Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Varsity Girls’ Basketball, Coach Profile | Larry Starr

“If your team sees you are more interested in them as a person than wins and losses, 

they will push themselves beyond what they ever thought their limits were.”

 

Name and position with the team/club: Larry Starr, Head Girls Basketball Coach (1st year with the team)

How long have you been coaching? High School, since 2000, but coaching since 1981

What is your background in this sport? I played in high school and then began coaching basketball in Middle School in Ohio.  I had 3 daughters and began coaching them.  I made a career change in 2000 and began coaching girls at Maggie Walker Governor’s School and then 2 years later moved to Monacan High School.  I coached at Monacan as the head coach from 2005/06 – 2021/22.  I stepped away during the 2022/23 season and then started at BSH for the 2023/24 season.

Please describe the most memorable games/tournaments/championships of your career?  There are really far too many to mention, but I would have to say the three state championships from 2015-2017 and then the state championship in 2020/21 with an entirely different team.

What is it about the opportunity to coach at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot that brought you out of retirement. I really missed coaching the year I stepped out. Chuck Thomas (Athletic Director at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot) is an old acquaintance of mine. We talked for quite a bit and when I met the girls, I really became excited about a new challenge.

As you step into this new role at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot, what are your goals for the team?  As with any team that I’ve coached, we set goals very high. If we don’t achieve them, then we’ve done well to reach for the stars and worked hard to get there. This year, as always, I have 3 goals for my team:

 

1. To improve each and every game
2. To win the Virginia Commonwealth Conference (never done that at BSH)
3. To win the VISAA Division 4 State Championship

What are some promising signs you’re seeing in practices with this new team?  The work ethic and the commitment from our girls is impressive. They motivate me personally every time I walk into the gym and we are getting better every day.

What are a few things that the team does in training that will be keys to their success?  

1. Physically improve every day
2. Work on fundamentals

   

How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?  We have talked about this since I took over.  We are going to have ups and downs, and learning a new system for a new coach is going to have growing pains.  We look at each game and look at the areas we improved in and we take that as a win.  We also look at the areas where we need to continue to improve and make a commitment to work to fix those areas.

 

What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach?  If your team sees you’re more interested in them as a person than wins and losses, you can work them hard and they will push themselves beyond what they ever thought their limits were.  Relationship building with your players is very key to any success you have as a team.

What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?  When I leave, I want people to remember me as not only their coach, but also a friend and mentor that they could always count on.  Our saying every year is “We live and die as a TEAM!

 

A few words from BSH players about Coach Starr

 

We sat down with Senior Captains Charlie Potter and Lily Hickey and players Liza Watkins, Avery Poore, Addy Dowdy for a topline on Coach Starr and his coaching approach from the player perspective.

5 Things You’ve Learned from Coach Starr

1. To endure a new intensity level
2. Push to be positive
3. Confidence is BIG!
4. Stay focused on improving
5. Get out of your comfort zone

5 Words to Describe Coach Starr’s Coaching Style

1. DETERMINED
2. HEART
3. SUPPORTIVE
4. CONFIDENT
5. FAMILY “We live and die as a team”