European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 06, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 r the stars and stripes sports sunday november 6.1994 Heidelberg coach Rich Bennett talks Over the situation with his volleyball players during a timeout in the Victory Over Ramstein their sixth straight Central european championship?9 turns Hei critics into believers with another Crown by sue Harper staff writer when the victorious team emerged from deep in the seedlings to win the Centra european volleyball championship its coach made believers out of some his sceptics who sometimes claimed his Success came because he had a larger Talent Pool. _ the Victory oct. 29 in Kitzinger Ger Many was Heidelberg coach Rich Ben Nett s sixth consecutive High school vol Leyba championship. This year however Bennett just made it to the tournament with a 7-4 record which earned him a fourth place finish in his conference. Those numbers earned him a 13th seed in a Field of 16 at the finals. His big player bag was empty with his tallest player Junior Karen Clinton Mea Suring 5-feet-ll. He had no super ath letes. His team was riddled with playing inconsistencies. Add some in fighting for Flavouring and it was one of his worst sea sons As a volleyball coach statistical speaking. Emotionally speaking it was one of the most enjoyable seasons Ever for the 40 something coach. The team worked harder and overcame More to get to the championship Jhc said. This season also seemed to be the sea son of endings. It ended a Streak of strange adventures in coaching. It ended a 52-unbeaten game Streak. That blow was struck by Small school Vilseck Early in the season he said. He said before the tournament not to count Heidelberg out. Nobody was doing that exactly. While most observers were sure his lady Lions would make it to the final Pool nobody expected them to take the championship. When the bickering resurfaced at the championship tournament during a Cru Cial game with Frankfurt he benched the grumbles which resulted in losing a prep volleyball game to Frankfurt 3-15. The gripes grew quiet and the team went on to win. The championship Victory brought his 15-year volleyball coaching career at Heidelberg to 290 wins and 50 losses. His Low loss column was aided by a four year period in which his players did not lose a game. " since 1978 his teams have won 14 con Ference championships and 17 championships Overall. ". Heidelberg has lost Only 12 games Reg ular season and no conference in thelast 7 years. _. Despite his outstanding record Hei Delberg alumni Bennett has been Abeleda controversial coach _ the son of a now retired civilian Audi Tor says he is not adding that people might say that about successful people. Probably because i win a lot. In a Community with a lot of colonels and bigwigs who might go overboard about their daughters said Bennett who gives the impression that he has never worried about his under six foot athletically Slen Der Frame backing up his right to speak his mind. Bigwigs concern for their babies is one of the things that did hot happen this season adding to the enjoyment he said. But More than a charged social Atmo sphere Bennett Points toward changing times. Coaching just got weirder in the late eighties he says. In the Early eighties i never had a Parent ask me did my daughter not make the team because she s not com Mand sponsored " but since 1989, Bennett said he has been accused of taking a girl off of a relay team because her father was out  the replacement s father. Bennett had to go court to Stop a Man from making Public accusations ranging from bulling the girls to sexual impropriety. One girl s father said Bennett was racially motivated when his daughter did t make the Cut. Parents have reprimanded him for giving disapproving looks at letter jackets and screaming at his players. Redid not do either he said. Last year i had to sit Down with the family and Tell them How it was going to be. In the late eighties and Early nineties there were three girls air Good athletes who pushed limits in school or on the team whatever Bennett said. They thought they could act a certain Way because they were Good athletes. The three thought they didst have to ride the bus Bennett added. This Riding the bus needs to be done to be a team member. When they go to College they Don t get to ride Home in their parents luxurious car to get there a half hour ear Lier because it s More  Bennett believes that coaching has got ten tougher yer where. _ this possibly i might be harder on Ben Nett who got his education degree an while gathering More education spent 10 years finding himself ? he says work ing As a substitute teacher and moving around. 5 his search took him right Back to Ger Many where he taught at Mannheim for a while. Before that he was the Heil Brofn its director. Then he was asked to come to Heidelberg to teach and to coach. He thought  stay five years at the most. Five years quickly became 15 for the grading Bachelor whose Only activities away from coaching Are Reading books and watching movies and sports. The Ines Between work and play blur when Bennett the oldest of nine children goes on vacation. He visits family fiend Laud he watches the kids he u to coach at Heidelberg play in College he might watch Kirsten Keller at Ftp american University or Carloyn Kirsch at Carolina both of whom were named maps of their school s basketball team. Or Heidi Gill at Fairfield in Connecticut. Another player is at St. Marys College in Maryland. That player left Heidelberg a Junior starting Center. He also Hopes to get around to see another former lion in school near Baltimore. He also Hopes to see a player at the University of Missouri at Kansas City my sister lives an. Hour away he said. I go and i say i knew he or she could do that Bennett said. Bennett has coached girls and boys. He has a level ii certification which is he says needed in order to coach in College. Coaching both genders has taught him to respect the differences. Bennett said he has Learned that shared misery alone does not transform a group of girls into a team As it might a boys team. You have to do things like pizza Par ties hav to do things with the girls Bennett said. But while Bennett might approach coaching girls differently than coaching boys he does not change his expectation Imp Rel. Tennett said girls also need More Posi Tive information than boys because girls Are harder on themselves than boys Are. I m Only critical when necessary. I give 99 strokes but when i am critical that one time it s normally the parents i hear it  chalks that up to reverse Dis Crimin  s reverse discrimination. They la let their son s football coach slap the kid this year was fun for Bennett. When the Lions lost their first game to Vilseck a school with a student body of 86 his winning Streak was gone the pressure i