The new Valparaiso Vikings Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach, Jeanette Gray, sat down with us for an interview about her playing days at Valparaiso High School and Valparaiso University, and her coaching days ahead at VHS. The video interview, which you can see here, is only a brief slice of the interview. The full version, which is over twenty minutes, goes deeper in to her playing days and describes in detail a bit more about her path to coaching at her Alma Mater and how she will bring some of the things that made her successful in her past to teaching and coaching in the future.
Below is a transcript of the interview between Gray and our site Publisher, Chris Mahlmann:
ValpoLife: Tell me one of your earliest memories of Valpo, and of playing in Valpo that probably helped start the competitive spirit you have in sports, and also helped start that love of Valpo sports that you had.
Jeanette Gray: One of the things that I found out is my dad has been a teacher and a coach her for 30 some years, he used to coach the girls' freshman team when the freshman were down at Ben Franklin, and he would take me to that locker room over there when I was about 3 years old, and I remember vaguely going to his practices down at Boucher Gym at B.F., then playing at the “Y” (YMCA), and the Boys & Girls Club, and all those things combined together. I remember Greg Kirby sitting in the stands at my 8th grade games and bringing the teams with him, and going to the final state championship game in 1991 and 1992, and just feeling that kind of spirit and sense of community, the pride that people had in Valpo and girls' basketball.
VL: So it bit you at a pretty early age?
JG: Yes it did. At 3 years old and being in that locker room, and now I get to stand in front of a group of kids. It’s pretty cool.
VL: When did it fully sink in that you are back here and you’re leading the team that you were always proud to be part of?
JG: Well, I jumped into it real quick, and it has just been one thing after another since I was hired in June. But when I come in here and I’m by myself and I’m doing work in that office, or I’ll just come in here and shoot baskets by myself, that’s when you really start to feel it, and it’s “Wow”. Have I ever thought about it before? Well, a little bit. I did think about it in the back of my head. I'd like to give back to the place that gave me so much. Even sitting in here right now, looking around and seeing all the green and white and the Valparaiso here and the Vikings there -- to me that’s something that you can't teach somebody, you've got to feel it. It's times like this, when there’s not a lot of people around, that you really just start to feel it and appreciate it. Then, it hits you.
VL: So it’s a little humbling and a little gratifying at the same time.
JG: Oh, I’m absolutely humbled. This is, in my opinion, one of the best programs in the state of Indiana. We’ve been to the State Finals 5 times, which is either 1st or 2nd all time in the state. To be able to lead this program at my age, the trust that the administration and community has put in me is absolutely humbling. To follow some great people who have coached here, not only basketball but other sports, and just the great people who have taught here and played here, this is a great place to be. I absolutely appreciate the opportunity. It’s something that I’m very passionate about. I think a lot of people picked up on that over the course of everything this summer. I have a passion for everything green and white, I’ve got a passion for the people, and I’m going to work hard for it.
VL: What are some of the early coaching lessons that you might have learned through your dad, Coach Kirby, or any of your other coaches? What are those nuggets that helped you to who you are today?
JG: You have to really know that each and every kid, each and every kid is different, and you have to understand what motivates them individually. If you can understand that, then you understand how to motivate them as a team. You have to be fair. You have to do what you said you were going to do. Once the kids understand that you care about them, more than just how many points they score or how many rebounds they have, then they are really going to buy into what you want to do. I worked on that a lot this summer by getting to know them, spending time with them, letting them know that I care about them as people before even caring about them as athletes. Because that is important to me to, I’m not just here to be a basketball coach, I’m here to prepare them for their next step in life, whether that’s college, whether it’s going out and working, that’s part of what I’m here to do.
VL: So, you just teach the traditional values of work ethic, integrity, and loyalty to the team all the things that are going to suit them well in whatever they do later on in life that they really got to learn on the basketball court off the basketball court.
JG: Oh, absolutely. I didn’t realize it until years later all the things that your coach has taught you on the floor really matter -- as far as working hard and pushing through the hardest times, enjoying the good times, playing with class, winning and losing both with class, because you’re going to experience all of that in life. I had a coach once tell me that if you can make it through this, then you have a pretty good step in the right direction of making it through anything in life. I’ve learned that there are some things in life that hit you a lot harder than anything that happens to you in high school, but I had those resources to lean back on to help me get through that. I had teammates from these years here that I could count on, and I hope the kids that graduate and play for me and that have gone through that program feel exactly the same way during the tougher parts of life.
VL: Your first day of high school as a freshman, it’s a big high school, how intimidated were you when you were walking into practice as a freshman? Can you tell us then about the transition to the peak of your high school career, and how you were feeling at that last moment.
JG: I was very intimidated, very scared. I had dreamed about playing in this gym since I was 3. I remember that the freshman tried out at a different time than the JV and Varsity did and Coach Kirby came to me and said, “You are going to try out with the JV and Varsity.” I was so scared. I walked in very timid, but the girls that I played with accepted me right away. The coaches taught. They were more into teaching everybody how to play the game right and how to work as a team. It was a sense of family, and I think that the sense of family that they taught really helped me adjust as a freshman, and I got over that fear relatively quickly. I remember the first game that year coach said that I was going to start. You know, it’s like you dream comes true, and you’re not really ready for it. But, I settled down with that sense of family, and that really helped me get through it. When I got older and played as a sophomore through senior, I tried to do the same thing to the freshman, because I knew that they were going to be important to what we were going to do that year as a team.
VL: Are there any particular moments in your early career or your high school career that were particularly poignant to you that left a mark?
JG: There’s a few. My 7th grade coach down at Thomas Jefferson, Randy Kerns, wrote me a letter after the season was over talking about a number of things. The one quote in there that I live by still to this day is, “Never settle for mediocrity”. I try to tell that to my kids once in awhile. That’s the one quote that someone told me that always, always has stuck with me. My 8th grade year, Scott Sienkowski was my coach down there at TJ. He really, I don’t want to say got in my face, but he was pretty stern with me and said, “If you’re not going to play defense, you’re never going to play basketball for Coach Kirby at the high school.” So then that turned me in the right direction. Up here at the high school there are a few. I blew out my knee under that basket right over there as a sophomore, I remember that. I remember the team pulling together and winning that regional, then winning the semi-state game to go to the finals by a Lake Central team that beat us by 18 previously that year. And then walking out to practice at the state finals, you know we’re all geared up and ready to go, we had about an hour and a half on the floor, and Coach Kirby says “Go take pictures for the first 15 minutes.” So we were running around Market Square Arena taking pictures and I still have them somewhere. But, there is a lot of off the floor stuff that I remember too that we did as a team, I mean we were real tight, really tight, dressing up for boys games, did a lot of things together and had a lot of fun. A lot of those people that I played with have contacted me since I was back and said, “If you need anything let me know”, “We’re excited”. It’s been real cool to see those alumni come back. I would really like to have a day or a game where they can come back and they can see what we are doing here.
VL: Transitioning into a college career, what was that like coming from a high school environment and now you’re coming into the biggest university in town, and one of the largest in the area with its own reputation for its basketball program?
JG: Playing here definitely helped me for what happens at that level, because for a lot of kids coming from high school to college, it’s a shock. It still was a little bit of a shock, sure. There were some things that were new and different, but my transition was relatively easy. With the people I played for here, and the teachers I had, I was really ready on and off the floor. It was exciting to go down to VU where my parents could come and watch me play. It definitely was the right choice for me, definitely. Coach Freeman is a great guy; he taught me a lot. I learned a lot from him on a lot of different levels.
VL: When the call came in from Valpo saying, “We want to have you come in and talk about you being a coach”, what was the very first thought that hit your mind?
Jeanette: I was excited. I was really excited. And it’s not that I wanted to leave where I was at all, I had a great experience there with a lot of great people, but there always has been a little green and white flowing through me. With my parents still teaching here, and their careers are winding down, I thought it would be really cool to be with them for a few years and, I’d watch these girls that are seniors now, juniors and seniors, I’d remember them at camp when they were little, and I watched them grow, and to be able to really get to know them, has been amazing. They’re a great group of kids. When the interview process was going on, I knew that I was going to have to interview well to have a shot here, because there were a lot of great people involved in that process. So, I was excited and nervous.
VL: Sort of like getting ready for a really big game?
JG: Yeah, exactly. I had to prepare and prepare well to be ready for all sorts of questions; really, I wanted them to understand I’m in this for the kids. I have a passion for what I want to go on here, and I want to be here, so this wasn’t a job to me, it’s a lifestyle. There were a couple days in the last two weeks where I was in the gym with the kids for about seven hours, because they just wanted to stay here and shoot around. That’s not easy for a lot of people to do. They knew I was going to sacrifice for these kids, and it’s from the heart for me, it really is.
VL: What’s your prognosis on the team looking into the year? What looks strong on your team? Is there any area where you’re looking to build onto? How do you think you'll start off?
JG: We have a lot of experience and really quite a bit of talent. I’ve got four seniors, and three of them have really played since their sophomore year. And I’ve got a junior that has played since she’s been a freshman. The sophomore class is very strong, and we had a good summer. The kids really work well together. They pass to each other well, we can shoot the ball, we have a lot of height, we’re big and strong, and the kids have really worked to make themselves stronger. They’ve really gone after it in the ways of weightlifting and things like that. One of the things that were going to build on is our defense. That’s what I was brought up on, and that’s what I believe makes a successful team. So, that will be something I stress because it’s a lot different than anything they’ve learned in the last three years, so were really going to work at that.
VL: So, it is as much of an orientation on being able to produce on the offensive end, as an enhanced emphasis on what they really need to do on the defensive end?
JG: Absolutely. If somebody comes up and sits in your practice for ten minutes, they should know what your emphasis is. They will see us do a lot of defense, especially early. You've got to know where you have to be in certain situations.
VL: How do they adapt to that? There is a slight changing in coaching philosophy, particular practices, how do they welcome you?
JG: They’ve been great, and I think they picked up right away on how much I cared about this and my passion for everything that I had going on here. I jumped in and played three-on-three with them for about three hours. We were soaked; we were dead tired when we were done. I think when the kids see you working hard, jumping into a drill to teach them how to do things or getting things done when they need to get done, paperwork stuff like that, they appreciate that and they see their coach working hard, “She really wants us to do well”. I really believe that it starts from the top; if you’re strong in that department it’s going to trickle down. And the kids want to do well, and they want to work hard, and I’ve got to be applauding that and the good things they do. Basically, it’s making a positive environment, not only for me but the other coach as well has really paid dividends in the last six weeks.
VL: If you had to look at traditional rivalries you had as a kid in Valpo, are those generally the same rivalries you think exist now for the team, or have they changed some?
JG: Chesterton; that’s still a huge game, and there is a possibility you play them three times in a year. Any of those DAC teams -- Portage is still a rivalry. Those are two of the biggest. I think the DAC is a great conference for any sport in the state. And any of those teams you play, really, you know its going to be a battle.
VL: What are you most excited about, in terms of just getting into the season? Is it really just getting into season and having full practices until fall? Getting more of the girls’ time, getting into routine? What is it that you’re probably looking most forward to?
JG: Being here, getting school started, getting into routine, really kicking things into gear and really bumping it up a level. I’m real excited about that. That first game that we have here, the kids are in their uniforms, they have their warm-ups on, and we’re getting ready to run out, I want them to feel that they're part of something bigger than them. They’re a part of something that dates back to ’73 or ’74, the first year they had girls' basketball here. They’re part of a tradition, and we don’t have to do it exactly the same way. It will be a little bit different but, we're going to continue that tradition. I want them to feel like they’d do anything for the green and white, that’s something I’m really going to try and knock into their heads. This is something you will remember for a very long time, if not forever, and people you will meet here, and the friendships you will make and the things you learn when you wear that jersey, are going to stay with you forever. And as they’re standing there in that doorway, I want them to have goose bumps.
VL: When you think of Valpo as a community outside of the high school, you’ve spent time here, and you obviously grew up here, what is attractive about the community itself that brings you back?
JG: There’s a small town feel to it, going downtown and just seeing the cool little shops, the store fronts. I love that. People care about how their community looks, they care about the little things around town. Being away from here for ten years, you really learn to appreciate what Valpo did for you and what kind of city it really is. You know that if you do football, baseball, or basketball, that the community is going to be behind you, and they’re going to rally for you, and they’re going to fill the seats because they care. I’m really excited, and I hope to get the community involved in a lot of different things here, coming and watching the product of what we’ve been working for. And I have two kids that do other things besides play basketball. They’re smart in the classroom, and I want them to know the stories about those kids because I think that’s important. I’m third generation through this high school and it's home. I get up and run at like five in the morning and I’ll run downtown. I love running downtown when it’s the day after the Popcorn Fest, all that buzz used to be there and now it's just dead. You watch the sun come up and it's just beautiful. To me, you don’t get that at a lot of places -- how pretty and peaceful it is down there and feeling safe where you are.
VL: Anything that you really want to stress on the program, touch on any of the key girls or touch on any of the messages you want to make sure that come out about the other girls activities outside of basketball, or anything you want to make the community see about your program and the girls involved?
JG: Look at our senior class, Stephanie Lane is our return leading scorer and rebounder. She’s 6’4" and has great skill around the hoop and is a very good shooter, watching those kids play the last couple days she gets everything that comes off the board. Sarkesian is another one of my seniors. She doesn’t have a lot of varsity experience, but she’s worked so hard that she’s developed into a good basketball player and a good athlete. She’s totally changed her body -- she’s strong, she’s solid, and she’s athletic, and I watched her handle the ball yesterday better than I’ve ever seen her play. Casy Kroser, who is an excellent softball pitcher, she’s strong and does a lot of good things around the basket. I know that if she sets a screen on someone that they're not coming near here again. Kelsey Stogic is the other senior in that class. She’s a great shooter and she’s another one who’s worked hard to get into shape to get stronger. She is an excellent shooter and can handle the ball a little bit too. The thing with those four is now let's take those offensive skills and remember those, but let's do some defense. That’s my senior class, and I’m very proud of them. When you come into a situation, and those seniors have had a different coach for three different years, it can be a little bit of a hang up from time to time. We’ve met and talked about the things they want to accomplish. They've bought in, and I think that’s huge.
VL: That’s key.