Brownwood High School athletic director Sammy Burnett on Wednesday announced 2010 Bangs High School graduate Chelsy Lipsey has been hired as the new Lady Lions cross country and track head coach for the 2023-24 school year.

Lipsey has spent the last seven seasons serving as the girls track and cross country head coach at Ballinger.

“Coach Burnett and Coach (Heather) Hohertz contacted me about it and obviously being from Bangs I knew the tradition was rich in Brownwood,” Lipsey said. “I enjoyed my time at Ballinger, I was there seven years. I wasn’t necessary looking to leave, but this all fell into place and I prayed about it, and it was the right decision for me right now. I’m excited about coming here and meeting everybody and getting going.”

Burnett said, “I got to talk to Chelsy for a little bit and it didn’t take long to understand her passion for what she does, what she wants to do for kids, and the level she wants to be at all the time with the programs she’s in charge of. We’re blessed to have her around and I look for great things from her as the head girls cross country coach and head girls track coach.”

In regard to the way she’ll run the Lady Lions cross country and track programs, Lipsey said, “As most people know cross country and track are tough, you have to be extremely mentally tough to be able to do it. You have to show the kids it’s important to you and coming from a coaching family, both of my parents were track coaches, you have to show the kids how much you love it. If you pour your passion into it you’re going to get even more out of them than what they feel they’re capable of doing.”

Having spent seven years at Ballinger, Lipsey is familiar with what it takes to build a program and what is required to step up to the next level.

“In cross country a couple of years ago the girls were really close to getting to state, the top four from regionals go, and we’ll mainly have those same girls this year so I know they’re capable of competing at that level,” Lipsey said. “I’m ready to get here and push them to make that our goal, to get to Round Rock this year for state in cross country, and get as many as we can to Austin for track.”

Regarding what is required to reach the next level for athletes, Lipsey said, “With cross country it’s a huge team sport and you have to run for each other, but you have to make it fun, too. That’s what I think I’ve been able to do at Ballinger. Those girls all bought in and loved each other, ran for each other and enjoyed being out there with each other. That makes a huge turning point in cross country, because when you enjoy it, too, you’ll run harder for each other and your coach and that’s what we’re going to try and do here.”

(story courtesy Derrick Stuckly with Brownwoodnews.com)