Volleyball coach Bill Cramer inducted into OHSVCA HOF

Bill Cramer originally had no desire to coach girls volleyball. Actively playing in the United States and Canada, Cramer was asked by the head coach of Bellevue at the time if he'd be willing to work with her team because of his competitive experience. When the coach's husband suffered a terrible accident, Cramer was asked to step in on an interim basis. He reluctantly agreed — and to his surprise, Cramer immediately fell in love with coaching girls volleyball. After coaching for 22 years in the area, Cramer was recently inducted into the Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. "It's an honor and privilege to be inducted into the OHSVCA Hall of Fame," Cramer said. "I've been incredibly fortunate to work with outstanding student-athletes and dedicated assistant coaches throughout my career. This induction is not just about me. It's a reflection of the phenomenal people I've been surrounded by. "Any success I've had is directly tied to their hard work, passion and commitment. I share this honor with all of them." Cramer was born in Bellevue and graduated from Bellevue High School where he was an all-league defensive end for the Redmen football team. Cramer was nominated for induction into the hall of fame in his 19th year of coaching, but had not reached the 20-year milestone required for consideration. Monroeville coach Kendra Snook nominated him this past season and he was chosen. "At the time, I figured it would eventually happen," said Cramer of the first nomination. "But as the years passed — and after I retired in 2006 — the idea quietly faded to the background. I honestly didn't think much more about it. I was genuinely surprised to be considered. "It's humbling to be remembered and honored in this way after all these years." He has been married to Velda Cramer for 52 years and they reside in Huron. They have three children, Hallie, Chad and Dustin, and five grandchildren, Damon, Drew, Derek, Gideon and Hazel. "Coach Cramer really deserves this honor," Snook said. "I think he really helped develop high school volleyball around this area. To have played for him, he's one of the reasons I think I have a passion for volleyball. I loved playing for him. He was super disciplined, but he was great to play for. "I hope I'm doing what he did for me to the players I'm coaching now." Cramer finished with a career record of 381-178 with stops at Bellevue, Margaretta, Perkins and St. Paul. "The 1981 season was the beginning of it all," Cramer said. "Without that year, I may never have become a coach or discovered the joy of helping student-athletes push beyond what they thought was possible. Every season brought its own unique challenges and special moments, and it's hard to pick just one as the most meaningful. "Coaching my daughter stands out as an experience I'll always treasure. It was a privilege to share something I love so deeply with my daughter." Cramer was the first lay coach — a non-teacher — to be hired as head coach at Bellevue. That first season, Cramer's team won Bellevue's first-ever volleyball district title. After the season ended, the parents went to the school board to request that Cramer be reinstated as the permanent head coach. That kind of support meant the world to him. Cramer coached at Bellevue from 1981 to 1994, amassing a record of 221-120. "Over my 14 years at Bellevue, my incredible wife Velda coached junior varsity for 12 of them," Cramer said. "For a number of seasons, my daughter joined us as our setter coach. Coaching became a family affair. I still remember keeping my son, Chad, in a playpen in the gym while I ran practices. "The truth is, I could never have accomplished any of this without Velda. Her strength, dedication and partnership made everything possible." Cramer wasn't a head coach for a few seasons, but went to Perkins for 16 matches in 1997, going 7-9. After that, he was hired at Margaretta and coached for five years. Coaching Snook her first three years of school, the Polar Bears went 84-35 with Cramer at the helm. Following the 2002 season, Cramer was hired at St. Paul. The Flyers were 69-14 in his three seasons there. Cramer led the Flyers to three district titles, one state runner-up and two regional titles from 2003-05. Cramer's teams won 11 conference championships, seven district titles, three regional championships, and was state runner-up with St. Paul in 2005. "I think sometimes when you leave the game, people kind of forget about you," Snook said. "I didn't want people to forget about him. He was such a great coach wherever he was. His teams succeeded. His athletes in club succeeded and went on to the next level. "Seeing other coaches go into the Hall of Fame, there was no doubt he was right up there with all of them." He was named District Coach of the Year eight times and received four state achievement awards. St. Paul coach Angie Kalizewski played four years of JO for Cramer. He took over the Flyers program just after Kalizewski's senior season. "He's such a good coach and such a good guy," Kalizewski said. "I have a lot of respect for him and everything he's done — not only for the other players — but particularly me. I've watched his coaching style and learned so much over the years. I got to see him (Tuesday at the Summer Spiketacular), which was nice because I don't get to see him that often. It's always nice to catch up." Cramer was an active member of the OHSVCA during his coaching career from 1981 to 2005 and helped organize the District 6 Coaches Association. He was an integral developer for the North Shore Volleyball Club during its inception in 1995 where he was an active club trustee for numerous years. Cramer is just the fifth area coach to enter the Hall of Fame following Grace Hutchinson (Norwalk), Nancy Hanger (Clyde), Don Wood (Huron, active) and Nancy Miller (St. Paul). "I think it's a testament to what volleyball looks like in our area — what it was now versus what it was then," Norwalk coach Sarah Kipp said. "All of those coaches going into the Hall of Fame from our area helped build what we are now in our area. That's huge." Cramer preached hard work in his years as a head coach. "In life, you earn what you work for," Cramer said. "Nothing is handed to you. No one gets a free ride. My players knew that if they worked hard for me, I would work just as hard for them. Every athlete who stepped onto the court for me earned that right through effort, commitment and character." Cramer is retired and plays tennis and pickleball at least four days a week. He enjoys traveling and watching his grandchildren participate in all of their activities. When Cramer left Margaretta after the 2002 season, current Monroeville assistant volleyball coach Bill Orwig — Snook's father — took over for Cramer. The two have remained life-long friends. "The key to life — and certainly to coaching — is to surround yourself with great people," Cramer said. "From my wife, to my daughter, to my dear friend Bill Orwig, I was fortunate to have exceptional people by my side, all of whom made my job easier by sharing the same passion for working with young student-athletes."