In her 31 years of coaching high school volleyball, Cheryl Shores rarely tried to sugarcoat it.
“I was hard on them, I’m not going to lie,” said Shores, emphasizing that players were required to sign contracts and that standouts would be benched if need-be. “I lost a few games because of it. But, to me, teaching about life was more important than volleyball.”
How can anyone second-guess that strategy? After all, Shores set up players for success – on the court and after graduation – in a career that has landed in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, which is proud to induct Shores with the Class of 2017.
Her induction is part of the Women’s Sports Luncheon presented by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation, set for 11 a.m. at the University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield. (For tickets, call 417-889-3100 & luncheon details below.)
Shores is one of the state’s winningest volleyball coaches, with a 614-235-33 overall record. Her record includes a 577-190-30 mark in 28 seasons at Lockwood High School before she finished a three-year stint in 2013 at Pleasant Hope High School.
Shores’ 2004 Lockwood team won the Class 1 state championship, and three other squads (1990, 1991 and 2001) all reached the state semifinals. The 1991 team placed third, and the 1990 team and 2001 team, on which her daughter Tasha played, placed fourth. Lockwood won 21 district championships and hung 18 conference banners.
“It was great to win, but I liked it more when the kids would come back and say, ‘Thank you for teaching us about work ethics, values and how to survive in real life,’” Shores said. She later added, “I’ve had a lot of teachers, doctors, nurses, marketing specialists – a lot of people who were successful in life.”
In other words, Shores showed the way toward making the most of rare opportunities.
It was a lesson she knew well, having graduated from Licking High School in May 1975, just months before the Missouri State High School Activities Association held the inaugural girls volleyball state tournament – won by Licking.
Lockwood head coach Cheryl Shores tries to keep her emotion in check as she embraces Stefany Mayden after the Tigers defeated Gideon in the Missouri Class 1 state volleyball title.
Fortunately, Shores made an impact well beyond Licking. After graduating from College of the Ozarks in 1980 — she lettered four years on its volleyball and track teams — Shores landed her first teaching and coaching jobs at Lockwood after being turned away by other schools.
“It was exciting to finally get to coach,” Shores said. “I had applied at other jobs, but they’d say, ‘We need somebody with experience.’ But Lockwood hadn’t had volleyball very long. Superintendent Herschel Sears was willing to give me a chance.”
Call it a perfect fit.
Shores’ first group of freshmen went on to become the program’s first district championship in 1983, its senior season. They were Nancy Abbiatti, Deb Bird, Cindy Boehne, Vickie Berry, Jodie Potter, Kim Baker, Kathryn Nelson, Angie Shaw and Deanna Backs.
Thanks to Shores’ efforts, Lockwood Volleyball began to be seen through a different lens.
In 1983, she led a fundraiser to buy volleyball-specific uniforms because volleyball and basketball players shared the same ones.
Then, after a tornado ripped off the gym’s roof and rainwater warped the basketball gym in the mid-1980s, Shores saw to it that the new court had a way to install volleyball poles. Previously, it took four hours to unfurl the net manually and align the poles, and Shores simply hoped that the set-up wouldn’t fall apart during games.
Another key was the launching of the junior high school program, creating a feeder program led by Shores’ husband, Mike.
“Part of my success was he knew exactly what I wanted done and how I wanted it done,” Shores said. “By the time they came to me, they were fundamentally sound.”
Fundamentals, of course, were priority No. 1. Many early season practices consisted only of passing and nothing more.
“They’d ask, ‘Are we ever going to hit?’” Shores said with smile. “I’d say, ‘Maybe.’”
For Shores, each team remains near and dear to her heart. But the 2004 team has a special place, given it won the program’s first state title and finished 40-1, setting a state high school wins record which has since been broken.
That team’s motto, basically, was Win State or Bust.
“It was scary to me,” Shores said. “They expected me to lead them to a state championship. It was a challenge for me to do everything in my power to make it happen.”
Overall, ask Shores why her teams won and she has a quick response.
“We had good athletes and some who may not have had the most athletic ability,” Shores said, “but they were willing to do what I asked them to – and worked hard.”
Yes, worked hard. Just like their coach.
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Women’s Sports Luncheon presented by the Bee Payne-Stewart Foundation
When: 11 a.m. March 30
Where: University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center, Springfield
President’s Award: Longtime Springfield-Greene County Park Board leader Jodie Adams
Inductees: All American Red Heads Basketball Program, former Missouri Southern State University Athletic Director Sallie Beard, two basketball coaches – Evangel University’s Leon Neal and the University of Missouri’s Joann Rutherford – along with former Lockwood High School volleyball coach Cheryl Shores.
Wynn Awards: Tara Bailes (Springfield Catholic High School/Missouri State soccer), Teresa Baird Beshore (Springfield Catholic High School/University of Tulsa tennis & basketball), Chelsea Taylor Corp (Sarcoxie High School/Missouri State-West Plains volleyball), Aleah Hayes (Ozark High School/Texas Tech University/Columbia College volleyball), Tonya Choate McCall (Mount Vernon High School/Drury University/Cactus Tour golf), Amanda Newton Plotner (Republic High School/Drury University basketball), Melissa Hoffmeister Sanders (Joplin High School/University of Arkansas tennis) and Sophie Cox Stagner (Rolla High School/University of Tennessee-Martin soccer).
For Tickets: Call 417-889-3100. A sponsorship table of eight is $400 and includes recognition in the printed program and an autographed print. An individual ticket is $40, while a head table ticket is $100. Numerous other sponsorships, including congratulatory ads, also are available.
