As Tumwater High School Volleyball prepares for the start of a new season at the end of August, the program is welcoming a new head coach, Kennedy Croft. Croft is a former division one athlete and alum of Tumwater High School Volleyball. In this new role, Croft is excited to cultivate a supportive team culture that centers sportsmanship and personal growth.
New Head Coach for Tumwater High School Volleyball Continues Legacy of Tumwater High School Athletics
Croft was raised in the tradition of Tumwater High School athletics, and her interest in volleyball was sparked from a very young age. Croft’s mother, Tana Otton, was head coach for Tumwater High School Volleyball for 15 years, taking home three volleyball state champion titles along the way. Croft’s grandfather, Sid Otton, was head football coach at Tumwater High School for 43 years and led the football team to five state titles.
Growing up in and around the gym at Tumwater High School, Croft witnessed the tight-knit environment and positive impact that her mother cultivated for student athletes.
“I couldn’t wait to be a part of that program, and that’s because she built something just super special,” says Croft. “Every single person that was a part of that program just really appreciated the tradition and the culture that she created.”
And when it was Croft’s turn to play for Tumwater High School Volleyball, the experience laid the groundwork for Croft’s future collegiate volleyball career at Gonzaga University. According to Croft, her upbringing around coaches, combined with her own time as an athlete also sparked her interest in coaching, with a longtime dream of returning to coach for Tumwater High School Volleyball.
While playing volleyball for Gonzaga University, Croft acted as a coach for summer camps and collaborated with local volleyball clubs. Croft also has experience as an instructor for private volleyball lessons. In these coaching and mentorship roles, Croft loved being able to guide athletes in the sport, and help them to grow in their unique athletic craft, especially when solidifying fundamental skills.
Right after being hired as new head coach of Tumwater High School Volleyball, Croft found her mother and grandfather to be helpful mentors, and asked them for advice on building a competitive team at the high school level. Croft remembers the significant time and effort that her mother and grandfather devoted to their teams and coaching craft, and she is ready for the challenge of forging her own path, while also honoring the legacy of a supportive team culture.
“It was never just about winning for them, even though they did it a lot, they both were so good about pouring into the kids and creating a family-like environment and culture for their teams,” says Croft.
Tumwater High School Volleyball Has Been Hard at Work Over the Summer in Preparation for New Season
The new season of Tumwater High School Volleyball officially begins in late summer, with tryouts taking place on August 25. And throughout the summer months, Croft and the student athletes have already been hard at work with team building events, summer workouts and scrimmages with other schools. In initial open gym sessions with the team, it was a memorable experience for Croft to begin preparations for the upcoming season and see athletes work together for the first time.
One of Croft’s initial tasks as head coach was overseeing Tumwater High School Volleyball’s annual youth volleyball camp. This year, there was a record number of campers, more than 130, in attendance and members of Tumwater Volleyball served as mentors to younger players.
Croft has been excited to see strong community enthusiasm for Tumwater High School Volleyball through high participation from the youth camp and from SPLAT, an outdoor grass volleyball tournament that is hosted each year by Tana Otton and Tumwater High School Volleyball.
As Croft has started to once again walk down the halls of Tumwater High School, taking in the familiar sights and greeting her former teachers, she feels like she is returning to a second home and is grateful that she can use this role to contribute to the school’s athletic department and to the greater community.
“The Tumwater volleyball program gave me so much,” says Croft. “It’s where I really developed as a player and as a person, so accepting this role felt like coming full circle, honestly.”
As volleyball season approaches, Croft has high aspirations for the team, with sights set on league, district and state championship victories. Madison Stauffer will be joining Croft this season as an assistant coach. Stauffer is also an alum of Tumwater High School Volleyball, and together, Croft and Stauffer won two state championships under the tenure of Croft’s mother, Tana Otton. This season, Croft also feels a deeper calling beyond final scores or team records, to make space for values like unity, trust and sisterhood, while also encouraging each athlete to make a positive impact on the court and in the community.
“I’m honestly just really excited to build relationships with the athletes and see them grow throughout the season and throughout their time in the program,” says Croft.
To learn more about Tumwater High School Volleyball, visit the Tumwater High School website.
