Today, October 6, is National Coaches Day. Studies have shown coaches are like cars. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Some... MHS Coaches Recognized During National Coaches Day

Today, October 6, is National Coaches Day. 
Studies have shown coaches are like cars. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are loud; some are quiet. They both come with bells and whistles. 
After you so spend many hours with one, you get to know their personality and quirks and they almost seem like family. You might even give them a nickname. 
Of course, coaches don’t sit in your garage. But, the most important thing they have in common with cars is they take you where you want to go!

Legendary football coach Ara Parashegian said, “A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are.”  
Here in Milbank, our coaches spend thousands of hours buildings better teams and better Bulldogs, inside and out. Their reasons might be individual or personal, but they all give generously of their knowledge and skills, and mostly their time and their patience.

Billy Graham declared, “A coach will impact more people in a year than an average person will in an entire lifetime.” That’s a lot of responsibility!
So, give a great big cheer to coaches everywhere and a special cheer to the coach who helped you change your life. Then, reverse gears and check out below what drives some of your favorite MHS coaches.  

ABBEY TRAPP – Girls and Boys Tennis Head Coach

How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank? I started as the head coach for the girls’ tennis team three years ago. Prior to that, I was the assistant coach. Next spring will be my first year as head coach of the boys’ tennis team.   

Awards? ***Coach Trapp and the girls’ tennis team just returned from the 2021 StateTennis Tourney (Oct 4-5). The Lady Bulldogs were the winners of the  2021-2022 Team Sportsmanship Award. 2020 — Team placed 4th at State 2020 — Highest school record of 264 points  2019 — Team placed 5th at State   Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you?  Larry Cantine. Mr. Cantine dedicated his life to tennis.  He was also encouraging and loving and a devoted player, coach, and fan. It didn’t matter which team was playing, he made sure to support every player.   Describe your coaching style? My coaching style is player focused, and I strive to improve every individual. I take the time to get to know each player to help them succeed on and off the court.
Why is coaching the best job in the world? I get to watch athletes be successful in an activity outside the classroom. I get to watch them grow into young adults and teach them life lessons through coaching.  Coaching gives me the opportunity to inspire and be a positive role model.    Favorite foods to eat after an athletic event? Bananas or pickles.  If I am with one of the tennis teams, we like to get Cold Stone ice cream. What phrase would your team say you tend to repeat? ‘Let’s go girlfriend!” (Only during the girls’ season, of course.)
What are your hobbies? Tennis. Hanging out with my family at the cabin, fishing, running.______________________________________________________

BRIAN PAULI – Girls Basketball Head Coach
How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank?
This is my 19th season as a coach and my fifth year at Milbank. Awards? In 2000 and 2003, when I was an assistant football coach at Aberdeen Central, our team was the runner-up at State.
Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you? Boyd Sussex has been the most influential person in my coaching career.
Describe your coaching style? I would say my coaching style has evolved over the years. I think I’ve become a little more patient the older I’ve become.
Why is coaching the best job in the world?  I’m not sure coaching is the best job in the world, but I will say it does feel good when your practices or scheme works in a game like when you worked on it in practice.
Do you follow a ritual or wear a lucky piece of clothing before a big matchup?
I would say, I like to be by myself before a big contest.
What phrase would your team say you tend to repeat?  “Do Your Job!”
What are your hobbies? Working at the golf course. Golfing, when I have time.  Attending Vikings and Gopher football games._____________________________________________________________

NATASHA KARELS – Oral Interp Head Coach, Middle School Girls Golf

How long have you been a coach?​ How long at Milbank? ​I’ve been a coach for six years. This is my fourth year as the head coach of the Bulldogs’ oral interp team. It will be my second year as an assistant girls’ golf coach. From 2014-2016, I was the head debate coach.
Awards? 2018 – 2021 — Team Excellence Award at State Oral Interp Festival​Regional Oral Interp Champions a couple times – including last year  
Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you?​ Mr. Tschetter.  Mr. Tschetter was my debate and interp coach, as well as my teacher, and he has been my role model ever since. He taught me so much. He was an amazing coach. I will always remember the way he had faith in us, especially when we needed it the most. I hope that, like him, I can equip students with life-long communication skills, build their confidence, and maybe even master his ever so ambiguous sense of humor. _______________________________________________________________-

KELLI PILLATZKI – JV Volleyball, C Girls Basketball Coach, Assistant Track

How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank?  I’ve been a coach for eight years and am currently in my sixth year coaching in Milbank.
Awards? Coach of Class B All-Star Game,  Track – Conference Champions
Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you? My dad. He coached various sports my sisters and I participated in when we were growing up.

Describe your coaching style? Be a respectable coach who gives full effort and a positive attitude each day so the athletes have someone to feed off of.  Why is coaching the best job in the world? Because ​It includes a passion, sharing it with others, and many lasting relationships.  Do you follow a ritual or wear a lucky piece of clothing before a big matchup? A ritual I follow before any competition is to pray over the event.  Favorite foods to eat after an athletic event?​ Depending on the season, potato skins, jalapeño poppers, or pizza.  What phrase would your team say you tend to repeat? “Let’s go!” (Said in various tones depending on the situation.)  What are your hobbies? ​Playing and watching sports, Jogging, Walking, Fishing, Hunting, Riding bike, Traveling. Reading. Baking. Hiking. Just being outside.   ____________________________________________________________

NANCY HOEKE –  Volleyball Head Coach

How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank?  I’ve been coaching for 30 to 35 years. I’ve been a coach in Milbank for 29 years, and this is my 21st year as head coach.
Awards? 2004 Coach Of the Year, 2006 Coach of the Year,  2004 State Champs, 2006 State Champs, 2005 State Runner-Up, 2009 State Runner-Up,
2004-2005 – 48 straight wins, 2006-2007 – 38 straight wins,  2003-2009  – 7 straight State Tourney appearances, Last State Tourney 2015 and 2016, Current coaching record 385-209  Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you? Fellow coaches. College coaches I’ve heard speak at clinics that are down to earth and not above the high school level coaches. We all have the ‘same’ stories and being able to share experiences keeps everyone going, and it’s a way to find support in what we are doing.  I also get new ideas and ways to stay current. I appreciate it when they are willing to share their knowledge.  Describe your coaching style? Not too excited. I try to be calm. I really enjoy seeing the progress and improvement in a team and individual players. There are so many life lessons that happen daily in a sport. Hopefully, these teachable moments help a girl later down the road. As a coach, and even as a player, you never know when you made a difference.  Why is coaching the best job in the world?A gym. A ball. Enough said! Many years with special teams and awesome young ladies to work with. That’s what makes coaching worth it and the most fun.  Do you follow a ritual or wear a lucky piece of clothing before a big matchup? I’ve had lots of superstitions over the years. Open pop bottles with ‘winners’ on the bottle cap. I need a certain pen to write the lineup. I once sent someone back to the hotel during the state tourney to get it. Sightings of lighthouses and camels. (She realizes this requires an explanation. Ask her about it sometime.)______________________________________________________________-

JOHN TREVETT – Track-Pole Vault Head Coach

How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank? I’ve been a coach since 2017, when pole vaulting was reintroduced as a track and field event at MHS. It had been discontinued at the end of the 1981 season.
Awards? 2018 – Kevin Koik (foreign exchange student from Estonia) – 2nd at State2021 – Karson Weber – 3rd at StateCoach Trevett also noted a Top-10 honor roll for girls in pole vaulting in school history was established in 2017, and the Top-10 honor roll for boys continues to be updated. Six names on the boys’ list have changed since 2017. 
***Coach Trevett did not call attention to this, but his name is on that Top-10 list. He still holds the second-highest school record in boys’ vaulting, which he set in 1981. (His 13’7″ record sits right behind Kevin Koik at 14′ 0″.) 
Which coach –famous or not — has inspired you? My dad, Dick Trevett. He was my biggest fan and attended every event I ever participated in, even at the college level. My dad taught me to always do my best and be a true sportsman when I competed in sports and in life.
Describe your coaching style? I want to coach kids who believe there are no limits on what they can do no matter what their skillset is. To be their coach is an honor and not a right. I remind myself of this daily. When I meet kids who believe they can do it, I will use every resource I have to help them make their dreams (goals) a reality. Pole vaulting is one of the most difficult sports in track to learn. It is one of the most dangerous sports, so I emphasize safety all the time. 
Why is coaching the best job in the world? It allows me to pay it forward! My goal is that someday one of these kids will be the next coach and carry on what many have built.
Favorite foods to eat after an athletic event? I enjoy it when the whole pole vaulting team picks a restaurant and eats together as a team at one big table.One ritual we have is when a pole vaulter sets a new personal record (PR), they bring a cake to practice. We had five PRs during 2021 State  and one state champion, so our party at the end of the season was a dream for anyone with a sweet tooth.
What phrase would your team say you tend to repeat? Not sure what the kids would say, but, I ask them to be ‘stupid’ when they are overthinking all the things that can happen during a three-second vault. I tell them to just run and do what they have built with all their drill work to develop the muscle memory needed to complete it in rhythm.__________________________________________________________________

LOGAN DIEDE –  Boys Basketball Head Coach

How long have you been a coach? How long at Milbank? I have been a coach for 10 years. I am in my fifth year at Milbank.
Awards? District Champions, Conference Champions (Centerville) Milbank Coach of the Year Which coach –famous or not– has inspired you? John WoodenMatt Wilber (Dakota Wesleyan University) What is your coaching style? My coaching philosophy centers around the following three pillars: commitment, selflessness, and team unity. The mission every day and every year is to be a unified team that is selflessly committed to the same common goal of achieving competitive greatness. That means I want/need a team that is willing to compete during every possession of every game and every minute of every practice. They will never give up. That is where the word success can be found in coaching and in life.
Why is coaching the best job in the world? Hands down, without question, it is the relationships built along the way. That will always be what keeps good coaches going for so many years. The relationships make it such an amazing job — the best in the world! Do you follow a ritual or wear a lucky piece of clothing before a big matchup? Any time we get a win, I always wear the same sport coat at the next game! Favorite foods to eat after an athletic event? Pizza What phrase would your team say you tend to repeat? I say “Big Time” a lot.  I’m referring to good things, so that would be up there. What are your hobbies? Watching sports (Go Pack Go!). Golfing, Working out.___________________________________________________________________________

And let’s give a shout out to all the dedicated coaches in the Milbank School District! Allmendinger, Anderson, Berg, Conrad, Diede, Fraasch, Gauer, C. Graf, J. Graf, Hoeke, Johnson, Karels, Keeten, Krause, Olson, Pauli, Peters, Pillatzski, Pulscher, Schmeichel, Schulte, Scoular AD, Schwandt, Stemsrud, Thompson, Thue, Tostenson, C. Townsend, E. Townsend, A. Trapp, J. Trapp, Trevett, Wollschlager

Staff

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