice group of seniors last year,” Christy said. “To fill every single position on the team — the setter, your middles, your libero, we had record setters from the team last year — it’s a building, it’s a new year focus.”
Christy hopes that this one gesture can create the impetus for the program’s future and become a tradition.
“These girls have really worked hard,” Christy said. “I’ve had a great group of kids in all summer long. We just wanted to do something a little extra special.
“We kind of stole it a little bit from basketball, the big college basketball,” she added. “But it is something we want to do, and I think we’ll continue to do it and every year we’ll kind of grow it.”