By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Upon the request of some of her players, Mission Veterans Memorial coach Martina Carrillo brought in her state medals following the third day of volleyball tryouts.
It was a simple request to accommodate. After all, as only the second coach the program has had in 15 years, Carrillo sought to make an impression on her players and add legitimacy to the plan she hopes to carry forward.
“People ask me what it takes to get the state, and it’s not just skill,” Carrillo said. “It takes everyone being on the same page, and everyone wanting the same goal.”
A Freer native and coaching veteran of 25 years, Carrillo enters the program following a tumultuous season for the Lady Patriots, highlighted by the reassignment of Diana Lerma — one of the Valley’s most successful coaches — amid allegations from parents regarding mistreatment, including excessive profanity, bullying and nepotism. Supporters, however, argued the punishment derided from parents’ discontent about their children’s playing time.
Having moved to the Valley in February, four months after the Lady Patriots’ regional quarterfinal loss, Carrillo said she has not see the remnants last season, especially with only three returners back this year.
“I’m pretty big on being positive,” Carrillo said. “My expectation is to concentrate on the present and future. I don’t go back and recall anything from the past. I think it’s best to keep it that way. Otherwise, we’ll be going in the past and that’s just not my program.
“I stay focused in the present and the future, what we need to work on and what it’s going to take us to win district, go 16-0, what it’s going to take to get to game 5 (the regional finals). Looking at the banners here, they’ve never been up to game 5. And I always talk about game 7 (the state finals) because as a coach, I’ve experienced that. That’s my program.”
The medals stem from Carrillo’s state titles with Monahans (3A) and Tildman (1A) in the 1990s. In 2009, she fell short of another state trip with Freer, losing in the regional finals.
Along the way, she’s formulated acronyms, like W.A.T.E.R. (work ethic, attitude, teamwork, enthusiasm, respect), to make it easier for her players to heed her advice. It’s been especially useful at Mission Veterans, where Carrillo jokes that players might have to wear nametags until she has fully committed everyone’s name to memory.
Since her arrival, Carrillo joined the track & field team as an assistant, and then had six weeks in the spring to workout some of the volleyball upperclassmen.
Just last week, she earned her Master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration. Even with her years of experience, Carrillo insists there’s still plenty to learn.
“I think I was used to be one of those coaches that was always about winning, going to state, taking them to the regional tournament,” she said. “But in a sense, my program is about athletes first, winning second. You have to make sure you take care of the athletes first to be successful. You have to take care of their needs, make sure they have character, respect. Make sure they’re passing their classes. And then make sure they’re refining their skills.
“I didn’t realize that’s what I had been doing until I took my (Master’s) class. I tell the girls it’s not just about the X’s and O’s. It’s everything else.”
A former player and assistant coach at Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville), Carrillo has worked this week to implement a multiple offensive system, and perfect the players’ jump serving. Running an uptempo offense, she believes, will pay dividends in the playoffs, should Mission Veterans come across schools from the Austin, Corpus Christi and Victoria area.
“It’s been really productive,” said Alex Jimenez, a senior middle blocker and captain. “It’s like we’ve been playing with each other for a long time because we’re all positive, bringing each other up.”
Like Jimenez, senior Andrea De La Garza is also expected to play a more prominent role this year. An outside hitter the past three years, De La Garza has been lauded for her ability to hit around blocks and jump serve.
No longer a backup, De La Garza’s hoping to provide a spark to a starting unit that will largely consist of first-year varsity players.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s good work,” she said. “We’re making improvements. Coach has been very motivational, she’s been very positive. That’s what we need to get to state.
“We want to go quickly. We only have a certain amount of time (as seniors). So we’re moving fast, and that’s a good thing.”