An interview with San Juan volleyball coach Cassy Moon

An interview with San Juan volleyball coach Cassy Moon
by Scott Boyle

Q: What are your expectations for 2007?

A: We expect to be playing very well by the end of the season. I always expect my kids to give their best.

Q: What players from 2006 will be hard to replace?

A: Every player is hard to replace. Those past seniors were so much fun and had a relaxed attitude, sometimes too relaxed.

Q: Who are five players to watch this year?

A: Heather Meyer, Haven Webb, Emma Bayles, Sagan Shumway, Saibra Latham, Cassi Hosler, Shaylee Grover, Shea Turk, Alyssa Simpson.

Q: Who are your most improved players?

A: Saibra Latham is doing very well considering she missed last season with an illness.

Q: What teams will be a challenge in 2A?

A: I saw Layton Christian two weeks ago. They looked really tough.

Q: Who are your leaders and captains?

A: Our leaders and captains are the nine girls I already mentioned. I expect them to take the lead in drills, move us through drills, and give everything they can to each game and teammate. I expect good grades, exceptional behavior, and for them to just be good girls.

Q: What do you do to insure that each year you can simply “reload” instead of “rebuild?”

A: We try to get a lot of playing time during the season for all the girls, especially varsity time for younger girls when we are beating other teams.

Q: What did you do this summer with volleyball?

A: This summer, we went to Kirtland and placed sixth out of 11 teams. UVSC saw us place sixth out of 50 teams, and then we did our own individual skills camp with Jason Smith of Arizona Western.

Perspective: Why do you coach when it is such a time consuming, mind and body taxing job?

A: If I wasn’t coaching, I’d probably be a farmer or in debt to my eyebrows with a bookie. I just love the gamble, the chance you have of not succeeding, but the chance you have of succeeding. I love “what if” situations.

I can balance things better than most coaches since I’m married to my assistant. He just can’t escape me. He helps me with the kids during the season and then I pay him back during basketball.

I have a great friendship with Kim Palmer, who jumps in to help whenever I or the girls need it. She is always great to see a need and then fix it. We have been fortunate the past couple of years in having past players coach our C team. These girls know the system and so we don’t have to coach our coaches.

The biggest help of all is the volleyball team and their parents. They are so good to my husband, my kids, and me. My kids truly love the volleyball girls and are excited to see them every day. That makes me feel that giving a couple of hours a day to the girls is a good thing for my family. (Just don’t expect my house to be clean from August to November.)

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