SportsPrep Live

Speaker 1 0:02
Hey everybody and welcome to another episode of sports prep live, prep live, where we unbox the mic and talk excellence in athletic.

Speaker 1 0:19
Wear What's up everybody? Welcome to another episode of sports prep live. I'm your host, Greg and Prescott. This is episode five of season two. And today I have a very special guest. One of the main topics of discussion on this show has been the basketball state championships here in Nevada, and more specifically, Bishop Gorman's women's basketball program. So it is only right that I sat down with the woman behind it all. I'm joined today by coach Cheryl crumpets, or more simply coach Kay, welcome to the show. It's an honor to

Speaker 2 0:50
have you. I am honored to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me. Of course, we

Speaker 1 0:54
have a lot to discuss today. So let's not waste any time you're ready to go.

Unknown Speaker 0:57
I am super ready. Let's

Speaker 1 0:58
go. Last thing before we get started, obviously, congratulations on the incredible season in the championship. It was a thrill to watch.

Unknown Speaker 1:04
Thank you so much. It was a Cinderella season.

Speaker 1 1:06
Absolutely. All right. So let's start by taking it back to the beginning. Everyone has their origin story. So tell me how and when did you get introduced to basketball?

Speaker 2 1:16
Lordy, I was probably in elementary school. And my brother played and my dad was coaching and I happen to pick up a ball and started dribbling it and my dad was like, Huh. And then I started doing some dribbling around, you know, chairs and stuff. Back in the days we had chairs, we'd just roll around and I just did that. And then from there. My dad and my brother would beat me up in the front yard and teach me how to play and played against them. Majority of my young youth. And that's how I started to really love and learn the game is from my brother and my dad. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 1:53
Did you play in high school?

Speaker 2 1:55
I did. I played in Merrillville, Indiana. I'm a Hoosier. So you know what Hoosiers. We'd like to shoot. So I was out in the front yard doing that all the time I played for you years of high school. The interesting story about that was that when in Indiana back in the days, I'm old, so back in the 80s. i They only had three years of high school sophomore through senior so I was in middle school in ninth grade and was approached to play high school basketball at that time because freshmen could play yeah. So I said yes, I was the only freshman to play on the high school basketball team. And I was bused from middle school to the High School. And from there my freshman year, I was the only freshman to start, which was a big honor. Yes. So it was fine. You know, I got my feet wet pretty quickly, at the high school level, being a middle school kid playing in high school. So

Speaker 1 2:56
do you think there were any important moments or experiences that helped shape you as a player going forward?

Speaker 2 3:02
In high school? Yeah, absolutely. In high school, we. We were really good. We were in Indiana, we were the top 25 teams in the state for our levels. So I learned about how to deal with pressure at a very young age, you know, we would always compete against arch rival arch nemesis, Crown Point, Indiana. So the sands were always packed in Indiana, if you have never been there. It's all about Hoosiers and basketball. So I was blessed to be in that environment at an early age. So when I was in high school, the PAC stands didn't bother me. You know, so I was used to that. I was very happy and blessed to be to endure that my at a young age as I say, yeah.

Speaker 1 3:49
All right. So following high school basketball, I did a little bit of research. And you had yourself a very successful career in college as well. You played at Xavier for four years true. Okay, you were top 20 In your conference in scoring twice, assists four times, including three times in the top 10. And twice in the top five. You were top 10 In steals three times and twice in the top five. Those are some stats that most people only dream of. So tell me a little bit about your college career. How did how did you have so much success as a player? And do you think your college career had any effect on your outlook on coaching? Oh, wow.

Speaker 2 4:27
Yes. So when I was at Xavier, I had to transition from a shooting guard which I was in high school to a point guard. So I was a what I call a shooting point guard which was made me more dynamic I felt which put me in a position to not only be a leader, but also have the ball majority of the time make decisions and be able to score which I feel is vital at that position. When I saw when I was a freshman, I was by the middle of the season I ended up starting. You always work your way up the louder. And, you know, I was being able to play for Mark Elan at that time. And having really great as a freshman, having great seniors that I can learn from, helped me to learn how to be a good player, a great player and a consistent player, you know, and those are the things you have to be when you're at the college level is you have to direct everybody being a point guard. And when things don't go, right, you know, you have to take that on your shoulders to be the one to get the program in the the offense running or defensive, whatever it is. So the success that I had was, I was very blessed and fortunate, because my coach trusted me and put me in that position and was also very disciplined and demanding. And if my team made a mistake, I was getting yelled at. And I was like, Why are you yelling at me? And then he's like, because you're the point guard, and the point guard has to direct. So I learned really fast that my voice needed to be heard. And, but I also had to lead by example. So if I was telling them to do something, I had to do it. Yeah, to the, to the jump. So if I'm running lines and touching them and being first and I expected my teammates to follow suit, so it's easy when you're in that position to be a, I guess, a director of the game. And I think that helped me to also in coaching later on in life, which we'll talk about, but you know, I was, I really had an amazing four years at Xavier. And, you know, I didn't know I did all of that, but I didn't know I scored 1000 points, which was fine. That was my last my last game against Notre Dame. So you know, it, it was an amazing run in college and, and things that I took with me as a player and now as a coach, which helped facilitate where, what I do now?

Speaker 1 7:05
Absolutely, I love that answer. And that actually helped answer my next question, so I almost don't have to add it was gonna be How did you find your passion for coaching? But your answer there almost answered it for me. So I'll just jump to how were you introduced to Bishop Gorman? And then how did your taking the coaching job there come about? Okay, that's

Speaker 2 7:26
a that's a train right there. So I was at Austin Peay State University. So after college, I went to Austin Peay State University as a graduate assistant. And I would suggest anybody that wants to get into coaching, go that route, be a grad assistant, I call it a GA you get your Masters paid for, and you get to learn how to what goes behind the scenes with everything. So for a year and a half, I was graduate assistant at Austin Peay State University, which is in Clarksville, Tennessee, and it's a division one, it's they used to be in the OVC. Now, I don't know what conference are in the different. And at that time when Donna Wilson was the head coach and loved the my passion for the game, and I was in charge of the guards and she hired me as one of the assistants. So I worked my way up the ladder to the being the number one assistant at after five years, we ended up being OVC, champions and 1995 96. So I got to go to the dance, we played Clemson. And because of that, my boss was being looked at at UNLV. Imagine that year. So we came all the way out here 1996 To 98 tried to rebuild the program, but unfortunately didn't work out that she was released from her job which left me out in the cold. So in 1998 My I was recruiting a kid at Gorman. So I was in contact with the parent. And the bat parent happened to call the ad and said, hey, you need to try and get this coach. She's at UNLV they just got released see if we can't get her she's and that's kind of how the footsteps happen that bishop Gorman. So yeah, the ad call contacted me. I went in for the interview. He said, Would you like the job? I said only if I can get hired here as a full time employee, because I just can't coach. Yeah. And so they created the weight training position, which is now there at Gorman. Because of that, how that happens. And I was that's how it all began was my steps from college to graduate assistant to assistant to Gorman's footsteps in 1998. That's incredible when it began that's

Speaker 1 9:46
absolutely incredible. This is great impressed got here on Sports prep live. I'm sitting down with the head coach of Bishop Gorman state championship women's basketball team, Cheryl crumpet stitch. So we're gonna get to your run of championships here shortly but First, tell me a little bit about your first few seasons with Gorman. Prior to the championships, what did you learn from those first few years, where maybe you didn't have as much success as you would have wanted with respect to winning championships, right?

Speaker 2 10:13
9098 the first year, we actually got runner up in the state. So we were in the championship game, we lost to a very good Reno team, I believe it was or make. Somewhere around, we lost to a reno team, I know that. So I got the taste of what it's like real quick, and the bullet on your back right away. You know, we struggled at times after that, just because, you know, trying to, to figure out, you know, the system with kids, and I had a very senior group 9098 99. So when you have newbies coming in, they gotta learn your system and stuff. So, you know, it's, I feel like it's trials and tribulations, because sometimes you have to figure out what works with certain people and kids. And sometimes you have to figure out what works for yourself as a coach. Yeah. So sometimes, and I was young, I was in my late 20s, early 30s. So you know, you're still trying to figure out a lot of who you are as a coach as well. So I think that was a lot of bumps and bruises until the 2006. Championship happen.

Speaker 1 11:25
And that leads me right into my next question after your first seven seasons, something clicked for the program. And then you went on a dominant run for championships in five years between 2006 and 2010. In that span, you guys lost a total of 16 games, I believe. And the one year you finished runners up, you lost by one point, right? So aside from that one last, what changed in those five years about coaching and the team that took your team over the top and led to those massive amounts of success? You

Speaker 2 11:56
know, what I pretty much put the leadership in the team with the team, I let them was really have not run the team, but I let them have more voice and say in what what was what. And I feel like that was a success. Sometimes you can really, I don't know if you want to say like, stomp on a kid in general. And if you are feeling like you have to do something your way. In essence, it's I don't know if you've ever seen the movie glory road. But it's kind of like that. It was like, the players were like, hey, think I think we need to try and do this, or I think this would be better. And they're playing the game, you'll never see my name in the lights, you'll never see my name, as far as scoring a point for any but then I'm not playing defense on you. I'm not I'm not in the staff book. So I took that to heart. And I started really listening to the players and and I felt that that was what bridged the gap to get us over the 2016. We were trying to run an offense. And finally I call a timeout. I said, go play. That's it, just go play. I don't want we're not run in place. And it kind of released him to go do what they do. Well, yeah. And I think that is what has been transpiring through that time is that I had the athletes to go, they did what they had to do and played within their role to what they knew they could do. Wow,

Speaker 1 13:22
that's incredible. I did not expect that. So you talked about earlier handling pressure. You said that came with playing on your high school team as a freshman you learn to handle pressure early. So my next question is how as a coach, how do you handle pressure of expectations? winning championships? And does that motivate you during your seasons to keep on keep the success train rolling?

Speaker 2 13:46
Yes, stress, the stress of winning, you know, when you win, like 2006 and they're on we started the target is I feel always on your back when you are Bishop Gorem and you have that logo on the you know, the front of your jersey. Everybody wants to beat you in anytime anybody beats you. It's like the national championship. So it's, it doesn't matter what level at any level in freshman JV or varsity it's actually kind of comical. However, that's the prestige of what Gorman is. So you know, that when you step in as a coach that you have to endure that and, and understand that comes with the territory, the lights are on the cameras rolling no matter what. And, you know, as as you keep winning, it does get difficult. Yeah, you know, people start to figure you out a little bit more and some people try to stomp on your parade. So you know, you always have to challenge your players to not be a flash in the pan, as I call it, you always got to want to get better and and do better and work hard and train hard. So you know, that comes with the territory. So do I feel pressure? Sure. I think I feel feel pressure when we're playing the number 16 team, because you just don't want something to happen. So it's always like that as a coach, you you will talk to anybody and you always get that butterfly no matter who you're playing.

Speaker 1 15:12
Yeah. So after the 2010 championship, you coached six more years. And then in 2016, you resigned as coach after 18 years, for championships five times runner up 477 wins to that time. So what led to the decision to step away from coaching? And did you think you were really done with it? Or did you have the feeling you would end up coming back?

Speaker 2 15:34
You know, I, I've always told myself when the game becomes a job, and it's not fun, I need to step away. So I was finding that it wasn't fun anymore. I wasn't enjoying going to practice. I wasn't enjoying the moments. And when that happened, and we were very successful. My last year at 2016. We were 29. And two ranked nationally. 19th last to Centennial that year. And I just knew that I had to for my own health and my own mental capacity when the game wasn't that I knew I needed to step away. Now did I feel like it was over at that time? Absolutely. Oh, really? Yeah, absolutely. I figured that, you know, when I've coached 25 years total. At that moment, I thought, you know, I've done everything I could, other than my ultimate goal is winning a national championship like football team, but but it is a huge order. So that's the next goal. But you know, I did feel like I was done. And I knew I was gonna go a different route in my life. But I wanted to take care of myself. So I went on lots of vacations and hung out with family, which is my staple, and friends, which are like family, and just wanted to make sure that I took care of what I need to do after 25 years of

Speaker 1 16:55
coaching. Absolutely. This is great. And Prescott here on Sports prep live, and I'm here with Coach Kay Bishop Gorman's women's basketball team, discussing her legendary basketball coaching career. So during your hiatus from coaching, you took up officiating? How did that experience? Or did that experience? Change your angle a little bit to how you see the game? Yes,

Speaker 2 17:16
that's a, we call it the stripes on the other side. That was actually very enjoyable. First of all, I love working out. So running up and down the court was awesome. And but you know, I'm a, I call it a player's coach in general. And so I understood when a coach now I'm a coach referee, I can understand what they're feeling and how to communicate with them. Because I know what's going on if they didn't like a call, or if I missed a call. It's very easy when you talk to a coach. And I actually really enjoyed it. I did that for two years. I was on the upswing of that prior to making the decision to come back. But you know, that was going to be my next thing. I wanted to be a college official, which was my next goal, you know, you always have to have goals. And it was it's nice to be able to learn the areas of the court and know who calls where and where they should be calling and who's out of position. So that made it easier to understand when the coach was like that, Why did someone still make that call? Well, that was you know, their area and can explain a little better or give them more technology of it with an understanding. So it made it easier, I think, and I truly enjoyed being an Nia official by far.

Speaker 1 18:35
So, after the seven years off this season, you decided to return to coaching, what inspired you to come back to the sidelines? Grant

Speaker 2 18:44
rice? Really? Yeah, Grant Rice was hovering around my classroom back in the gym one time and he would come in and be like, Hey, how you doing? And this was probably I don't know. And, you know, we would always talk basketball and stuff. But when he officially asked me was in June, and I thought about it, and he wanted me to bring the program back to the prominence that it was back when I was, you know, seven years ago. And I always like a challenge. You know, I wanted to build something from the ground up. Like when I first came here, and I thought why not? We didn't I knew we only had like two seniors returning. So I knew it was going to be rebuilding year. I didn't know who was coming in at that moment or who was not who was leaving. So, you know, it was one of those types of situations where I felt no pressure. Oh, so I was like, You know what, I can have a nice cozy year of non pressure and just kind of get my feet back into it and go from there. But that was obviously a different story there.

Speaker 1 19:57
No pressure not a championship. Okay. All right. So you spoke a little bit about building the program from the ground up. This was a team that had a 500 record last year, I believe they were 14 and 14. So how did you take the team that struggled so much last year, and turn them into the state champions this year? In a one year turnaround? How did you do it?

Speaker 2 20:18
Wow, yeah, you know what, that took a lot of trust between player and coach, I would communicate with them off. Often, we did a lot of team building, I let them know that I was there for them. I trained with them. We worked out, we ran hills, we did skills and drills and it just over time, they knew that I was there for them, I always give them the path, the heart, they put the other half the heart up. And I believe that that's, that's the part that a lot of coaches miss, is they don't have a relationship with their players. And once you know, and they know that you've got them, you know, their back and vice versa. They'll run through a wall for you. And I saw that this year, you know, and that's, we had our ups and downs by far, which we'll talk about, I'm sure. But, you know, that's how I feel like the process happened. And it helps that you have amazing young athletes that are talented. And once we put it all together, it was like the Cinderella season. Yeah.

Speaker 1 21:25
You spoke about ups and downs. And one of my favorite topics on this show is how people overcome challenges and setbacks. So while I was reading an article about you, I found something that I loved. And I needed to mention, earlier this season, you played Centennial and lost and you wrote one word on the board, that word was revenge. How did you approach overcoming that challenge of a team who had won eight state championships in a row knocked you out of the state tournament in 2009? When you could have five peated beat you in your last year in 2016? What was the preparation for playing a team like that? What was that preparation? Like? And what did it mean to you when you realize that you had finally gotten over the top?

Speaker 2 22:06
Wow, was a dream come true? Yeah. You know, we worked tirelessly, as I call it up on almost from January 20, on, on how we were going to defend them. You know, so every practice, we didn't talk about centennial, but I worked drills into where we would so that way when the time came, it would be easier to play them. So, you know, we, I told him, when we lost, I put that, put the date to 24 Put on record 24. And for at that moment, just visioning. And I said revenge, and I said well, that's what we're working for this date, where we will get our revenge and Lord and Lord, it happened, you know, as it was like, you put it out in the universe, and it happens. And that's an amazing part of that. God had a divine intervention for us on that moment. But you know, when you have a team that trusts trust the process and, and with all of our ups and downs throughout the year with injuries and, and all of that happening, we still maintain I call it the bubble, we are family. So that bubble, and then our family, we were not gonna let anybody bursted or anybody come and try and burst our bubble. Yeah. And, and we protected that we protected the house, as I call it. Yeah. So it was fine. It was a it was a fun moment to knock them out. Yeah, it was unreal. The

Speaker 1 23:39
perfect ending to one of the best returns I've ever seen in sports. I mean, this is a team that you could have five peated back in the late 2000s. And then, you know, 2016, they knocked you off. But this year, your first year back coaching, you win the state championship number five, what? What was that like when it sunk in? Or when did it sink in that you were like, we just did this in my first year back? I mean, how what was that feeling? Like? When did it sink in? Just describe the

Speaker 2 24:13
whole moment for me. Wow. Yes. Well, when we were up by four, we turn the ball over, unfortunately. And it was nine seconds left, and I'm looking at the clock I'm looking at and I'm like God, please don't follow them on a 333. And I put it you know, it actually worked where we do this drill a tip from behind. And I think Lizzie tipped the ball and Addy was standing there just and I think the girl plowed into her. I don't know if they call it a fall or we got the ball. I don't know what happened because it was all a blur at that moment. Yeah. And then when I knew that we actually have the ball. That's when it sunk in and then I held my breath until we you know, got it in. And I just know that I hit the ground and like tap the ground and Here's where I fall in and I just couldn't believe it. And one thing I look up and I see Lizzie come in and like a baby, she's coming over and hugging me. And she's like, we love you. I did this for you. We did this for you. And that's when it that's when it all hits. I mean, players were like, We love you, coach, we you know, that's what the moment is about. It's a no, it's not about anything about them. Wow,

Speaker 1 25:21
that That's so incredible. All right. One of my favorite things to do towards the end of my show is a little rapid fire. I'll ask some fun questions. Get your quick answers. You're in the hot seat now. So I've got I've got a few. Got a few fun little questions. Just quick answers. Nothing. Nothing serious. Here. You ready to go? I'm ready. All right. Out of your entire basketball career, what's your most proud accomplishment?

Speaker 2 25:46
This is rapid fire rapid fire. Like okay, hold on. You're talking about college or anything? Just all of it. All of that coaching

Speaker 1 25:54
high school, elementary, college, whatever.

Speaker 2 25:58
I'm gonna have to say, go into the dance. Okay, and Austin Peay. Oh, yeah, that's a one and a one and a lifetime. Yeah.

Speaker 1 26:05
What's your favorite number to wear as a player? Or 12? Okay, favorite genre of music? This is an inside thing.

Speaker 2 26:15
I kind of like rap. Okay. And little jazz? Yeah. Opposite? Yeah. I

Unknown Speaker 26:20
expected the Motown type and

Speaker 2 26:21
Motown. I do like that. That and bring it back from my parents on that one? Yes. In

Speaker 1 26:27
your opinion, who is the greatest WNBA player of all time?

Speaker 2 26:30
Cheryl Miller. Okay. Faye? Well, she's the best player in my time. Yeah. Lisa Leslie is probably the best player of all time in the WNBA. Because yeah. Who

Speaker 1 26:41
was your favorite player growing up? I'm guessing it was Cheryl Miller. Yes. Okay. If you weren't involved in basketball, what would you be doing right now? On a beach? Somewhere? Yeah. And then finally, what's the best part of being a coach? The players

Speaker 2 26:57
and their relationship you have? Absolutely them. It's all them. Wow.

Speaker 1 27:01
All right. This has been one of the best episodes of this show that I have ever done. And to conclude, I'm going to ask you one final question. This is not rapid fire. For all the young girls looking to become great basketball players or coaches, what is one piece of advice that you would give to those people on their journey in basketball,

Speaker 2 27:20
I'm going to say, don't be a flash in the pan for all athletes. You always are always somebody that's going to be working harder than you and better than you. So if you want something, you have to go and do it. You have to you have to work for it. It doesn't come easy. And in order to be the best, you have to train the best with the best and challenge yourself. A lot of athletes don't want to, and you can be anything you want to be as long as you put your mind to it. For coaches. I'm gonna say make every day your masterpiece. You're only guaranteed one, one that moment. And so whatever that is, make, make your your best moment. And don't be afraid to change course if you need to. Because that's the main thing is if you feel like something isn't right, then change it. You know, don't get Don't. Don't listen to the hype. Go with what your gut says.

Speaker 1 28:11
I am quoting you on that make every day your masterpiece. That is absolutely incredible. Thank you Coach K for coming on the show. It's been an honor having you this has been absolutely incredible.

Speaker 2 28:23
I appreciate you. I'm super excited to be here and you did a wonderful job. Oh, thank

Speaker 1 28:29
you. You were spectacular. Thank you everybody, for tuning into this episode of sports prep live. I hope to have you all tune into the next one. And as always, have a fantastic rest of your day. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of sports prep live. I'm grading Prescott and don't forget to catch all of our episodes on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to follow us on Instagram or Twitter at sports rep law. Thank you

Transcribed by https://otter.ai