Coaches Corner: Garrett Gates of Huffman Softball

VYPE Staff
Jun 20, 2019, 1:20 pm
VYPE

Originally Appeared on VYPE

When it comes to sports, Garrett Gates has seen a lot. Having played at C.E. King High School, Gates continued his baseball career at Sam Houston State in nearby Huntsville.

It was during this transition period between college and starting a career that Gates literally fell into his first coaching position.

"I knew I could be good at it (coaching) but had no idea how to get there. I substitute taught for awhile and fell in love with teaching, I knew deep down I always wanted to be a coach."

Gates would coach baseball for 15 years, first at his alma mater C.E. King and then moving onto Baytown Sterling, Crosby, and Kingwood Park. After three years at KP he decided to make the transition to the softball field, accepting the assistant JV at Hargrave High School in 2014.

"Our family had always lived in Huffman so I made a call to coach Mac (Mike McEachern) and he mentioned he had an assistant softball position available. It was totally unique to me, I didn't know god had a plan for me but it worked out really well."

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Callin' Baton Rouge: Kingwood Park senior commits to LSU

VYPE

Originally Appeared on VYPE

Alia Williams is heading to Baton Rouge.

The Kingwood Park senior announced her commitment to LSU via her Twitter account on Thursday.

"I believe the environment and coaching staff at LSU is the best place for me to reach my potential as a well rounded volleyball player," Williams told VYPE. "I look forward to developing my volleyball skills and knowledge with the coaching staff and my teammates in Baton Rouge.

"This is a great opportunity for me. Playing at the next level, especially in the SEC, is a dream that doesn't come true for everyone. I am grateful to be given this opportunity and will continue to work very hard in order to live up to the expectations of my coaches and teammates."

Williams was a part of the historic Kingwood Park volleyball team in 2018 that claimed the Class 5A State Championship, becoming the first-ever Humble ISD volleyball program to win a state title.

This season, Williams has helped guide Kingwood Park to a 19-19 overall record and 9-1 mark in District 20-5A play. Williams has recorded 213 assists, 123 kills, 110 digs, 36 aces and 31 blocks so far.

On making the decision to head to LSU, Williams said it came down to relationships.

"Many factors went into this decision," she said. "However it really boiled down to one main point. Coach Fran has seen me develop from my 15's year up until today. She knows the player I was at age 15 and how hard I've worked to become the player that I am today. I wanted to play for a coach who knew the kind of work ethic I have."


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