Lancaster steps down
Hoops coach wants to spend more time with son
By JEREMY HEATH Staff Writer

PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Mitzi Lancaster, shown here presenting the 2007-08 Battlin' Badger Award to Jennifer Howard, resigned as head Lampasas High School girls' basketball coach.

The only dribbling Mitzi Lancaster wants to worry about for a while is whatever is dribbling out of her infant son Cash's mouth at feeding time.

After four years as the head girls' basketball coach at Lampasas High School, Lancaster stepped down this week to focus on her growing family. She and her husband, Clint, welcomed Cash into the world in early January, more than three months before his due date. Lancaster had to miss a handful of basketball games in the middle of the district season while she and her family lived out of Scott & White Hospital in Temple.

"After a great deal of thought and prayer, I realized I need to put my family first," the coach said. "It would be difficult to put in the time, heart and effort these kids deserve and still put that same effort into raising my son.

"It's hard to let go of coaching because that's really all I know, but when Cash gets older, I can get back into it if the opportunity arises."

LHS Athletics Director Joey McQueen said the resignation must be approved by the school board before the job opening is posted officially. If McQueen decides to look outside the LHS program for the next head coach, the position of head girls' basketball/assistant girls' track coach must be posted for at least 10 days before anyone is hired.

If he decides to hire from within the program, the official posting will be for an assistant girls' basketball/ assistant girls' track coach.

Stuart Beckwith and Jimmie Cain coached the junior varsity and freshman teams this year, respectively. Beckwith acted as interim head coach when Lancaster was in the hospital.

"We have the opportunity -- if we want to -- to move up someone within the system," McQueen said.

Whether McQueen looks inside or outside the program, replacing the former Burnet Lady Bulldog and Baylor Lady Bear basketball player will be no easy task, he said.

"She's awesome," the AD said. "I'm going to truly miss her. She was a good disciplinarian, was extremely organized and is just a good person. She taught these kids how to do more than dribble a basketball and shoot; she taught them what is important in life."

Beckwith agrees.

"Coach brought with her and left, within these kids, many lessons of life and basketball," he said. "She brought heart, determination, work habits and drive. She brought a never-give-up and never-give-in attitude. She taught that hard work can overcome greater talent, and that you always have a chance to win if you outwork your opponent.

"Mitzi taught these kids about life and how to live it," Beckwith continued. "Some listened, learned and will have the benefit of knowing her for the rest of their lives. Some, it is sad to say, did not listen, and did not learn, and they have missed a very special person. She is a friend I value and respect."

In four seasons at LHS, Lancaster did not have a team reach the playoffs, with the 2006-07 team reaching a high-water mark of 15 wins.

"I wish the girls that played for me the last four years could have had the opportunity to compete in post-district play," Lancaster said. "That is my biggest regret.

"I realize there may be some who didn't agree with my tactics and my philosophy, but I have always tried to place the kids' interests first and wanted them to be the very best they could be. My expectations were high, and I was hard on the kids sometimes because of those expectations. I believe you get what you expect.

"I am thankful for my time here, and I will miss the kids a great deal."