Just shy of No. 500, Leavitt still has passion of a rookie

Sometimes in this business, stories write themselves because the theme becomes abundantly clear as the interviews are being done.

This is one of those stories.

This is a story about a coach, but also one about a teacher and a professional who has spent more than 25 years doing his part to shape young athletes into successful people.

Burlington Central girls volleyball coach Marv Leavitt is closing in on his 500th career win, and should reach that milestone this weekend at the Geneva tournament. He had 498 wins entering Thursday's match against St. Edward.

That Leavitt has won 500 times in his coaching career is enough of a story - just as it would be with any coach reaching that plateau.

But Leavitt's story goes beyond wins and losses. It goes to the heart of why people coach, and that's to help kids become adults, to help them become productive members of society.

"He's been such a positive role model in my life," says former St. Edward and Drake University standout Lindsey Johnson, now Leavitt's assistant coach at BC, of her mentor.

Leavitt's career spans four decades at three area high schools, but it also includes needed time off for more education and family. He came into the coaching ranks at St. Charles High School, replacing Shirley Fasbender as the Saints' head coach in 1988, the year after Fasbender had taken the Saints to state hardware for the second straight season. Leavit had been Fasbender's assistant for 6 years and was the natural heir to the program. Over the next 10 years, Leavitt fashioned a 267-76 record in St. Charles. As Leavitt was furthering his own education, many of those years were spent as co-head coach with his longtime good friend Jim Reed, who is now the sophomore coach at St. Charles East.

"He's a student of the volleyball game and a teacher of the game," said Reed, who all told spent 16 years coaching with Leavitt. "He knows the ins and outs of the game and he cares about people. Everyone who has played for him or coached with him has a deep respect for him. When I came in and started coaching with him, I didn't even really know what a volleyball was. He taught me everything I know about the game."

During Leavitt's time at St. Charles, the Saints won eight regional titles, had four sectional final appearances and won eight Upstate Eight Conference crowns. But he stepped away after the 1996 season to pursue more education and spend more time with his family.

He didn't leave the Saints' program in bad hands, though. Jennie Kull took over after coming north from Champaign and being Leavitt's JV coach for two years, and remains in that position today. This weekend, Kull can notch her 300th win at St. Charles East, according to IHSA records, when the Saints play in the Conant Invitational.

"Marv Leavitt built this program," Kull said earlier this week. "He is a competitor in every sense of the word. He strives to be successful and he does whatever it takes to get it done. "I'm benefiting from what he started here. When he left here it was tough because we're a family. It's a family atmosphere here and he started that.

"His passion for the game is incredible and he instills that into his players. He works hard and he expects his kids to work as hard as he does."

Once a coach ...

Education and family were always important to Leavitt, but so was coaching. So in early 1999, he applied for the vacant St. Edward job. Unlike St. Charles, where he took over a tradition-rich program, St. Edward had never done much in terms of winning on the volleyball court. But then again, Leavitt had never done much losing as a coach, so something had to give.

Over the next 5 years, Leavitt turned St. Edward into a Class A power in the sport. His teams went 146-50 and won the program's only Suburban Catholic Conference championship, which they shared with St. Francis, in 2002. Under Leavitt, the Green Wave won five regional titles and two sectional crowns, but couldn't get past Peg Kopec's St. Francis power for that elusive trip downstate. But, 13 St. Edward players went on to play college volleyball on scholarship in those five years, emphasizing that Leavitt's mission is about winning in life as well as on the volleyball court.

"He's a great coach and a great person," said Johnson, who played at St. Edward when Leavitt won his 300th career match. "When I played for him, he taught me volleyball skills and life skills. He shaped me into the young lady I am today."

After the 2003 season, Leavitt decided to step away again. A counselor at Schaumburg High School, Leavitt wanted to take some time to spend with his only son, who was then entering seventh grade. His daughters had grown by then, but there was also more education to soak in.

"I knew I had to do about 30 more hours of school to keep up with the pay scale," Leavitt said. "It would have been tough to continue coaching."

But once that education was done with, the coach had to coach again, and this time the hiatus was shorter.

Opportunity knocks

For one who had coached at St. Charles and was on the educational staff at Schaumburg, Burlington Central may have felt like Iowa to Leavitt, but he found a new home quickly on Rocket Hill. In may of 2005, he was named the Rockets' new head coach and the program has soared since, going 83-27 entering Thursday's match against St. Edward.

And what Leavitt has continued at BC is not just teaching the game of volleyball, but the game of life as well.

"He's unlike any other coach I've ever had," says Rockets senior Molly Turk, who will play on scholarship at Northern Iowa, becoming one of more than 30 Leavitt players to earn a volleyball scholarship.

"His passion for the game really inspires me and he makes me want to work hard for him."

Turk's senior teammate, Stephanie Holthus, says Leavitt's ability to create a cohesive group, both on and off the court, is one of many things that make him the coach he is.

"He puts in so much effort off the court, especially with our summer stuff," said Holthus, who will play next year on scholarship at Northwestern. "We wouldn't have the same chemistry we do if it weren't for everything he does."

Looking ahead

Leavitt is not the type of guy who likes to look back too much.

"I don't look in the past," he says. "I'm focused on this year's team, getting the most out of this year's team I can, and teaching some good values along the way."

But when prodded Leavitt, now 53, does reflect on his career, albeit with a gleam in his eye.

"All of this (500 wins) takes the focus off the kids," he said. "But it also makes you proud of who you've worked with over the years. I had the honor to coach with Jim Reed for many years. He's a great educator and a great friend who taught me a lot. And P.J. (McKinney, now at Lisbon High School). We coached together at St. Edward and three years ago when I came (to Central) and there was no assistant, he came with me.

"Shirley Fasbender was my mentor. She showed me the ropes. I learned a lot from her; I learned a lot of the coaching style I use today from her. And Jennie Kull. What a great person and a great coach. She's a great person before she's a great coach, but she's a great coach too. I coached with Mark Wallin for a long time too."

But Leavitt, like any coach, knows where his bread is really buttered.

"It really comes down to the players," he said. "I may be a decent coach but I've had some great talent to work with. I've had so many great players, past and present."

Last stop

Leavitt does not see himself coaching when his days on Rocket Hill are over - at least as a head coach. But he's not ready to hang up the whistle just yet either.

"I still have the enthusiasm, I enjoy coaching and I love the competitive spirit it brings out in me," he said. "But this is it as far as being a head coach. This is the last stop. But I have a couple years left and I still love it. It keeps you young. I've loved all the places I've coached at. St. Charles is a great school with a great tradition. Building the program at St. Edward the way we did is something I'm really proud of. We turned that program around. And I'm proud of what we've done here. These kids work hard and we've had great support here."

Now comes that impending 500th win.

"It's a nice accomplishment and something to be proud of," Leavitt said. "But really it's all about the kids."

As it always has been for Marv Leavitt.

jradtke@dailyherald.com