Warm Welcome

LAKEWOOD RANCH — A brightly colored poster board hangs on the wall in The Out-of-Door Academy girls locker room. It spells out Stefanie Betz’s goals for the season.

Betz’s goals, or “steps to success” as she often refers to them, are simple: Play together, play hard and play smart.

The first-year volleyball head coach knew she wanted to challenge her players. So, on one of the first days of practice, the Lady Thunder laced up their running shoes and went to the track.

Betz challenged the players to run a mile in 8 minutes, 15 seconds. The girls begrudgingly accepted the challenge and before long they were pushing one another toward the finish line.

“It was so cool to see them work together and struggle through that,” Betz says. “I’m excited. It’s a new challenge.

“I’ve got a great group of kids who work extremely hard and are doing anything you ask of them,” Betz says. “They’ve exceeded my expectations every step of the way.”

Seeking to add to its district championship banner, ODA (3-2) opened its district season with a 25-9, 25-18, 25-8 victory over Imagine High Sept 4. In addition to district foes Cardinal Mooney and St. Stephen’s, Betz also scheduled volleyball powerhouses Venice, Lakewood Ranch and Charlotte as a way to test her players throughout the season.

“Those matches might not end in a win, but it’s better for the program to challenge kids early on and put them in those pressure situations,” she says.

A former youth softball player, Betz, a Texas native, opted for air conditioning in eighth grade and decided to join her school’s basketball and volleyball teams. Although it didn’t take long for Betz to realize the volleyball court was where she was meant to be.

“I love how fast-paced it is and the immediate gratification that comes from scoring a point,” Betz says. “It’s really intense. I just loved it.

“Coaching is the same way,” Betz says. “It’s fun seeing the kids learn how to work together and celebrate their successes.”

Betz went on to play volleyball at Western Carolina University before attending graduate school at Clemson.

But it wasn’t until she moved to Florida in 2006 that the former middle hitter was reintroduced to the game she loved. Betz competed in an adult tournament at the urging of a friend and soon realized she was still meant to be on the court.

“All of the sentiment, the excitement and the enjoyment all came back,” Betz says.

Betz soon began coaching at the Venetian Bay Volleyball Club before joining Brian Wheatley’s staff at Venice High in 2007. Betz spent the next six years helping coach the Lady Indians before accepting her first head-coaching job at ODA this year.

The Lady Thunder captured its first district championship in six years last season, and with nine seniors returning this season, Betz is looking forward to building upon last season’s success.

“They’ve started a tradition here and the seniors are a great group,” Betz says. “When I started, I wanted them to know they were a part of something and can impact the future of the program.”