Jackson County girls volleyball head coach Lucas Martin is coaching his third high school in three different states.
Martin has coached and played volleyball in Wisconsin and South Dakota. Martin said his experience in Tennessee so far has lived up to standard.
“When you originally start coaching when I did, it’s a lot to learn,” Martin said. “You learn what to do and what works and how to work with what you get and realize that unlike the big schools that have all those extra players laying around, you only have so many bodies to work with and you have to adjust what you’re coaching and what you’re doing to what you have.”
Martin started coaching at a school in similar size to Jackson County. Martin said between eight to ten girls will make the varsity roster this season. Martin said advantages arise from coaching smaller teams.
“With a smaller number, you have way more time to divert individually to your players’ attention and improvement,” Martin said. “But then there’s always the down side of games if anyone’s hurt, anyone gets injured, anyone’s having a bad day, one player out of the lineup without someone right behind them that can play at a similar team is a big difference from being a big school than a small school.”
Martin said the Lady Blue Devils will maintain the approach he set from day one.
“They need to take care of themselves. They need to listen to their bodies and what it’s telling them,” Martin said. “Just be honest and upfront so we can manage things and make sure they stay healthy and we’re not playing with injuries through the whole season and let them heal.”
Of the eight players on the Lady Blue Devils girls volleyball team, two are seniors. Between the seniors and the juniors, over half the team remains from Martin’s first season as Jackson County head coach.