After showcasing her continuous ability to cultivate raw, young talent, Herricks Girls Volleyball head coach Tara Krinsky has been named Coach of the Year in Nassau County’s Conference AA/C2.
“It feels fantastic to win this award again,” Krinsky said. “It’s certainly a recognition of a cumulative effort that the entire team put in all season long.”
Krinsky has been the head coach of the volleyball team at Herricks since 2003.
Under her leadership, the Highlanders of Herricks have won five conference championships in the past 16 years. Krinsky said this year’s team, which was co-conference champions with East Meadow, was special.
“The chemistry between all of the girls was pretty palpable,” she said. “Everybody got along really well and cared for each other deeply. It was never about any individual wins or accolades for them, they always wanted to see the entire team win.”
This past year, the Highlanders went 14-2, which showed improvement over the past five years. Krinsky said that developing and shaping the youth that is presented to her is one of the best parts of her job.
“I always love seeing players come in with that untapped potential and natural ability to not just play the sport but to play on a team,” she said. “There are plenty of skills that you can teach an athlete, but to find a young and selfless player, it’s something special. And I think we found that out this year.”
Krinsky said that two players on her varsity squad this year were ones that she “rolled the dice on” when they were younger – Madison Carson and Mikaela Eisinger. Krinsky said she brought them up to the varsity team and immediately noticed their impact.
“Those are two girls that are mentally and physically strong and eager to keep getting better,” Krinsky said. “They learned from veteran talent above them and took those lessons to apply for this year’s team. They’re part of a solid core group of juniors that we have on the team.”
One of those moments for growth came when the Highlanders fell to county powerhouse Massapequa, in the Class AA tournament last month. Though never a fan of losing, Krinsky said games like that define a team.
“To have the girls go in and pay respect to a dynasty like Massapequa is something that I think is important to instill in their minds,” she said. “We win and lose with humility, and always paying respect to other great teams. That being said, we never go into a game thinking we may lose.”
The Highlanders will be graduating seven seniors this year but are retaining eight underclassmen for the 2020 season. Looking to get off to a strong start next year, Krinsky focused on the importance of always staying active and prepared throughout the offseason.
“I like to think of it as playing piano,” she said. “If we have a concert in December and only practice in October and November, we’re not going to be pleased with how we fare against the competition. Whether it’s camps, lessons, or just simply practicing with a friend, everyone knows they have to stay sharp all year-round.”
