Lutheran West’s Becky Mooney-Thompson Wins KOS Chagrin Valley Conference Coach of the Year

“Champions aren’t made in gyms… they are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision”  – Muhammad Ali

What defines a warrior, a champion, a leader and a mentor?  In the case of the Lutheran West Longhorns, Becky Mooney-Thompson defines all of them! If we had told you just 4 months ago that she would be our CVC Coach of the Year, it would have been an impossible statement.  She was thrust into action as head coach out of nowhere and rose to the challenge like no one else possibly could.

Mooney-Thompson has led the Lady Longhorns to a 16-6 record and hosting a first-round game in the postseason this Thursday versus Shaw. Watching her coach is a thing of mastery as she smoothly guides her team in the good moments and the bad.  It can be senior night or opening night, she has firm control over her squad in a teaching way, a learning way, not an ego trip way.  She doesn’t need to scream and yell at players and ref’s to get her point across, she just does her things and the players respond.  That is true leadership!

I am not surprised as she has been there before as a player.  She was a prolific player in her day, playing at Lutheran West.  By the time she graduated in 1998, she was the all-time leading scorer in Lady Longhorns history.  She can lead because she has done it herself in the past, that speaks volumes when it comes to leading youth.  If they respect you, they will follow you and I’ve never met a parent or player that doesn’t respect the dynamic coach Becky.  She truly made an instant impact.  She is humble, driven and the kind of person who was born to coach!

I spoke to longtime PA man for the Longhorns, Brandon Marvel who had this to share about Coach Mooney-Thompson, “The way Coach Becky was able to step up this season was nothing short of incredible.  She showed by example to her girls that when things go differently than expected, someone must step up!  The culture she’s developed has led the team to their best record in 6 years.  Congratulations Coach!”

“Champions know that success is inevitable, that there is no such thing as failure, only feedback.  They know that the best way to forecast the future is to create it.” – Michael J Gelb