Unlike the many new faces in the Chapman faculty, this is not Kim Laboard’s first year at Chapman.
Last year, she helped coach the varsity volleyball team as the assistant varsity coach alongside Shane LeCroy, the head coach of the varsity volleyball team. However, this year Laboard has taken on an assistant teaching role under Ricky Pace, who watches over the virtual lab students.
Laboard believes that being a teacher will help her form bonds with her players and Chapman students.
“I think (Chapman) prefers for the coaches to be in the building during the day, just so they can have those interactions with the students and their players, and be a bigger role model in their players’ lives,” Laboard said.
Sophomore Rowan Raney, the outsider and defense specialist for the varsity volleyball team, knows Laboard will do well as a teacher.
“I find it kind of funny, I can’t see her as a teacher since I knew her as a coach first, but I know she’s a great teacher,” Raney said.
Before coming to Chapman, she coached varsity volleyball at J. L. Mann High School for 8 seasons.
Despite the differences from J. L. Mann, Laboard has enjoyed her experience at Chapman.
“I love the smaller school feel, like it definitely does feel like a family,” Laboard said. “Here you get to be more involved in the students’ lives throughout the school: you get to see more of them in school life, their after-school activities and you also get to coach them. It’s a cooler way to watch them grow.”
As the volleyball season draws to a close, she is aiming to get as far as she can with her team.
”My goal for this season, since it’s nearly over, is to just get as far as we can in the playoffs,” Laboard said.
She’s excited to see what the future will bring:
“I’m looking forward to my time here at Chapman.”
