Jessie Hartman never thought seriously about being a volleyball coach until Lianna Gombert planted the seed.
From what the Smithson Valley coach saw, her former player was born to be in that role. During her four-year career with the Rangers, Hartman displayed leadership qualities and a determination to succeed, Gombert said, and that carried over to Tarleton State.
With Gombert's encouragement, Hartman decided to enter the coaching profession. And she couldn't have picked a better way to make her debut than returning home as Smithson Valley Middle School's seventh-grade volleyball coach.
?Coach Gombert kinda talked me into it,? said Hartman, who received her degree in business. ?She's been putting little whispers in my ear the past few years. Last year, I started leaning that way. It's just natural me to go into coaching.
?I think the thing that made me decide was the impact my coaches had on me and my fellow teammates. If you work you reap what you sow and it feels good at the end of the day. If I can help younger players feel that good and grow as a person it will feel great. I hope I can give them some motivation.?
Gombert has no idea her former player will do just that.
?Jessie is a positive young lady,? Gombert said. ?She has great presence and is a good role model. So many of my former players and current players look up to her. I knew she had a lot to offer as a coach. She's going to do a wonderful job.?
Hartman is eager to start. She's getting to know some of the girls this week during Smithson Valley's volleyball camp and already likes what she sees. There's other reason for her to be excited. Older sister Ali Baugh is also coaching at the middle school.
?It's exciting coaching together,? said Hartman, who will be teaching youth leadership. ?I'm excited about working with Coach (Wayne) Rushing (at Smithson Valley Middle School). He's my type of coach.?
Hartman has another advantage, along with the skills and passion for volleyball: She can relate to the players since her volleyball career also began in Smithson Valley's system.
She believes that grooming period is what propelled her to the college ranks. Now, she wants to return the favor.
?Coach Gombert is the best,? said Hartman, who was a member of Gombert's first team at Smithson Valley. ?She had me so prepared when I went to Tarleton. She not only teaches you to be a good player, but she teaches you to become a stronger young lady.
?What more could you want from a coach than to have someone who will lead you the right way. She gave a strong basis to start. I can't imagine not having her as my coach. I probably wouldn't be coaching.?
Tarleton was also a valuable experience for Hartman. The TexAnns missed out on winning a Lone Star Conference title during her time, but they were competitive, including this past season where they finished third in the LSC tourney after entering as the fifth seed.
In addition, the former Smithson Valley player stood out as a four-year starter. She became team captain and etched her name in the Tarleton record books for assists (3,268) and most games played (491).
?I loved everything about Tarleton,? said Hartman, who earned All-LSC Tournament honors this past season. ?It was similar to Smithson Valley because there was so much support and the athletic community was so close.
?Breaking the assist record was so cool. I went there and told myself I was going to break that record. I made that my goal. It was a great time. I learned a lot more about being a leader.
?To me if you can lead and motivate your team as a player you can be a coach. That goes hand-in-hand.?
Pat Turner is a freelance writer based in San Antonio.
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