The Lakewood girls’ volleyball program has been consistently competing to be the best team in the Moore League for the last two decades under coach Mike Wadley, and now his watch has ended.
Wadley retired after this his 19th season during which he won his 500th game as head coach of the Lancers. He is believed to be the first high school volleyball coach in Long Beach or the Moore League to cross 500 varsity wins–Cal-Hi sports only keeps official coaching records for football, basketball, and baseball/softball, so official records don’t exist statewide.
In 2007, Wadley also led Lakewood to a CIF state championship, and they are the only CIF State championship team in school history.
“It’s hard to be an athletic director and a coach, and I think I can serve the school and the league at a higher capacity,” Wadley said before the season. “I want to make our athletic program better and make people want to come here… And my sense of urgency and focus is increased because I know there’s an endgame.”
Wadley, known as a fiery motivator, has grown more sentimental over the years and has been really soaking in his final weeks coaching the Lancers.
“There’s so many things going through your mind with all these ‘lasts,’ we’ll have our last home game next week,” he said. “I’m going to miss it, but I’m not going to miss it. I really do think I can be of better service in another role, and I’m ready to pass the torch–the cupboard isn’t bare and we have great assistant coaches, I’m leaving it in good hands.”
