Burnet coach Crystal Shipley’s impact is more than wins

CAPTION: The 2023 Burnet High School volleyball team earned head coach Crystal Shipley (standing, right) her 100th career victory, which came against Lampasas in Sept. 26, 2023. Celebrating the milestone were players Kylie Brobst (seated, left), Journey Denton, Reagan Shipley; manager Emma Pelky (middle row, left), Addie Houston, Payton Smith, Asah Roy, Camryn Courtney; MaeSyn Gay (back row, left), Addison Huffman, Zaria Solis, Cydney Robison, Laney Huffman and Lauren Howton. File photo

At the end of the 2024-25 school year, the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District received numerous resignations from head coaches, many of whom were in the girls program.

But the one coach who was a constant and has been for 20 years is Crystal Shipley. One year after being named the girls athletic coordinator on top of her duties as the volleyball and girls and track and field head coach, Shipley simply did what Burnet coaches tell their athletes to do.

Go to work.

One week after graduation, Shipley and new cross country head coach Simon Hairston began conducting summer strength-and-conditioning sessions that Shipley created.

While the number of head coaches resigning may have shocked onlookers — many of which cited family reasons for their decisions to leave Burnet CISD— few Burnet alumna were surprised at how the Lady Dawgs took it in stride.

And that’s because of Shipley, they said.

“She is someone who simply wants you to get better and take that step,” 2024 graduate Zaria Solis said. “Even now I still try to make her proud. I do everything I can to be that person.”

“She puts a lot of time and effort,” 2024 graduate MaeSyn Gay said. “I’m not surprised because they know her and what winning and greatness looks like.”

Solis, who is Texas Lutheran University volleyball and basketball player, recalled being in the sixth grade and not showing the natural movements people associate with athletes.

“She took a chance on me when no one really would,” Solis said. “I was not very coordinated in middle school. Coach Shipley pulled me aside. She told me she really believed in me and thought I had skills and to keep working on it. She talked to me and kept working with me. She became that person who will stand by me.”

When it came time to make some decisions that affected Solis’ future, the athlete met with Shipley and told her Texas Lutheran actually wanted her to play both volleyball and basketball.

“She talked me through it and helped me decide,” the former Lady Dawg said.

Gay, who is a basketball player at Hardin-Simmons University, grew up developing a friendship with Shipley’s son, Reese. The two families formed friendships away from the campuses, and the coach saw in Gay the traits that made her one of the most all-around athletes in the county. For those reasons, Shipley didn’t hesitate to challenge her athletes to be better by making the workouts and practices tougher than the last.

That commitment to ensuring the Lady Dawgs improve daily is a big reason why Gay and Solis were part of so many successful runs in multiple sports as multi-year lettermen.

“I knew well and they knew well the expectations,” Gay said. “It’s instilled in us.”

The two said when an educator like Shipley tells an athlete over and over how they can achieve greatness then provides the tools and resources to get there, that athlete is empowered to show that coach she’s right.

“A lot of athletes thrive on making their coach proud,” Solis said. “They feel achieved when they can make their coach proud.”

None of what Gay and Solis said surprised Dr. Aaron Pena, Burnet CISD superintendent. Pena noted he witnessed the traits Gay and Solis are referring to firsthand. So when Rick Gates resigned at the end of the 2023-24 school year, it didn’t take long for Pena to name Shipley the girls athletic coordinator.

“What makes her leadership so effective is the way she combines high expectations with high support,” he said. “Her relationships with students and fellow coaches are built on trust and a shared commitment to growth. She’s building a culture where hard work today is laying the foundation for tomorrow’s success.”

And that’s why the Lady Dawgs continue to contend for championships even when realignment adds more school districts perched in locations where opposing athletes focus on one sport during the school year. And why, even when the school district is hiring new head coaches, the Lady Dawgs still show up in large numbers for summer strength and conditioning.

“Coach Shipley believes in her athletes, and they feel it,” Pena said. “That belief becomes a source of motivation. It’s powerful when students know that someone sees their potential, holds them accountable and wants the best for them. It helps young people push through hard days, show up when it’s easier not to, and grow into the best version of themselves. That’s exactly the kind of impact she is making.”

Even today, several graduated Lady Dawgs still reach out to Shipley to share their successes, struggles and many things that are in-between. Solis said many of them credit Shipley for helping them achieve their goals, which may include being a collegiate athlete or applying the lessons they’ve learned through athletics to their lives.

“She’s a very big person in the athletic department,” Solis said. “She also builds that personal relationship with her athletes. I know I’m not the only one. I feel like that’s why she’s a huge part in your life.”

CAPTION: Burnet High School girls athletic coordinator Crystal Shipley (left) leads the Lady Dawgs through an agility exercise that’s part of the summer strength and conditioning program. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro