GREENVILLE – The husband and wife coaching team of Michelle (Shelli) and Jim Hardesty recorded their 100th win Monday night, winning a 3-0 shutout over the West Carrollton Lady Pirates in just under eight years heading up the Lady Wave volleyball program at Greenville Senior High School.
“It’s fun to coach a school that wants to be coached,” said Michelle. “It’s a good feeling to know you made a difference over this period of time we’ve been here.”
Michelle wears the title of head coach, while Jim carries the label of assistant coach for the Lady Wave varsity volleyball team.
“It’s quite a milestone,” said Greenville Athletic Director Aaron Shaffer. “When they came in, this program was struggling, and they have done a nice job building the program kind of from the middle out. They started here and got the youth programs going, the middle school, and the high school.”
“They obviously have connections in the JO world,” Shaffer continued. “They have done a great job with building a program that produces wins, but also produces young women who are prepared to go out into the world as leaders in whatever they choose to do. We are blessed to have coaches like Jim and Shelli. It’s nice to have coaches who can get 100 wins for our school.”
When first approached by a Greenville volleyball player to coach the Lady Wave, it was not something on Hardesty’s radar screen at the time.
“When we came in, Greenville was just struggling a little bit,” said Michelle. “I had a Greenville player on my club team and she text me and said, ‘our coach quit’, and said ‘you and Jim need to come and coach at Greenville’ and I just said to her, we live 35 minutes away, I don’t think I am going to do that but then they didn’t have a coach and it just weighed on me, weighed on my heart and in my mind for a couple days.”
“Jim didn’t even know, and at the time Dusty Yingst was the AD,” she continued. “I sent him an email on Friday at 3 a.m. and threw my name in the hat, and came in a couple of days later and met with him. I really don’t think he interviewed me. I interviewed him and agreed to take the job. I said if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it for at least three years, and eight years later, we’re still here.”
“It’s a good accomplishment for us,” Jim said of 100 wins. “We’ve given away a few, and we’ve won a couple we probably shouldn’t have. The first year we won the tournament, they used to have at Piqua, and those girls thought they won the state title that year. Those are the kind of memories I’m proud of, and the girls being really excited about winning, and they don’t take it for granted.”
The Hardestys currently have two former players competing at the college level, and nine have played at the next level over the past seven years; their teams own most of the school’s volleyball records.
“We have had a lot of good players who wanted to work hard,” Michelle noted. “We’ve had great parents, we’ve had good community support over eight years.”
“It’s impressive, not quite eight years yet, so still have a few more wins to get this year, and then obviously on into the future,” Shaffer stated. “Those milestones sneak up on you. It’s hard to believe they have been here eight years, the success that they have had, and the winning seasons they have put together. We’re glad to have them.”
Michelle and Jim make the 60-mile round-trip drive from their home in Coldwater, OH, each day to coach the Greenville varsity team and oversee the Lady Wave volleyball program.
“We’ve driven quite a few miles, but it’s worth it to see the smiles on the girls’ faces when they win,” Jim concluded, “so that’s what it takes.”
