Boston Builds Confidence, Teamwork in Crockett Volleyball
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT — Chandra Boston knew Crockett schools long before she became the Lady Bulldogs’ head volleyball coach. Her two sons graduated from the district, she previously worked in its classrooms, and she spent years following Crockett teams. This year, she returned with a new responsibility: leading a varsity program for the first time.
“I was very excited because I was able to come back to Crockett,” Boston said. “I love helping the girls. I love helping kids in general.”
Boston previously coached junior high volleyball, basketball and track in Grapeland. She also coached youth basketball through Little Dribblers and a team of her own. The Crockett job brought her back to a place she considers home and gave her the chance to work with the Lady Bulldogs every day.
“To be back home to help here at home is a blessing,” she said.
The season has been difficult. Crockett has two wins in 16 reported matches, and Boston does not pretend the losses have been easy on her players. When she arrived, she saw a team that needed work on volleyball fundamentals and on playing together. Just as pressing, she said, was the players’ confidence.
“The first thing that I noticed that we needed to work on is being a team, playing as a team,” Boston said. She knew teaching the skills of the game would take time, but said she was “up for the challenge.”
Boston described the early part of the season as rough. Alongside practices and matches, she has worked to move the players away from what she called a “we’re going to lose anyway” state of mind.
“I had to build up their confidence, letting them know they could be winners as well as anybody else,” she said. “If they put their mind to it and work hard, they can win.”
The Lady Bulldogs’ first victory came against Apple Springs on Tuesday, Aug. 25. They later beat Grapeland on Friday, Sept. 4. Boston said both wins mattered because the girls could see their work produce a result.
“They were very excited about winning that game,” she said of Apple Springs. “Once they saw they could win, they started playing better.”
Boston sees a difference now from the team that began the season. She said the players have improved their skills and are more willing to stay in a match when things go against them. Their three-set loss at Onalaska on Thursday, Sept. 24, gave her a recent example.
Crockett started slowly, Boston said, but pushed Onalaska in the second set before losing it 28-26. She said the Lady Bulldogs continued to compete in the final set, which Onalaska won 25-17.
“They played really hard, and they fought to try to win that set,” Boston said of the second. “They didn’t give up. They still fought, and they played until the end.”
The match statistics posted for Crockett credited Jazmin Loyola with nine digs and four serving aces, Amaya Henderson with eight digs and Amaya Dancer with three kills. Boston said small mistakes still cost the Lady Bulldogs points, and correcting them remains part of the team’s daily work.
Asked whether the physical or mental side of the game matters more to her, Boston chose the mental side. A player who becomes frustrated, she said, can lose focus on both her own job and what her teammates need.
“If you get in your head and you get frustrated with yourself, you can’t play,” she said. “You’re not going to be any good to your teammate if you’re not staying focused on what’s going on in the game.”
Boston believes the girls can keep improving as they learn to trust their skills and one another. The Lady Bulldogs continue to improve both physically and on the court, as Coach Boston continues to work on both.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
