| Michell (left), Denny and Stephanie Meyer. (Photo: Andrew Weber/Sentinel-Tribune) |
MILLBURY – Basketball and the Meyer family seem to go hand in hand.
Lake girls coach Denny Meyer has established a program of success, and all three of his daughters have
played important roles in the Flyers’ winning the past three years.
Coach Meyer’s two oldest daughters, Michelle and Stephanie, are both coaches in the program, while
youngest daughter and 2010 Lake graduate Kimberly was the starting point-guard for the Flyers’
back-to-back undefeated regular seasons.
"I think it’s great. We are a big basketball family," Denny Meyer said. "It’s always been
going for us. For years we’ve sat around the table and talked about basketball."
Coach Meyer has an impressive 63-3 overall record in three years at Lake, including a 38-0 mark in the
Suburban Lakes League.
And his daughters have been along for the ride, with Michelle coaching the junior varsity team all three
years and Stephanie coaching the seventh grade the past two seasons.
"With your other coaches, you’re not with them all the time and you try to remember things you want
to talk about. But with these guys I’m with them all the time," Denny Meyer said. "Plus they
grew up playing for me, so they know exactly what I want done. To me, that’s one thing I wanted in my
program, for everybody from the junior high on up to be learning things the same way.
"I really believe they’re teaching things the way I want them done. By them doing that at the lower
levels, it helps us to have our winning streak at the varsity level."
Kimberly Meyer, currently a freshman on the Bluffton University basketball team, helped lead a Lake team
that didn’t lose in the regular season for two seasons. The Flyers’ 61-game regular-season winning
streak was snapped earlier this season with a loss at fourth-ranked Clyde.
Lake is ranked second in the state this season.
"Not only them two coaching, I had Kimberly playing for me the last two years, who was a big part of
our success that we had, too," Denny Meyer said.
Although Denny Meyer, who played basketball and graduated from Genoa, has been coaching youth basketball
for nearly 20 years, this is his first varsity-level head coaching job.
He served previously as an assistant coach at Oak Harbor, where Michelle and Stephanie both played and
graduated, and also spent time coaching youth basketball in Arizona before moving back to Ohio in 2002.
Since taking over at Lake for the 2008-09 season, Meyer has guided a program that expects to win every
time on the floor, and his daughters have followed right behind.
It’s also something that’s brought the family together.
"I think one of the things I really like about coaching is it’s something to do with my dad,"
said Michelle Meyer, age 23. "It’s been nice. It’s something as a player I was never a part of
anything like that. So as a coach, I see that the girls are very lucky to be a part of something like
that. It’s nice to share with the girls and with my dad. I’m proud of him and all his success that he’s
had at Lake."
"With basketball, we’re all kind of on the same page and we agree with each other," said
Stephanie Meyer, age 20. "Just being around him all the time, I know what he wants done as a coach.
It wasn’t hard doing what he wanted … He puts in so much time for the girls, and I think that’s why
they’ve been so successful."
Denny Meyer was also quick to point out his wife of 26 years, Sharon, has played a large role. Sharon
Meyer coordinates the team’s trip out west each summer and runs the 50-50 raffle at home games, as well
as always being there for her basketball-crazy family.
"She’s been a big part of it. I don’t think people realize what coaches’ wives go through,
especially for our program," Denny Meyer said.
Both Michelle and Stephanie aren’t sure about their coaching future, being so early in their careers, but
believe they’re learning from one of the best.
"At work or at home, we’ll talk about basketball and think of some ideas," Michelle Meyer said.
"It’s just something he loves and he wants to share it with us … I know as long as he’s coaching
I want to be able to do it with him. I don’t know if I’d be able to do all the things he does as a
coach."
"Just watching him I pick stuff up and I’ll take it back to my team. I think basketball-wise we’re
all pretty much on the same page," said Stephanie, whose seventh grade teams have lost only twice
in two seasons. "I’m really proud of him that he’s been able to go through this and have so much
success."
As for this season, the Meyer’s are still looking for a long tournament run. The Flyers open up sectional
play Saturday. Lake has been eliminated in districts the past two seasons.
"It’s been very exciting and very satisfying for me. For a lot of years I wanted to be a varsity
coach … I lucked into a great position at a school that had a lot of talent coming up," Denny
Meyer said. "I’ve had so much support from the community, the fans, and our administration has just
been fantastic with me.
"I plan on staying at Lake for a long time. As long as I’m healthy and can keep going," he
added. "It’s just been a blast."
