GROTON, Conn. – Fitch High School’s volleyball team has hired all new coaching staff for the 2024-25 season, welcoming Stephen Banks, Chad Fleming, and Britney Curtis to the school.

Towards the end of the 2023-24 school year, Fitch Athletics announced that they were looking for a new head coach for the 2024-25 volleyball season. The new or returning coaches include Stephen Banks, the new head coach here at Fitch Volleyball. Chad Fleming, Junior Varsity Coach, a former coach at Lyman Memorial High School. Britney Curtis, Freshman Coach, this being her first season coaching volleyball after playing here at Fitch High School.

Back in 2020 when COVID-19 had first broken out, Banks announced that he would be stepping down from coaching the Fitch volleyball once the season had ended after coaching the sport for the past 28 years. After being one of the top teams in the state, Banks states that he has “mellowed out” in his coaching ways after being away from coaching  for three  years. Banks says that he has always had a passion for the sport after only playing it in intramurals when he was a student at Stonington High School. 

“I came back to FHS after sitting out three years,” said Banks. “I know the game well. I have the passion for this sport and hope I can instill that passion in our players.”

Coach Fleming recently joined Fitch Volleyball after Coaching volleyball at Lyman Memorial and was former volleyball player when he joined the UConn men’s volleyball club when he was a student in 1991, when he eventually moved to play in beach volleyball tournaments all throughout New England. Not only does Fleming evaluate how his teams players play individually and together, he also evaluates himself on his coaching and how he can improve it.

“My goal is to support, challenge, teach, inspire, and build the confidence of the girls in our program,” said Fleming. “I read a lot, watch a lot of videos, and am constantly assessing my effectiveness and strengths and weaknesses…”

For Curtis, coaching is a return to Fitch in a different role, having previously played for the team as a student. This is her first year coaching the sport and admits she is both happy and nervous in her new position. Curtis’s philosophy is that players should be well-rounded and empathetic to not only their teammates but to opponents else as well.

“They need to remember that there is always room for growth as a player, teammate, and human being,” said Curtis.  This is my first time coaching volleyball, [but it is] the players are the ones who are doing the majority of the work on and off the court.”

After a rocky start to the season, the team has improved to an 8-8 record under their new leadership.