The Hard Hat

A hard hat is often viewed as protective gear worn at construction sites, but for the volleyball team at Little Elm High School, a hard hat has taken on a completely different meaning.

Head Volleyball Coach, Kelly Covert, first started coaching the LEHS volleyball team this past May, but she was aware that the previous season had been a challenging one for the team. Covert wanted to find a way to make the team feel more connected. That’s when Assistant Volleyball Coach, Katie Gunther, suggested creating a book study to help bring the team together. She recommended “The Hard Hat: 21 Ways to Be a Great Teammate” by Jon Gordon.

Gunther became familiar with the book when she played basketball for The University of Texas at Dallas. She and her teammates would read “The Hard Hat” before the beginning of each basketball season, and they would pick a teammate who best represented the hard hat. “The hard hat is a person, not the best player, but the person who is a great teammate, always hustles, and leads by example. We would always have a hard hat around to remind us what a good teammate represents,” Gunther said,

“The Hard Hat” tells the true story of lacrosse player, George Boiardi. “George was a team player. He motivated his team. He was compassionate. He would put in more work when other people weren’t. He was very involved with his team,” said LEHS senior and volleyball captain, Nasyrah Jefferson.

Jefferson believes the book is making a positive impact on herself and the volleyball team. “We are really enjoying the book. It’s making me become more vocal on the court and just encourage my teammates and motivate them throughout the game. The four years that I have been here, we’ve never read a team book. We haven’t really done this much bonding together. I think this can help us have team chemistry on the court. Sometimes on the court, teammates will say “Be like George,” and it just motivates us,” said Jefferson.

Although it’s still early in the season, the LEHS volleyball coaches are taking notice that the book study is making a difference. Covert said, “We beat a team that we did not beat last year at the very beginning of the season. I feel like a big part of that is because we are all in it together