Discovering A Passion

VOLLEYBALL COACH RECRUITED BY FARMINGTON STUDENTS

volleyball and she announced she wasn’t going to do it anymore.”

Enter the Blackburn twins.

Taking a proactive approach, the Blackburn twins and other students Ward had taught in his first three years at Farmington, banked on the power of suggestion.

“We swarmed him,” Lindsey said. “We’d see him in the hallways and we got a bunch of our friends together and said, ‘Mr. Ward, will you coach?’ He’s like, ‘ I’ll think about it.’”

Ward

“They were probably the head recruiters,” Ward said. “Lindsey asked me even though I really didn’t know her.”

“I think Coach Ward talked to Coach Blew. It didn’t take us very long. I’m pretty sure he was the one who talked to Coach Blew and got it arranged and got his coaching license,” Lauren said.

Farmington athletic director, Brad Blew, wasn’t aware of the student involvement but said the school is very pleased with Ward taking over the volleyball program.

“He’s a guy that has a very good volleyball mind,” Blew said. “That’s a program that’s going to be very successful in the future.”

Ward’s wife, Lauren Saulsberry-Ward, played college volleyball at Arkansas Tech where the couple met and they continue to play recreational volleyball. Lauren is an athletic trainer for Northwest Health Systems and splits her time between Springdale Har- Ber and Elkins’ schools and sometimes helps with Lady Cardinal practices.

“She knows the game pretty well,” Ward said.

In his first season, Ward guided the Lady Cardinals to a 13-5 record in 2012 and third place in the conference standings. Ward learned a lot about the conference and coaching in general. He noted only two games separated the top three teams in the 1-4A with Gravette finishing first with a 10-2 record, followed by Prairie Grove, at 9-3; and Farmington, at 8-4.

The Cardinals graduated middle hitter, Rene Scheyder, who earned All-State and All-Conference honors; right hitter, Tiffany Rhame, All-Conference; and middle hitter, Mariel Cooper, who was also All-Conference.

Among the athletes returning are the Blackburn twins. The Blackburns received All- Conference recognition as juniors in 2012 with Lauren Blackburn as a setter and Lindsey playing libero. Both return for their senior season and Ward is expecting Lindsey to switch roles. This year she will play more on the floor instead of concentrating as a defensive specialist.

Ward, who grew up and graduated from Berryville, is one of many who have found a home and feel like they belong at Farmington.

“I strongly believe that I will coach the entire time I teach and possibly after that.”

Blew said Ward is a great guy and thinks Ward is going to be at the school a long time. “He’s a volleyball junkie.” “I had him as a Math teacher and every day we would talk about volleyball,” Lauren said. “Me and some of the seniors, we just bothered him until he said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ I think he was really happy that he’s doing it because he loves it.”

Ward agrees saying he has discovered a passion in coaching volleyball and would like to retire from Farmington.

“I’d like to be here for the duration of my entire career. It’s a great school, great kids to teach and great kids to coach.”