Staying Put: Former Chippewa Enderle balancing school, coaching and broadcasting
Hallie Enderle coaches the Beal City varsity volleyball team. Beal City lost to Morley-Stanwood on Wednesday in a playoff game to end their season.
After last season, Hallie Enderle had to give up playing Central Michigan volleyball. However, she has not given up the university or her sport.
Enderle is the varsity volleyball head coach at Beal City High School. The former four-year Chippewa middle blocker is also taking 16 credits this semester while also holding paid positions at Beal City, ESPN3 and Menards.
In the previous offseason, Head Coach Erik Olson recommended Enderle to Beal City Athletic Director Aarron Butkovich. Enderle believed she had a chance at becoming the Beal City Aggies’ freshmen volleyball coach.
Then, Buktovich notified her that the varsity position was available.
“(I said) we’ll think about it,” Enderle laughed. “I ended up taking the job after long talks with my family.”
Enderle has been in control of the Aggie volleyball program since July and is grateful for the opportunity to commence her coaching career, while still finishing up classes at CMU.
“I realized it was a late hire, so maybe if it wasn’t such a late opportunity maybe I wouldn’t have won out the job,” she said. “It was really exciting because I know how important (high school) varsity sports (are to college athletes). “I felt honored that I was going to be given the opportunity to be that impactful (person) in these kids’ lives.”
Enderle coached the Aggies to a 19-13-8 regular season record. Beal City swept Lakeview in the first match of the postseason tournament on Monday but was eliminated Wednesday with a loss to Morley-Stanwood.
Despite leading the team to an above-.500 record, Enderle said there are challenges to being a high school coach, the toughest being time management. Enderle said she attends classes at CMU from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., then makes the 20-minute journey from Mount Pleasant to Beal City for practice.
She does not return home until 8 p.m., operating around a 10-to-12-hour day.
Enderle said she has improved her organizational and people skills while being a head coach. She has also learned to make her own decisions, because she said Butkovich is sometimes her only resource and he is sometimes busy with other obligations.
“I have to do so much (more) stuff than what I’m used to,” she said.
The Aggies have about a half-dozen of seniors on their team, according to Enderle.
“Experience-wise, the varsity level is new to a lot of them,” she said.
Enderle is also gaining experience herself. In addition to being a volleyball coach, she still attends CMU and is working to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation and two-dimensional arts and a minor in psychology. She also works at Menards on the weekends to assist with gas to travel to and from Beal City.
Enderle said she usually works about 12 hours on the weekends at Menards, mostly on Sundays, because Beal City usually has tournaments on Saturday.
Despite the rigorous schedule, Enderle is relishing her new role.
“I’ve ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would,” she said. “I feel like I have to be a lot more intelligent about the game.”
Enderle’s volleyball career began when she was brought up to the junior varsity team at Mankato East High School in Minnesota as an eighth grader. Her coach was her mother, Barb Enderle, and referred to her as “Coach Enderle” in practice.
“(My mom) was a big inspiration,” Enderle said of becoming a volleyball coach.
Enderle also said Olson, her college coach for four years, was an influence in her wanting to become a head coach. Olson shared his thoughts on Enderle in September.
“Hallie has a good head on her shoulders and a good volleyball brain,” he said. “She’s smart on the court and off the court. Her energy was top-notch in terms of what she brought to our court so as a coach I’m sure she’s making that contagious.”
Enderle recorded 111 kills and 47 blocks in 79 sets in 2014, her final year of eligibility. Despite no longer participating for the Chippewas, she has found a way to stay involved in a different role.
Enderle works as a commentator for ESPN3 for CMU’s home matches along with broadcaster Adam Jaksa.
“I thought it was a cool experience,” Enderle said. “We’ve done like five games together. It was kind of like ‘Why not?’”
Through being at the games, she is able to get closer to the sophomores she only got a glimpse of last year, including sophomore outside hitter Jordan Bueter, defensive specialist Courtney Hiltibran and middle blocker Paige Carey. She said it is awesome to see that the three are now starters.
“It wasn’t just a one-year deal for me to be on their side,” Enderle said. “I’m definitely there all the time. Playing Division I volleyball was my dream. I can’t just put it down.”
Enderle has brought her Beal City team to McGuirk Arena for some of CMU’s matches this year, and some have even surprised her while she was broadcasting.
“It’s kind of like sharing my family with them,” she said.
Senior middle blocker Angie White has noticed a connection between the Aggies players and Enderle.
“She’s a great coach, just because she’s a phenomenal motivator,” White said. “She will keep you going, she will keep you laughing. I’m sure when the girls are not having the best day, they are still having a smile on their face. She’s really helpful as a coach. She just stays positive.”
White said Enderle’s motivation will help her to success.
“She was always the first one to volunteer for summer camps with kids,” she said. “She loves everything about volleyball. It’s in her bloodline. She’s really good at what she does.”
Enderle said she wants to continue coaching volleyball next season. Her goal is to become more qualified before considering making the jump to coaching college volleyball, as she said she enjoys coaching high school volleyball and wants to remain there for the time being.
“It would have to be something I’m very passionate about,” she said. “I love coaching at the high school level because it’s such a level of promise. Those kids can be anything. I don’t know if coaching at the college level is something I want to do. Time will tell.”
