Named coach of the year for Richard Montgomery, coach of the year in 2023 for high schools, and girls volleyball coach of the year for MCPS for this past season’s fall awards, Coach Barber-Strunk has brought the Rockets to success and winning the state championships again, upholding their legacy. Working with a ‘target on their backs’, the varsity team nevertheless pulled through to bring the state champs title back home.
“This past season I was really looking forward to working with the seniors for their last run.” Going into this last season, Barber-Strunk was excited to be coaching her returning players and the incoming talent, preparing the team for a ‘2.0 version’.
Having worked with many of these seniors since their freshman year, Barber-Strunk was able to foster a strong team dynamic which brought the girls to their victory.
“I think the time we spent bonding really paid off this year. I always push that aspect when I coach and these Seniors really helped drive that home to the underclassmen which made a huge difference,” Barber-Strunk wrote in an email. A big emphasis was put on team camaraderie, with the team all having a strong relationship with Barber-Strunk, saying that it makes for a stronger performance when the players have a tight bond with the coach. “They know I’ve got their backs and I know this is a team they love to show up for.”
When working towards the state title, the team put in their work on and off the court, with players rising to the role of leadership. “In addition to getting to know them, one of the best parts is watching when they start to see who they are when they finish their time at RM.” Being able to take what they had heard from the past and share with the underclassmen had made a huge difference in performance and it was definitely seen throughout the season.
Tying back to the tight team bond, one main focus point was the change in team dynamic. The team took time off the court to ‘mentally stay on top of their game.’ “The season can get long so that stuff is important,” Barber-Strunk said. She let it be known that despite the team’s success last year, this was a new year, with new talent all around and that they would have to work harder because of the pressure to uphold the team’s newfound legacy.
Having been working with RM for the last several years, Barber-Strunk has seen the team evolve as time went on, fostering long-lasting relationships with her former players even as they enter the next stages of their lives. “I also just generally love the game, I love to share my love of the game and hopefully am able to teach them skills and lessons they can use on the court but also the rest of their lives,” said Coach Barber-Struck.
