COLUMN: Guevara using culture of accountability to recreate past success
The arena has cleared following a Central Michigan women's basketball game. A janitor sweeps garbage from the bleachers and the once brightly-burning fluorescent lights begin to dim.
It's quiet.
But if you close your eyes and listen closely, you can still hear coach Sue Guevara's fevered voice bouncing off the McGuirk Arena walls.
These walls have heard and seen a great deal in the six years since Guevara's team has been playing in McGuirk Arena. They know just how dynamic Guevara's approach is and desperate she is to succeed.
Guevara is her team's biggest cheerleader and loudest critic. She expects the best out of her players and lets them know when they have disappointed her.
These walls have watched Guevara protect the students under her command like a mother bear shelters her cubs.
They've seen Guevara stand between her players and the media, bad officiating and the court of public opinion.
These walls were around two years ago when Guevara had to protect her best player from her own fame.
Back in 2014 and in this gym, former Chippewa standout Crystal Bradford tore a knee muscle three days before the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Bradford was named the MAC Most Valuable Player that morning.
"We all know Crystal is married to her phone," Guevara told me. So she took a preemptive measure to brighten an otherwise gloomy mood heading into the postseason.
Guevara didn't want Bradford finding out about the honor from anyone else, so she told the entire team about the star players' honor before anyone else could.
During the last nine years, it is likely many secrets have stayed between members of the team, and as a result, inside these walls.
These walls have seen how a sense of intimacy helped Guevara has shaped her basketball family. These walls were lit up for a family reunion took last week.
The program recognized Bradford, Niki DiGuilio and several other CMU women's basketball all-timers. Guevara's applause was the loudest. More than anyone else, Guevara knows what those women accomplished within the confines of these walls.
Under Guevara and in front of these walls, bonds have been formed and dreams have been dashed. High school graduates have been turned into young women and a culture of accountability has been installed.
This season, without an obvious star or any expectation of success, Guevara is trying to keep that culture a float.
She's done a good job so far, leading the team to a 13-7 record (7-2 MAC) entering the final month of the regular season.
On Saturday, the Chippewas closed January out with a 77-54 dominating win over Miami (Ohio). These walls were here for that, too.
This year's CMU women's basketball team is gaining some steam and has snuck up on the unsuspecting competition.
But if these walls could talk, they probably wouldn't be as surprised about Guevara's success this year as you might think.
