Norman Looks to Build Solid Foundation at Freedom
For Steve Norman, the head volleyball coach of Freedom High School's first-year varsity program, building a strong foundation starts and ends with an emphasis on team play.
And he means it. When asked who some of the key players were for the Eagle's inaugural team, Norman said, "I want to maintain a team focus right now. I'll wait until key players emerge with their play and then let that do the talking."
Norman, who is coaching at his third Loudoun County High School, is no stranger to the tough competition that has developed in Northern Virginia. Norman started his coaching career at Park View High in Sterling, where he coached for four years, before helping start the new program at Stone Bridge High in Ashburn in 2000. At Stone Bridge, Norman assisted head coach Jill Raschiatore, while serving as the junior varsity head coach.
With Raschiatore, Norman helped build a Stone Bridge program that won a Dulles District title in 2003 and is now a strong competitor in Group AAA. Norman said the experience helped him learn what it takes to build a successful foundation and the key ingredients needed to accomplish even basic team goals.
Under Norman, the Eagles have already experienced some positives in their first season. In early September, the team finished with a 3-1 overall record in the South County Tournament, a tournament that consisted of first- and second-year schools. "It was a good chance to play against equal competition and to see where we stand," Norman said.
Although they were defeated, the Eagle's also had a strong showing against Loudoun Valley, a three-time Virginia AA State Champion and annually one of the top programs in the state.
"We played with incredible energy against [Valley]," Norman said. "We had a few big blocks and also managed to get a side-out and earn two more points after the Valley fans had started to cheer 'na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye.' "
In an early season match against rival first-year school Briar Woods of Brambleton, the Eagles also showed their competitive nature in a thrilling come-from-behind win. After dropping the first two games and not playing well, the team managed to regroup and, Norman said, "play some pretty good volleyball during the next three games."
As is expected with first-year programs, there are almost always a number of negatives. The toughest for Norman's team has been the lack of varsity experience. Because it is a first-year program, the team consists primarily of underclassmen and though most of the girls grew up playing the sport, they still have a lot of learning left to do. The Eagles must learn to adapt to the faster pace of the varsity level and know what spots they need to be in on the court in order to make the right play.
"It's tough understanding the expectations of playing at the varsity level, but that will be taken care of by gaining experience this season," Norman said.
Norman's main focus this year is building a foundation for the future. In order to accomplish that goal, the team will focus on not only playing as a team, but thinking as a team as well.
"We want to raise our level of play every time we take the court for a match or even practice," Norman said. "We want to really focus on that aspect."
If the Eagles can continue to grow into the team Norman expects them to be, let the competition beware.
