Camaraderie, culture key new coach’s approach

Last year’s junior varsity coach - Cammy Baker - is this year’s varsity coach for the Central High School varsity volleyball team. Pictured, left to right: Senior Kyleah Medel, Baker and junior Julissa Carbajal. Photo by Lance Masterson.

Central High School’s search for a new varsity volleyball coach didn’t extend beyond the comfy confines of Panther Pit.

Cammy Baker was named to the position last spring. She is well known locally as she coached the school’s jayvee squad the past five years. Bruce Myers and Brad Saidon, here last year, were her head coaches.

To say Baker is familiar with the program is an understatement.

“I know the players. I know their families. I know the community,” Baker said. “I understand what goes into coaching here at Central, and I love it here.”

What’s more, the players know Baker, her system and her expectations. A sense of normalcy returned with her promotion.

“Last year, there were a lot of questions about the coach (Saidon) and what the season would be like,” Panthers senior Kyleah Medel said. “Whereas this year, (Baker’s) been here for a really long time and we all know her. So we’re more comfortable … We’re confident this season.”

Julissa Carbajal, a junior, added Baker brings with her new energy.

“We have the mindset of wanting to win. We have the drive and passion to win, instead of going into every game already mentally defeated like last year,” Carbajal explained.

Sustaining excellence on the court is needed if the program is to turn things around. Last year’s squad showed they could play with some of the best teams in the conference. But those flashes of brilliance were short-lived.

“I think just having fun is a big part” in playing competitively, Carbajal said. “We play our best, we do our best, when we are having fun with each other.”

Other coaching opportunities presented themselves over the years, but Baker held steady in her desire. She knew all along where she wanted to be.

“My heart is with Central, and that is what I love,” she said. “I’m so excited to continue to keep putting down roots and investing into all of the future players that we have here.”

This is a younger Panthers team compared to last year.

“We graduated an awesome group of seniors. The wonderful thing about (them) is that they set a great tone for us. So now my returning varsity players, as well as our underclassmen, are just taking that awesome example and running with it,” Baker said. “My job is to continue to build on this new culture that we are creating here (through) hard work, serving each other and showing up.”

Baker’s definition of ‘culture’ revolves around players investing in the program, putting in the time to improve and thinking beyond themselves.

“I’ve been talking a lot about serving each other as teammates, and what it means to be a servant,” Baker added. “It means you show up on time, you give each other reps, you work your hardest so that your team improves … I tell my girls when you do all of these things, all of your skills, all of the hard work, that’s when victories take place.”

Improving on-court communication is high on the Panthers’ list of priorities.

“Communication is really important just because if you don’t talk you can’t execute the way you want,” Medel said. “It’s really good that the group of girls we have this year is already really connected, even outside of volleyball.”

Volleyball has been a part of Baker’s life ever since she was a girl.

“I grew up in the Midwest; I’m from Iowa. I played four years in high school, club volleyball throughout my career, and then I played college volleyball” at Heston College in Kansas, she said.

A break from the sport came after she got married and began a family. Once her oldest daughter picked up the sport, Baker returned to the gym.

“I kind of grew with my oldest daughter. As she became of age to play volleyball, I began to coach her,” Baker said. “That kind of brought me back to it.”

Central’s first action against actual competition came at a recent home jamboree. Baker couldn’t wait to see her team in action.

“I see the jamboree as being a great opportunity for us to be like, okay, this is who we are. Let’s figure out how we work together. You don’t have the seniors that we had last year. When you lose a bunch of people, you have to relearn how to work together. That’s where we are right now,” the coach said. “But the girls love each other. They work hard. They’re excited for the season.”

The girls next home match is 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 12, against Mid-Willamette Conference rival McKay.

It’s seen as another step forward in what will be a season of growth,.

“I think we’re capable of a lot. We’re a really connected group of girls and we talk to each other about getting better,” Medel said. “We all want to work hard and put in the effort. So getting as far as we can this year is really important to us.”

Prior to becoming a part of Panthers nation, Baker was director of the South Side Volleyball Club in Salem.