Busy week a 'gift' for Monroeville athletics

The process had become fairly routine. When Monroeville's volleyball team advanced to the state semifinals on Nov. 1, it marked the sixth time in 11 years there would be a "state week" for the program and school district. But this particular state week was controlled chaos from the moment each volleyball player was called to receive their regional champion medal. When Monroeville advanced to state in prior years back in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, the school's football team did not qualify for the playoffs. Not only did the current Monroeville football team advance to the playoffs, but it also went 8-2 and earned a first-round bye and a second-round home game. And, with the volleyball tournament expanding to seven divisions and multiple host sites in 2024, it meant a new layer of logistics involved. The volleyball team played at Vandalia Butler on Nov. 6 and defeated Russia, advancing to the Division VII state championship match against Tiffin Calvert, which shifted over to the Wright State University Nutter Center on Nov. 8. In between those two volleyball matches was a home playoff football game against Malvern on Nov. 7 at Marsh Field. Athletic Director Ben Paul's 30th fall sports season at Monroeville was certainly a memorable one. "It was new combining the two in the same week, but I'm fortunate to have two highly organized head coaches with Kendra (Snook) and Tylor (Nester)," Paul said. Paul said by Sunday, he already had an itinerary from Snook, then began searching for bus accommodations to meet the schedule needs. Next came securing the hotel rooms and, of course, finding the funding for the travel, rooms, and food expenses. Then came the schedule debates within the school of canceling classes the day of the state semifinal or attempting an early release for the 6 p.m. match on Nov. 6 near Dayton. "It sounds like a great idea until you figure out it may not be possible to have available bus drivers at that time of day," Paul said. "The week was very front-loaded to get the volleyball team sent off for Thursday. "People see them leave and think it was as simple as seeing them go on the bus and leave, but a lot went into it." When the volleyball team's bus didn't start when it was time to leave the hotel for Butler High School, Paul was about 10 minutes away from arriving. "When those things happen, I automatically try and problem-solve on how to fix it," Paul said. "Let's react later. It worked itself out, but almost always, something tends to pop up." As for the playoff football game, it often tends to be easier as the away team. Instead, Paul was also meeting with officials from Malvern during the week to tour Marsh Field. Personnel to work the game needed to be lined up with concessions, the press box and sidelines, and locker room areas. "You want to give Malvern a first-class experience as well," Paul said. "Those kids from the other school should feel that tournament atmosphere. You want it to have a different feel. "But again, we have incredible people willing to step in and help. Bone Boys BBQ (out of Bellevue) wanted to feed both teams after the game. We're very fortunate time and time again to receive such incredible support from our community." The football game also wasn't without headaches. The internet in the press box went out during the game, which was problematic on several levels. "No one at Frontier is a real person at 6 p.m. on a Friday night," Paul said. "These are the things people don't usually find out about. The one constant is if the event goes smoothly, no one knows any better. "They don't know you or your name. But if something goes wrong, they know who you are real fast." Snook has been the volleyball coach at Monroeville for 17 years, working closely with Paul every step of the way. "The job he does for all our programs and athletes is remarkable," she said. "We always thank him, but he always turns it back on us for making his job easier. Volleyball may take a back seat at some schools because we may not bring in the most revenue, but he's never made us feel that way in 17 years. "I apologized right away for making his week rough, but he said, 'No, I'd do this anytime.' To have that opportunity to host the football game between our matches was also a lot of pressure and commitment, but he was with us every step of the way. He definitely goes above and beyond." Paul agreed with Snook's sentiment. As time-consuming and difficult as it was, he hopes to do it every year. "The reason being is to see the joy it brings this community and these kids," he said. "Hard work pays off. That's what sport is … the grind, sacrifice, and putting the time in. You don't always get to end the season in a state championship event, but when you do, it's awesome and just reinforces to the kids that all that work is worth it." Paul said he also loves the message it sends to the students and community. "Anything is possible," he said. "It won't always work out, but you love the times that it does. This community is so blue-collar and hard-working and does whatever is necessary. So many of the projects with our facilities just show how much people care. "I can't imagine being anywhere else. We've had some great coaches who built programs up the right way, and I also can't say enough about that."