© 2024 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Holt Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Stresses Relationships And Responsibility For The Rams

Cassie Kotlarcyzk
Katherine White

Cassie Kotlarcyzk is no stranger to Rams basketball, involved the program for 13 years.

HOLT, Mich. –  Cassie Kotlarcyzk, the new Holt High School girls basketball coach, hears the questions. People wonder how she juggles a demanding hospital administration job, and now the duties of head coaching.

She knows she is taking on a lot of responsibilities, but she also has a quick answer.

“To me, coaching basketball isn’t a job - I leave work and I come here. So, they’re like 16- or 18-hour days. People will ask me, ‘Isn’t it too much work?’ It’s not work,” said Kotlarczyk, who has been coaching in the Rams basketball program for 13 years.

She is working on building her Holt (6-6) team, and that starts with establishing strong relationships with her players.

Kotlarczyk has been around basketball since she was five, with her first coaching position as a student assistant at Kalamazoo College. Her mother, Kelly Kitchen, taught math for the junior high school and told Kotlarczyk about an opening for a freshman girls coach. Since then, Kotlarczyk has moved up in the program, coaching the freshman team with her mom for nine years, three at the JV level and now the varsity.

“I didn’t go to school here, but when I didn’t have school, I would come to school with my mom and hang out in her classroom. Holt has always been a second home. I love the diversity here, I love the message here,” Kotlarczyk said. “I know these girls are well supported and in athletics, in academics, that’s what I’ve always experienced and that’s huge.”

Kotlarczyk’s day job takes her outside of the district, as she is the director of neurosciences and pre-hospital care for Memorial Healthcare in Owosso. This background has helped her develop her coaching style.

“Especially with my forensic and sexual assault nursing [pasts] how to have those really sensitive conversations and trying to take someone in a bad situation and help them through it. It’s the same thing with these kids. I can’t fix the situations that some of they’re in or some of the things they are struggling with, but I can help them,” Kotlarczyk said.

She recently took a leadership role at work and it has helped her coaching.

“I’m really big on player development and personal development. To me, coaching is such a gift and a privilege. Because what I’m really trying to do is just help raise strong young women that are confident and self-assured and take responsibility for what they do and who they are. That’s my job,” said Kotlarczyk.

It’s no secret that Kotlarczyk has a strong relationship with her players. She even was a bridesmaid for one of her assistant coaches, who had also played for Kotlarczyk.

Cassie Kotlarcyzk
Credit Katherine White
Kotlarcyzk explaining a drill to the team.

As for expectations, Koltarczyk wants to build a program in which players “buy into the belief that you can be better than you thought”. She said there has been consistent growth in the right direction since taking over.

Communication is vital to Kotlarczyk’s coaching approach. The team utilizes the Band app, that has the practice schedule available for the parents and players to see.

“Cassie communicates a lot just because that’s her personality. So, I feel like we have that special quality in our coach that a lot of players don’t have,” said junior shooting guard Ana Mooney.

Kotlarczyk makes sure she knows her players well, understanding that some may respond differently to different coaching tactics.  

“If she sees that you’re having an off day, she’ll pull you aside and talk to you and try to figure out what’s wrong,” said sophomore guard Ella Barker.

Kotlarczyk has frequent check-in calls with her players to make sure both parties know what to expect from each other. 

“We will hold each other accountable, but it’s not negative. It’s usually trying to help each other and push each other to get better,” said junior point guard Katelyn Whiteman.

Kotlarczyk is a coach that cares about shaping the character of players and prepping them for the real world.

“I feel like now that we’re half way through our season, our team is finally starting to click together and I’m really excited to see what the second half is going to bring,” said Barker.  

Journalism at this station is made possible by donors who value local reporting. Donate today to keep stories like this one coming. It is thanks to your generosity that we can keep this content free and accessible for everyone. Thanks!