Travis Baker

School: Graduated from North Adams-Jerome in 1999.

College: Western Michigan University, 2004

Coaching Experience: I first started learning about volleyball as a Graduate Assistant in the PE program at WMU in 2005.  I had to teach a volleyball class to undergrads and knew nothing about the game I now love!  I learned as much as I could as quickly as I could to avoid making a fool of myself in front of my peers.

In the fall of 2006 I took my first teaching position in Ashley, Michigan.  That year I co-coached the JV, then took over the varsity position the next year.  in 2007, I began coaching 14s and 16s in club for Valley West out of St. Louis, Michigan.  After working year round for four years to help turn around the program at Ashley, it was time to make a move. 

In 2010 I was blessed with the opportunity to become the Health/PE teacher at Leland Public School.  With no family within four hours, my fiance Becky (now my lovely wife) and I decided to make the move.  My only previous experience with Leland was watching them win the State Championship in 2006.  Ironically, I had taken members of the Ashley team I was coaching to watch.  During my first year at Leland in 2010, Head Coach Laurie Glass took me as an assistant. 

In 2011 Leelanau Area Volleyball Club was formed and I coached a single 16s team.  In 2012 we added an 18s team that I coached, in 2013 a 14s team was added. Since then we have added a 13s, a 12s, and in 2018 we started a new beach volleyball program.

Why I coach: I use volleyball as an avenue to help girls become strong young women that will use the lessons they have learned with me to become successful in life.  I fell in love with volleyball in particular because of the aspects of strategy, power, and finesse.  I believe the speed of high level volleyball is unparalleled, and that makes it unbelievably exciting an FUN!

Other: As mentioned earlier, I am married to my amazingly supportive wife Becky.  We are the proud parents of an Angel named Lilah, a son Landon, and a daughter Coral Elise.  We also have a Boxer named Ace and a Golden-Doodle named Baxter.