Volleyball: Englebrecht wears many hats

Steve Virgen

Like the boxers she manages, Corona del Mar’s Allison Englebrecht

will never back down from a new challenge. Englebrecht, who starred in

volleyball at Corona del Mar High, has added more work to her already

busy schedule.

Santa Ana High hired Englebrecht as its new girls volleyball coach

last month and, now, in addition to being a boxing manager and

educational development teacher, she will attempt to lead the Saints to

Golden West League titles in the years to come. She will also teach at

the school.

“I would definitely love to win league, hopefully this year,” said

Englebrecht, 26, who coached the CdM frosh-soph team for two years and

guided the Sea Kings to a Sea View League title in 1999, after a

runner-up finish in ’98. “I would also love to get a CIF (championship)

banner.”

Englebrecht is no stranger to winning CIF titles. She did so as a

middle blocker for the Sea Kings. In 1992, her senior year, she helped

lead CdM to a national championship with a 36-0 record.

Yet, Englebrecht said she learned more than winning the prestigious

title. And she plans to pass on those lessons to the Saints.

“I had some great years of playing and winning,” Englebrecht said.

“But, what I took from them is what has prepared me for life. (Former CdM

coach) Charlie Brande taught me a lot about responsibility and pushing

through the tough times.”

Times have hardly been tough for Englebrecht, but her various

activities leave her very little free time on her hands.

Aside from building a winner at Santa Ana, Englebrecht manages boxing

brothers Librado Andrade and Enrique Ornelas from La Habra.

“It’s a different lifestyle,” Englebrecht said of being a boxing

manager. Her father, Roy Englebrecht is a longtime boxing promoter, known

best for his “Battle in the Ballroom” promotions held in Orange County.

“It’s just interesting just to get my feet wet right now. (Andrade and

Ornelas) are wonderful men and wonderful boxers. They have real

potential. They’re both trying to reach the mountain top. They’re headed

for the top. They’re definitely not on their way down.”

Englebrecht has also been working with the Even Start family literacy

program in Huntington Beach. She not only teaches preschool and

elementary-grade children, she also creates education strategies with the

parents.

She believes she has found her niche in teaching kids for whom English

is their second language. Perhaps, because that is more challenging, she

said.

At Santa Ana, Englebrecht will teach English language development.

Said Englebrecht: “I believe my teaching background will help these

kids learn quickly.”

She plans to give the same effort in the classroom as on the

volleyball court.

And also, the education she provides in class will be the same she

will provide for her players.

“Coaching is about building up the girls’ confidence in volleyball and

in life,” Englebrecht said. “ I want to build up their self-esteem and

get them into a college. A lot of them just need an extra push. I want to

be there for them and just push them and tell them that they can achieve

(a college education).”