May 11—A new but familiar face will lead the sideline for Plainsmen volleyball in the fall.
Laramie High School announced Friday morning the hiring of Erin Wedemeyer as the school's next volleyball coach, pending approval from the Albany County School District 1 Board of Directors.
“(Wedemeyer) brings more than 15 years of coaching experience and experience playing at the highest level in the sport,” LHS activities director Ronald Wagner said in a news release. She said, “She has been on Coach (Jill) Stuckey's staff for the past few years and since her arrival, she has played an integral role in the success of the LHS Volleyball program.''
“I look forward to seeing what Coach Wedemeyer can do for our program as our new head coach.”
For the past two seasons, Wedemeyer has served as the Plainsmen's junior varsity coach and varsity assistant. Laramie had a record of 60 wins and 9 losses during that period.
Hiring Stuckey's recommendation may seem like a no-brainer, but LHS is moving forward with the hiring process, closing applications on April 30 on the district's website. Job interviews did not take place until May 8, Wedemeyer said.
“I know she really wants that position,” Stuckey told WyoSports in April. “My recommendation is definitely Erin. She has been a part of our state championship mentality for the past two years and I think she will transition smoothly into her role.”
In addition to coaching, Mr. Wedemeyer also teaches mathematics and special education at the school. She is also the mother of Laramie middle blocker and Fresno State's Michon Sailors.
“(Michon, of course) and all the women I've gotten to coach over the last few years, I really love playing with them,” Wedemeyer said. “A lot of times in women's sports, that's difficult to achieve.
“It's really hard to build chemistry, and it's so natural with this group of women that it was so easy to apply.”
Wedemeyer said LHS has done a great job supporting Stuckey during his recent term and looks forward to doing the same. She knows there are people watching her, but she intends to continue the plains army's winning ways.
“I plan to continue what Jill has implemented successfully,” Wedemeyer said. “But of course I have to add my own flavor to it.”
I'm still thinking about the latter because of the similarities between her and Stuckey. There is not much difference between the two when it comes to practice organization and player expectations.
Wedemeyer hopes that hosting more open gym practices will give him a better understanding of what needs to change. She also said that much of what Stuckey brought to the table is not broken and that she wants to continue many of the same things.
Wedemeyer is essentially a player's coach. What she teaches in her classroom has taught her to value building relationships.
“I like to joke,” Wedemeyer said. “It was the same with Jill, and it will continue to be that way. During open practices in the gym, some of the girls asked me for permission to play music.
“I did it and it was a fun experience that they enjoyed. They took everything easy, but at the same time they took it seriously. That was great to see. ”
Wedemeyer played volleyball at the University of Wyoming from 1987 to 1990. The Cowgirls advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in 1988 and the first round of the tournament in 1990.
After graduating from college, he began his coaching career at Laramie Middle School. Shortly thereafter, Wedemeyer took a brief hiatus from coaching, but has remained active for the past 13 years.
In 2021-22, Wedemeyer will take his first high school head coaching job at Dixie High School in St. George, Utah. Prior to her recruitment, she had been on staff for three years and had previously only led her team at various clubs.
“My plan wasn't necessarily to be a coach,” Wedemeyer said. “But I wanted to stay involved with volleyball in some way. Volleyball has been my life since middle school.
“I encouraged Michonne to go out and try other sports. I never encouraged her to play volleyball, but she kept coming back to it.”
She feels her biggest influence on the Plainsmen roster is in supporting the mental side of the sport. Wedemeyer's goal is to be a calming presence for his team as they naturally want to settle into themselves.
“Sports in general lack the mental part of the game,” Wedemeyer said. “(Players) have to be okay with making mistakes and have the ability to put them behind you. If there's conflict within the team, it's important to be able to calm down a little bit of the kids who are getting frustrated. I hope so.”
“We're going to keep everything in perspective and help everyone move forward. We're going to mature more as athletes and as young women.”
Laramie's success in recent years has been on Wedemeyer's mind. She acknowledged it, but said she needed to forget it for the girls' happiness.
“(I'd be lying if I said there was no pressure),” Wedemeyer said. “Even if it's been a few years since I've been here, that pressure will still be there. I have to put it behind me because my main focus is to keep the girls happy ( and) to be successful, and that includes things outside of volleyball. ”
Austin Edmonds covers Laramie High School, University of Wyoming and area athletics for WyoSports. Contact him at aedmonds@wyosports.net. Follow @_austinedmonds on X.
