Doing more than just coaching, Sandrine Krul starts her first season as the Santa Barbara women’s basketball head coach by teaching her players lessons in basketball as well as lessons in life.
“I remember being 18 and 19 years old,” said Krul, a former Cal State-San Bernardino player. “My coach gave me direction. My coach was a mentor to me and I like to give back and this is one way I can do that.”
Many of Krul’s coaching philosophies come from author Michael Josephson and “the six pillars of character.” She teaches trustworthiness, respect, fairness, caring, citizenship, and responsibility to her players.
“It’s really important because basketball is going to end for (the players) but they must have good values in place,” Krul said.
Krul has plenty of experience in the Western State Conference. She was an All-State performer at Los Angeles Valley College, and she began her career coaching at Moorpark College.
She later applied for the Raiders head coach position, and she was “shocked beyond belief” when she got the job. “I knew that I wanted to coach since I was seventeen because of my high school coach and my college coach,” Krul said. “I always felt that this is my place in life.”
As for the upcoming season, Krul won’t talk about winning or losing yet. She only worries about how the team performs on the court and off. “Our number one goal is to move our sophomores on, either with athletic or academic scholarships, to the next level at a four year institution,” said Krul.
Coach Krul believes this will be a competitive year in the Western State Conference, as many schools have improved. She noted Hancock College, Oxnard, Moorpark, Cuesta, and LA Pierce as up-and-comers to watch out for. “Every team is up this year so there’s not one single team that we have to look out for. Every single conference game is vital to us,” Krul said.
A fast paced game is how the Lady Vaqueros plan to win this year. They like to run a lot, so fans can expect plenty of fast breaks. They will rely on team speed to pull through during the clutch.
“Our team is in shape. Come to one of our practices, they run all the time,” Krul explains. “Our post players are fast. Our guards are fast. This year we have to push the ball. We have to put our fast players in position to score.”
Following in the footsteps of her favorite player, Dennis Johnson of the 1980s Boston Celtics, Krul has made sure her team has the fundamentals down. From making lay-ups to playing defense, the team has perfected the basics.
“We are a very fundamental team. We’re not flashy,” Krul said. ” I get very upset when players are on a breakaway lay-up and try to double pump and miss the lay-up. You don’t need to do that.”
As for defense, Krul’s team plays like an “amoeba,” a single-celled organism. They move and talk as one.”Our defense is really good right now,” Krul said. “Our team plays with a lot of heart.”
The Lady Vaqueros start off their season on the road, playing LA Valley College on Nov. 9th at 7:00 p.m.