What you see on the exterior of a coach; the win-loss record, interactions with parents and athletes, quotes in the newspaper, is often only a portion of the human they are. Education based athletics is a lifestyle that allows the most humble and giving of individuals the stage to make the greatest impact on the most important people: our youth.

Nestled in the most Northwest corner of the contiguous United States, exists a beautiful remote community full of culture, history and an incredibly successful volleyball program. This is the home of the Makah Nation, Neah Bay.

It began for Rebekah Greene as it does for many youth in the Neah Bay community. At six years old, Rebekah lost her mother, was left with a father who was facing his own personal challenges and at times had to figure out how to access things most folks take for granted: food, shelter and care. At this young age, Rebekah found what she has now become for many - a coach. A coach who became her mentor and eventually, her lifeline. The support and ultimate opportunity this relationship provided her was instrumental in developing the woman and coach that she is today.

In addition to maintaining her full time job as the tribal historic program manager and picking up full time Athletic Director duties, Rebekah has coached the Neah Bay Red Devil volleyball program since the 1990’s. The program has excelled under her leadership and is reflective of the experience she had under the coach that positively re-routed the course of her life. She describes her coaching style as a combination of consistency, mentorship and high expectations. Rebekah and her assistant have been a team for over 10 years, both women with the ability to understand the challenges that the athletes face as young girls growing up in a shared tribal community.

Rebekah, her coaches and her athletes are connected by the culture of the community while balancing the reality of life on a remote reservation with multigenerational homes, lack of access and limited opportunities. While raising her sons and opening her home to others who have needed it, Rebekah felt first hand the delicate balance between honoring Makah culture and the inspiration that comes from dreaming beyond the borders of the reservation. One son, Josh, committed to the deep traditions of the community and was attending Dartmouth to study linguistics in part to bring the Makah language to full use in Neah Bay. A respected, loving tribal member, Josh was just 19 years old when he lost his life gathering food off the shores of Neah Bay. Rebekah, a grieving mother, while facing the greatest challenge of her life, continued to coach. She leaned on her trusted staff and remembered the words Josh had said to her years earlier when she considered hanging up her whistle to spend more time with the family, “They need you”.

Have a mentor, be a mentor is a philosophy that Rebekah carries close to her heart. As an experienced and trusted advisor, Rebekah learned from her own coach how to support those in need, meet them where they are and provide the stable foundational guidance so many youth need today. The most simple yet most difficult life lesson is the one that she seeks for her players to understand and is one that sports reflect ever so truly: control what you can control. This philosophy has led Rebekah the ability to develop players into future coaches, some of whom she has hired and worked with for the last ten plus years. This philosophy has also led Rebekah the ability to provide once in a lifetime experiences for the young athletes at Neah Bay High School and beyond. Last month, Rebekah lead her Neah Bay Red Devils to an 11-0 record in the North Olympic 1B League and a #5 Seed in the WIAA State Volleyball Tournament.

There is no doubt that the volleyball players in Neah Bay need Rebekah Monette. Coaching for as long as she has, it’s easy to miss the view from the top. As their state tournament run came to a close a few weeks ago, one of her athletes had missed the final game due to injury. When the athlete suggested that maybe she should have played the game even while injured, Rebekah put her arm around the player and simply reminded her, “You are more important than any game.” The advice Rebekah had learned from her mentor is the same advice she is passing along to those she now mentors.

Today, more than 40 years removed from being that young girl seeking comforts of support in a challenging tribal community, Rebekah Monette has become the coach she was mentored to be. Through loss, love and selfless giving, Rebekah will always provide a safe place, a place of learning and the opportunity to teach anybody how to play volleyball.