BH-BL’S Gary Bynon earns Coach of the Year honors
BURNT HILLS — Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake head volleyball coach Gary Bynon has plenty to be thankful for.
Not only did his Spartans capture a second straight New York State championship, but his team held a cumulative grade-point average of just more than 96 percent. For his team’s successes on and off the court, Bynon has been named The Saratogian’s Coach of the Year.
“I don’t think a lot of people believe us, but we say volleyball’s what we teach second,” he said. “We talk to our kids about getting to school, getting your schoolwork done and becoming good members of your community and your school community. That’s what we’re here for.”
“He’s really the best coach you could have,” said senior outside hitter Molly McCormick, who was named The Sarato- gian’s Player of the Year. “I’m going to miss him so much, and just walking into practice every day (in college) is going to be so different.”
Bynon said he had high expectations for this year’s squad dating back to the end of the 2011 campaign. In addition to McCormick, the Spartans also boasted senior libero Siena Wilder and sophomore outside hitter Jessica Dillon, who were both Saratogian First- Team selections.
“I think the beauty of high school athletics is being able to see the players you have coming back and some new players that can contribute,” Bynon said. “We had nine kids coming back from a state championship team the year before. That’s great leadership and great experience.”
Even after capturing the Suburban Council and
Section II titles, Bynon said the true test was yet to come. The state championships in Glens Falls, he said, carried an atmosphere of competitiveness that w a s extremely tense.
“It was crazy going into pool play and (thinking about) what you’re going to do the first day,” he said. “You’re just trying to win five games out of the six to automatically get you in. You play at a state championship level for two games, take an hour off, and play two games. There’s no other sport like that.”
However, even with all the pressure, he also knew his team had gotten better and better with every match.
“A lot of times, coaches forget that they can keep improving come sectional time,” Bynon said. “We improved the entire sectional. Going into states, I thought we’d been playing the best we had all year.”
The Spartans have now won Suburban Counc i l champ i - onships in all 25 seasons of Bynon ’s tenure. This year’s Section II crown was Bynon ’s 19th, and he also won his fifth state title with the 2012 squad.
“I’m proud of all our kids and the time they put in year- round,” he said. “On that final Sunday of the season, they stepped up their game to play against one of the best teams in the state. They had to play their very best to win that state championship, and from the first serve to the last, they took their game to another level.”