Sports provide such a unique opportunity to help develop physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills. However, often this golden chance to build kids up may get crushed when a bad coach is chosen to fill that crucial leadership role during sports.

This year at Regina Dominican, as well as at their rival school Resurrection, both administrations had the tough job of finding a new coach, as they both were in need of a head coach for their varsity volleyball teams.

News of the Regina’s varsity coach leaving the team spread like wildfire over the course of the summer, as Robert Hughes coached Regina’s volleyball team for the past 11 years. “We didn’t know who was going to replace him until the middle of our summer league,” Lily D’Agostino, one of the senior varsity captains, explained.

Regina’s new varsity volleyball coach is Michelle Orth. Ms. Orth brought new ideas to the team, having team dinners “literally every week for bonding,” senior player Priscilla McGee said.

Over at Resurrection, the new hire was Caroline Gajzler as well as the addition of assistant coach, Rhys Green. After Resurrection went to state in 2017, big things were expected during their season. However, Gajzler made changes right off the bat. “Her biggest motto is shaping the program for the future,” a Resurrection senior, Anna Rafac, explained. The new coach ended up cutting multiple seniors who had been in their program the last three years, including one girl who was part of the team who made it to last year’s state.

With both teams making changes, the anticipated rival game of Regina vs Resurrection was up in the air. For the past six years, Resurrection has defeated Regina. Many students showed up, with their student sections decked out in different themes with Regina girls wearing pink for the Pink Panthers, and Resurrection girls wearing cowboy and alien costumes.

The game went to a third match, with Resurrection winning the first set and Regina winning the second set. In an exciting third set, Regina took the win. The Regina crowd went crazy, finally beating their rival school in volleyball for the first time in six years.

Change can often be a difficult thing for everyone to accept. However, it is a necessary part of life. Change is simply a tool, and it’s what you make with it. Clearly, the Panthers and the Bandits are adjusting well to their new change of coaches.