WORLD CHAMPIONS OF THE PANHANDLE
Vicky Bullett’s Basketball Journey a Slam Dunk
Martinsburg native Victoria Andrea “Vicky” Bullett is a basketball powerhouse, one of West Virginia’s most decorated athletes, and still immersed in the sport she loves. Her storied career includes playing in the WNBA and on European and South American professional teams, as a member of the U.S. Olympic team and USA National team, for the University of Maryland and as Martinsburg High Bulldog.
Bullet and the rest of the U.S. Olympic team were gold medalists in 1988, USA National World Champions in 1990 and Olympic bronze medalists in 1992. She was the youngest member of the 1988 team in Seoul, South Korea, at just 20 years old. She also played on the junior national USA Select team, and on the U.S. team at the 1990 Goodwill Games.
A star player, Bullett is still regarded as one of the University of Maryland’s best athletes in its women’s basketball history. During her career, she averaged 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and set a slew of records. She helped lead the Terrapins to three ACC titles and one NCAA Final Four. She made first team three of her four years, was named ACC Tournament MVP, ACC Player of the Year, and a Kodak All-American. The university has since retired her jersey (#23) and honored her with a spot in its Athletics Walk of Fame. Bullett was also honored by the ACC in being named to the Women’s Basketball 50th Anniversary team and later, selected as an ACC Women’s Basketball Legend.
Throughout the 1990s, Bullett was a popular player on professional teams in Italy and Brazil. When the WNBA was founded in 1997, she played three seasons with the Charlotte Sting (who reached the playoffs each season) before being traded to the Washington Mystics in 2000. She played an additional three seasons, starting all 96 games and racking up accomplishments one after the other. She retired from the WNBA after the 2002 season, and officially from professional play in 2007, after returning to Italy to play for a few years. In 2011, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
As her professional career wound down, Bullett’s coaching career took off with stints in the WNBA, colleges and local schools. She is currently the head coach for the woman’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, W.Va.
I know you got your start in basketball early, even if informally, playing with your friends and siblings in the dust bowl, the makeshift court in your backyard. You’ve come a long way since then. How do you remember those days now?
Anytime I’ve been on the court, it brings back memories because I had to play with the boys, playing with my brothers and the neighborhood kids. That’s how I got my start.
I know basketball runs in the Bullett family genes. Out of six kids, all but one of you played the sport in high school or beyond. What got you from the dust bowl to trying out for your high school team?
All of us kids played one sport or another. We were just an active family, and we had enough to make our own team. We didn’t have AAU ball back then so we just made the sport what it was in the back of our own yard. We didn’t have middle school basketball then either, but I wanted to play so I tried out for the high school team, and the coach felt I was good enough to play as a freshman on varsity.
What memories stand out from your Bulldog years?
Dennis Fiery was the coach my first two years. He told my dad I was ready to play on the varsity, but I was scared. He knew I was ready, but I wasn’t sure. The pace was a little different but I took the challenge. He was a very good coach. My older brother Don coached my junior and senior years after he took over the program and I remember he didn’t treat me any different than the other players. None of the kids saw I was treated any differently. He had his own experience at Glenville, and when he returned, he was surprised to see how far I had come. He was my role model and coach.
Your father, James “Tom” Bullett played basketball for Ramer High and then went on to play semi-pro baseball. What did you specifically learn from him about being an athlete?
My dad played semi-pro baseball in the Negro leagues, but he also played basketball in high school. For dad, it was different. He was a hard worker. He was an observer. Not like parents today. We’d come home and complain and he’d say, ‘Don’t talk to me, I’m not your coach.’ Dad didn’t get involved. He’d come to the games but you wouldn’t know he was there. He would tell us to work hard, and made us work hard for the things we wanted, and we understood that because he did the same thing.
You clearly had an amazing basketball career at the University of Maryland. You set records for points scored, field goals made and rebounds recovered, not to mention all the accolades. I would imagine making it the NCAA Final Four was a big moment. Tell me about your experience with that.
It was. We had such a small team. Our bench was very limited and inexperienced but we were in such good condition, we could play 40 minutes. What we had was just good. Reaching the Final Four was great. I’ll always remember it. Pat Summit from the University of Tennessee recruited me along with the University of Maryland, and our Final Four was between Maryland and Tennessee. I was fortunate they wanted me to go to their schools — they were both good schools. I chose Maryland because they were close to home. My parents never missed a game and their support meant a lot to me. But when we met Tennessee in the Final Four, I played that game with a lot of pride. It was a moment in time where I came up against the school I didn’t choose, and we lost, but it was a good contest. And it was good to see Coach Summit. We hugged. I don’t have any regrets. If I had to choose again, I would still choose Maryland.
What other moments stand out from your time as a Terrapin?
There are always great moments. My freshman, sophomore and senior years — so three out of the four years — we were ACC champions. Those moments in time were great for us.
During your time at school, you were selected to the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. What was the process for being selected?
That happened the summer of my junior year. Today, they select the players from the WNBA but back then, you had to try out from at least 200 girls. It was hard. Bridgette Gordon, who played for Tennessee, and I were the youngest players on the USA team. We were still in college while most of the other girls had already graduated. But I worked hard, and did what my brother Don said, which was to focus on defense. He said no one takes people out on defense because it’s the important thing. I always remember when the staff came to me and asked if I ever shoot. I said, ‘Of course I shoot,’ and then I started putting those two things together. There were a lot of great players there and I was fortunate to be one of the 12 who got selected.
Did you know any of your teammates beforehand?
I knew Bridgette; I had played against her, but I knew a lot of the girls, the student-athletes. Some were my role models so I knew of them but didn’t have the opportunity to play against them. Players like Anne Donovan, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain, top athletes at the time who were already on the team.
Just walking in the opening ceremonies must have been tremendous, but then your team went on to win the gold medal. What does it feel like to be an Olympian, and then win the biggest prize of all?
Being among all these other great athletes you’ve read about, like Greg Louganis, Janet Evans and Carl Lewis, and to be face-to-face with all of them, was awesome. I was in the same village where they were staying. I look back at my scrapbooks, and no one knew who I was then, but I was there.
Your team was favored at both Olympics. The U.S. team swiftly won all of its games in 1988 and came out strong in 1992, but lost one game, eliminating your chance at a gold medal repeat. What was your role in these Olympics?
In 1988, I was just so young. I didn’t play too long, but if we had to press, the coach would put me in to play at the top of the press there, playing defense. Whenever I got in the game I’d do my role and try to do the best that I could. The second Olympics, in 1992, I played injured but was a starter. I did a little of everything, but I was already playing overseas at that time so that helped a lot. That Russian Unified Team was really organized and shut down a lot of our key players. In 1988, we didn’t lose a game. In 1992, we lost to the Unified Team 79-73 then had to play Cuba to win, but we walked away with the bronze meal that year.
You would compete on a world stage several more times. What stands out from those competitions?
The friendships you make a long the way, the comaraderie of the players. There were so many good coaches, and I never took what they had to say for granted. We always got along, had such good leadership, lots of good experience, there were so many good people. And from the players to the coaches, we all knew what we had to do. As I’ve grown older, it’s very sentimental, especially this time of year with the Olympics happening. You remember being a part of it.
The WNBA was created in 1996, with play beginning in 1997. You were the first player chosen in the WNBA Draft by the Charlotte Sting. Did you know you were being considered by that team and when you got the call, what was going through your mind?
I didn’t even know a league was being formed. I got excited when I found out. At the time, a lot of women were overseas making a lot of money playing basketball. The Charlotte Sting had their rep, who came to see me, so I knew they were interested. Charlotte was a growing city at that time, and I was just happy they had a league for us.
You played three seasons each as a forward for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics. What were some highlights of those years?
Charlotte was great. The majority of my teammates were from the ACC, so I knew them and we were a similar age. I think they did that on purpose because they wanted to get the fan base. We were great at home, terrible on the road. It was a good run. When the Washington Mysticsopened a new franchise for the team, I was hoping for a trade. I was getting older and it was closer to home. I got traded and it allowed more family to come and watch. They’d jump on the metro and they were there.
Tell me about the leagues in other countries.
For the longest time that I can remember, women would go abroad to play in their pro league there and make pretty good money. It was a good way to continue to play the sport because some women just wanted to keep playing. When I finished college, that’s where I went. A lot of the athletes still go today. They play in the WNBA and then play overseas. For six years, I did that.
How did you know about it?
We had agents and a lot of them would contact us. If you played in college and were good enough, they would be in touch. I had a good agent for the 15 years I was overseas. He would come and visit. It was a good experience.
Were the seasons for the two leagues at different times to avoid conflict?
Yes. The international leagues start in October and end in May, depending on the championships. For the WNBA, it works out pretty well, because it’s not in conflict except if your team makes the championships. Sometimes there is overlap but some coaches don’t mind. They try and make it work both ways since the player is staying conditioned.
How else did the professional leagues differ from the WNBA?
It’s not that different and it was highly competitive. The conditions were good. If you didn’t speak the language, that was the hardest part. But it was basketball. I adjusted really well. A lot of the time, I was playing with inexperienced kids, but I tried to help them, and it made me a better coach. The coaches kept some of the older players to help the younger players.
Was it hard being so far from home?
As I got older, yes. It took a toll. I didn’t have a lot of time between seasons — I’m lucky if I got a week. After the WNBA, I played another four seasons since my body could hold up.
What ultimately made you retire from the sport?
Exhaustion from the travel schedule of the sport. Nagging injuries, such as my lower back. I then realized, even playing at a high level at the age of 36, chasing those who were 25 from game to game took a toll on my body. I had to listen and walk away from the game. I think I retired at a good time and I’ve been fortunate not have any major injury setback that shortened my career.
Has anything ever derailed your success or momentum? How did you overcome those moments?
I tolerate pain well. My last year, I had a lot of problems with my sciatic nerve. I had knee issues, but I didn’t neglect my injuries. I took care of them. For my six years in the WNBA, I was a starter for every game and wasn’t sidelined for injury that entire time.
How does it feel to be a celebrity in your own hometown, to have a street named in your honor?
It doesn’t seem like I’m a celebrity. What is fun is having the opportunity to visit schools where there are young kids whose parents have told them my story. They don’t even know what sport I’ve played. I don’t think I’m a celebrity, but whatever I can do to inspire kids, that’s the thing. Just being a role model.
You’ve done plenty of coaching since your pro career ended, not only with the Washington Mystics, but also with Hagerstown Community College, now with West Virginia Wesleyan College and even South Middle School. What drove you to coach?
Well of course, a high percentage of athletes who play a sport know they have so much more to offer the sport as a coach. I like to work with all ages. It’s not just college players; I like the young. You give back because you enjoy it and to help these young people reach their goals as athletes.
I remember you coaching South Middle back when my son was playing in middle school. I remember thinking they had it pretty good with you as their coach.
I wasn’t planning on doing that, but they needed a coach. We were 1-18 that first season — we were terrible. If you want a coach, this is what it looks like! The next year, we won the championship though, so that says something.
Coaching is a different thing altogether from playing. How have you made the transition and what makes you successful?
Consistency. For young people, today’s world is difficult. The parents are heavily involved. I think parents need to learn to let coaches do their job and not be so critical. Some coaches will give you that constructive criticism. Some kids will prove you wrong. As a kid, I would cry and melt down, but then I would work hard. I had that mentality. You’ve got to be careful what you say to some kids. They respond to certain things and the coach’s job is to know how. Each kid has a different personality and different strengths. You’ve got to find a way to get the best out of them. They’re learning to trust you and you want your student-athletes to buy into your philosophy and what you’re teaching them. I think instead of adjusting to 12 players, those team players have to adjust to the coach. We have to be on the same page. I treat all the athletes the same. If the best player has an attitude, they’ll sit. I let one of my best kids go at Hagerstown Community College because she was a conflict for the team. The team is more important than the individual.
You’re embarking on your first season as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College. What are you expecting this season and what obstacles did you inherit?
I inherited a lot. For two seasons, they’ve struggled to have a winning season, and that’s hard, especially when you have players who have potential. I don’t think I’m a crazy coach, but my goal is to help them to read, learn and react and not play so mechanically. I like to develop players. It’s really up to them. If they are receptive to what I have to teach and have a positive attitude, they have to take advantage of that resource and the opportunities that come their way. They have to find that sweet spot. I have a lot of returning players. I think they have a lot of potential but they will benefit from leadership, not only from me but their teammates.
The athletic director at West Virginia Wesleyan College said as good a player and coach as you already are, you’re an even better person. That’s quite a compliment. What qualities have you always tried to embody as a person and athlete?
Being open minded and humble. My parents and siblings always taught us we’re never more important than someone else. If we’re in a group of people, I’ll never walk ahead or behind you, I’ll walk besides you. I never feel I’m exceptional. I respect everybody regardless of his or her accomplishments. My accomplishments don’t define me, but being a good person does. I’m proud of my accomplishments but it doesn’t make me exceptional. Without God, you don’t get the desire of passing it down, especially for those individuals who use him as a tool. I was raised in the church and I’ve always followed the wisdom of the church. You’ve got to have something other than those who love you to give you guidance.
What words of wisdom do you have for the aspiring young female basketball athlete?
It doesn’t just refer to athletes but I’ve always said having a goal without a plan is just a wish. You don’t want to just wish for something, you want to achieve it. It’s like wishing you could win the lottery but then you don’t play. You got to have a plan and put down on paper what you want to accomplish in life.
VICKY BULLETT AT A GLANCE
Sport: Basketball
World championships: Olympic gold medalist in 1988, USA National World Champion in 1990, and Olympic bronze medalist in 1992
Nickname: In 1992, Lin Dunn, the assistant coach for the USA team, nicknamed Vicky “Baby Bull.” Nicknames were printed on the back of each player’s shooting shirts.
Years active: 17
Height: 6’3”
Age: 48
Hometown: Martinsburg
Current residence: Buckhannon
Family: Two dogs, Simone and Caesar
Mantra/quote: "Having a goal without a plan is just a wish"
Bullet and the rest of the U.S. Olympic team were gold medalists in 1988, USA National World Champions in 1990 and Olympic bronze medalists in 1992. She was the youngest member of the 1988 team in Seoul, South Korea, at just 20 years old. She also played on the junior national USA Select team, and on the U.S. team at the 1990 Goodwill Games.
A star player, Bullett is still regarded as one of the University of Maryland’s best athletes in its women’s basketball history. During her career, she averaged 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and set a slew of records. She helped lead the Terrapins to three ACC titles and one NCAA Final Four. She made first team three of her four years, was named ACC Tournament MVP, ACC Player of the Year, and a Kodak All-American. The university has since retired her jersey (#23) and honored her with a spot in its Athletics Walk of Fame. Bullett was also honored by the ACC in being named to the Women’s Basketball 50th Anniversary team and later, selected as an ACC Women’s Basketball Legend.
Throughout the 1990s, Bullett was a popular player on professional teams in Italy and Brazil. When the WNBA was founded in 1997, she played three seasons with the Charlotte Sting (who reached the playoffs each season) before being traded to the Washington Mystics in 2000. She played an additional three seasons, starting all 96 games and racking up accomplishments one after the other. She retired from the WNBA after the 2002 season, and officially from professional play in 2007, after returning to Italy to play for a few years. In 2011, she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
As her professional career wound down, Bullett’s coaching career took off with stints in the WNBA, colleges and local schools. She is currently the head coach for the woman’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, W.Va.
I know you got your start in basketball early, even if informally, playing with your friends and siblings in the dust bowl, the makeshift court in your backyard. You’ve come a long way since then. How do you remember those days now?
Anytime I’ve been on the court, it brings back memories because I had to play with the boys, playing with my brothers and the neighborhood kids. That’s how I got my start.
I know basketball runs in the Bullett family genes. Out of six kids, all but one of you played the sport in high school or beyond. What got you from the dust bowl to trying out for your high school team?
All of us kids played one sport or another. We were just an active family, and we had enough to make our own team. We didn’t have AAU ball back then so we just made the sport what it was in the back of our own yard. We didn’t have middle school basketball then either, but I wanted to play so I tried out for the high school team, and the coach felt I was good enough to play as a freshman on varsity.
What memories stand out from your Bulldog years?
Dennis Fiery was the coach my first two years. He told my dad I was ready to play on the varsity, but I was scared. He knew I was ready, but I wasn’t sure. The pace was a little different but I took the challenge. He was a very good coach. My older brother Don coached my junior and senior years after he took over the program and I remember he didn’t treat me any different than the other players. None of the kids saw I was treated any differently. He had his own experience at Glenville, and when he returned, he was surprised to see how far I had come. He was my role model and coach.
Your father, James “Tom” Bullett played basketball for Ramer High and then went on to play semi-pro baseball. What did you specifically learn from him about being an athlete?
My dad played semi-pro baseball in the Negro leagues, but he also played basketball in high school. For dad, it was different. He was a hard worker. He was an observer. Not like parents today. We’d come home and complain and he’d say, ‘Don’t talk to me, I’m not your coach.’ Dad didn’t get involved. He’d come to the games but you wouldn’t know he was there. He would tell us to work hard, and made us work hard for the things we wanted, and we understood that because he did the same thing.
You clearly had an amazing basketball career at the University of Maryland. You set records for points scored, field goals made and rebounds recovered, not to mention all the accolades. I would imagine making it the NCAA Final Four was a big moment. Tell me about your experience with that.
It was. We had such a small team. Our bench was very limited and inexperienced but we were in such good condition, we could play 40 minutes. What we had was just good. Reaching the Final Four was great. I’ll always remember it. Pat Summit from the University of Tennessee recruited me along with the University of Maryland, and our Final Four was between Maryland and Tennessee. I was fortunate they wanted me to go to their schools — they were both good schools. I chose Maryland because they were close to home. My parents never missed a game and their support meant a lot to me. But when we met Tennessee in the Final Four, I played that game with a lot of pride. It was a moment in time where I came up against the school I didn’t choose, and we lost, but it was a good contest. And it was good to see Coach Summit. We hugged. I don’t have any regrets. If I had to choose again, I would still choose Maryland.
What other moments stand out from your time as a Terrapin?
There are always great moments. My freshman, sophomore and senior years — so three out of the four years — we were ACC champions. Those moments in time were great for us.
During your time at school, you were selected to the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. What was the process for being selected?
That happened the summer of my junior year. Today, they select the players from the WNBA but back then, you had to try out from at least 200 girls. It was hard. Bridgette Gordon, who played for Tennessee, and I were the youngest players on the USA team. We were still in college while most of the other girls had already graduated. But I worked hard, and did what my brother Don said, which was to focus on defense. He said no one takes people out on defense because it’s the important thing. I always remember when the staff came to me and asked if I ever shoot. I said, ‘Of course I shoot,’ and then I started putting those two things together. There were a lot of great players there and I was fortunate to be one of the 12 who got selected.
Did you know any of your teammates beforehand?
I knew Bridgette; I had played against her, but I knew a lot of the girls, the student-athletes. Some were my role models so I knew of them but didn’t have the opportunity to play against them. Players like Anne Donovan, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain, top athletes at the time who were already on the team.
Just walking in the opening ceremonies must have been tremendous, but then your team went on to win the gold medal. What does it feel like to be an Olympian, and then win the biggest prize of all?
Being among all these other great athletes you’ve read about, like Greg Louganis, Janet Evans and Carl Lewis, and to be face-to-face with all of them, was awesome. I was in the same village where they were staying. I look back at my scrapbooks, and no one knew who I was then, but I was there.
Your team was favored at both Olympics. The U.S. team swiftly won all of its games in 1988 and came out strong in 1992, but lost one game, eliminating your chance at a gold medal repeat. What was your role in these Olympics?
In 1988, I was just so young. I didn’t play too long, but if we had to press, the coach would put me in to play at the top of the press there, playing defense. Whenever I got in the game I’d do my role and try to do the best that I could. The second Olympics, in 1992, I played injured but was a starter. I did a little of everything, but I was already playing overseas at that time so that helped a lot. That Russian Unified Team was really organized and shut down a lot of our key players. In 1988, we didn’t lose a game. In 1992, we lost to the Unified Team 79-73 then had to play Cuba to win, but we walked away with the bronze meal that year.
You would compete on a world stage several more times. What stands out from those competitions?
The friendships you make a long the way, the comaraderie of the players. There were so many good coaches, and I never took what they had to say for granted. We always got along, had such good leadership, lots of good experience, there were so many good people. And from the players to the coaches, we all knew what we had to do. As I’ve grown older, it’s very sentimental, especially this time of year with the Olympics happening. You remember being a part of it.
The WNBA was created in 1996, with play beginning in 1997. You were the first player chosen in the WNBA Draft by the Charlotte Sting. Did you know you were being considered by that team and when you got the call, what was going through your mind?
I didn’t even know a league was being formed. I got excited when I found out. At the time, a lot of women were overseas making a lot of money playing basketball. The Charlotte Sting had their rep, who came to see me, so I knew they were interested. Charlotte was a growing city at that time, and I was just happy they had a league for us.
You played three seasons each as a forward for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics. What were some highlights of those years?
Charlotte was great. The majority of my teammates were from the ACC, so I knew them and we were a similar age. I think they did that on purpose because they wanted to get the fan base. We were great at home, terrible on the road. It was a good run. When the Washington Mysticsopened a new franchise for the team, I was hoping for a trade. I was getting older and it was closer to home. I got traded and it allowed more family to come and watch. They’d jump on the metro and they were there.
Tell me about the leagues in other countries.
For the longest time that I can remember, women would go abroad to play in their pro league there and make pretty good money. It was a good way to continue to play the sport because some women just wanted to keep playing. When I finished college, that’s where I went. A lot of the athletes still go today. They play in the WNBA and then play overseas. For six years, I did that.
How did you know about it?
We had agents and a lot of them would contact us. If you played in college and were good enough, they would be in touch. I had a good agent for the 15 years I was overseas. He would come and visit. It was a good experience.
Were the seasons for the two leagues at different times to avoid conflict?
Yes. The international leagues start in October and end in May, depending on the championships. For the WNBA, it works out pretty well, because it’s not in conflict except if your team makes the championships. Sometimes there is overlap but some coaches don’t mind. They try and make it work both ways since the player is staying conditioned.
How else did the professional leagues differ from the WNBA?
It’s not that different and it was highly competitive. The conditions were good. If you didn’t speak the language, that was the hardest part. But it was basketball. I adjusted really well. A lot of the time, I was playing with inexperienced kids, but I tried to help them, and it made me a better coach. The coaches kept some of the older players to help the younger players.
Was it hard being so far from home?
As I got older, yes. It took a toll. I didn’t have a lot of time between seasons — I’m lucky if I got a week. After the WNBA, I played another four seasons since my body could hold up.
What ultimately made you retire from the sport?
Exhaustion from the travel schedule of the sport. Nagging injuries, such as my lower back. I then realized, even playing at a high level at the age of 36, chasing those who were 25 from game to game took a toll on my body. I had to listen and walk away from the game. I think I retired at a good time and I’ve been fortunate not have any major injury setback that shortened my career.
Has anything ever derailed your success or momentum? How did you overcome those moments?
I tolerate pain well. My last year, I had a lot of problems with my sciatic nerve. I had knee issues, but I didn’t neglect my injuries. I took care of them. For my six years in the WNBA, I was a starter for every game and wasn’t sidelined for injury that entire time.
How does it feel to be a celebrity in your own hometown, to have a street named in your honor?
It doesn’t seem like I’m a celebrity. What is fun is having the opportunity to visit schools where there are young kids whose parents have told them my story. They don’t even know what sport I’ve played. I don’t think I’m a celebrity, but whatever I can do to inspire kids, that’s the thing. Just being a role model.
You’ve done plenty of coaching since your pro career ended, not only with the Washington Mystics, but also with Hagerstown Community College, now with West Virginia Wesleyan College and even South Middle School. What drove you to coach?
Well of course, a high percentage of athletes who play a sport know they have so much more to offer the sport as a coach. I like to work with all ages. It’s not just college players; I like the young. You give back because you enjoy it and to help these young people reach their goals as athletes.
I remember you coaching South Middle back when my son was playing in middle school. I remember thinking they had it pretty good with you as their coach.
I wasn’t planning on doing that, but they needed a coach. We were 1-18 that first season — we were terrible. If you want a coach, this is what it looks like! The next year, we won the championship though, so that says something.
Coaching is a different thing altogether from playing. How have you made the transition and what makes you successful?
Consistency. For young people, today’s world is difficult. The parents are heavily involved. I think parents need to learn to let coaches do their job and not be so critical. Some coaches will give you that constructive criticism. Some kids will prove you wrong. As a kid, I would cry and melt down, but then I would work hard. I had that mentality. You’ve got to be careful what you say to some kids. They respond to certain things and the coach’s job is to know how. Each kid has a different personality and different strengths. You’ve got to find a way to get the best out of them. They’re learning to trust you and you want your student-athletes to buy into your philosophy and what you’re teaching them. I think instead of adjusting to 12 players, those team players have to adjust to the coach. We have to be on the same page. I treat all the athletes the same. If the best player has an attitude, they’ll sit. I let one of my best kids go at Hagerstown Community College because she was a conflict for the team. The team is more important than the individual.
You’re embarking on your first season as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College. What are you expecting this season and what obstacles did you inherit?
I inherited a lot. For two seasons, they’ve struggled to have a winning season, and that’s hard, especially when you have players who have potential. I don’t think I’m a crazy coach, but my goal is to help them to read, learn and react and not play so mechanically. I like to develop players. It’s really up to them. If they are receptive to what I have to teach and have a positive attitude, they have to take advantage of that resource and the opportunities that come their way. They have to find that sweet spot. I have a lot of returning players. I think they have a lot of potential but they will benefit from leadership, not only from me but their teammates.
The athletic director at West Virginia Wesleyan College said as good a player and coach as you already are, you’re an even better person. That’s quite a compliment. What qualities have you always tried to embody as a person and athlete?
Being open minded and humble. My parents and siblings always taught us we’re never more important than someone else. If we’re in a group of people, I’ll never walk ahead or behind you, I’ll walk besides you. I never feel I’m exceptional. I respect everybody regardless of his or her accomplishments. My accomplishments don’t define me, but being a good person does. I’m proud of my accomplishments but it doesn’t make me exceptional. Without God, you don’t get the desire of passing it down, especially for those individuals who use him as a tool. I was raised in the church and I’ve always followed the wisdom of the church. You’ve got to have something other than those who love you to give you guidance.
What words of wisdom do you have for the aspiring young female basketball athlete?
It doesn’t just refer to athletes but I’ve always said having a goal without a plan is just a wish. You don’t want to just wish for something, you want to achieve it. It’s like wishing you could win the lottery but then you don’t play. You got to have a plan and put down on paper what you want to accomplish in life.
VICKY BULLETT AT A GLANCE
Sport: Basketball
World championships: Olympic gold medalist in 1988, USA National World Champion in 1990, and Olympic bronze medalist in 1992
Nickname: In 1992, Lin Dunn, the assistant coach for the USA team, nicknamed Vicky “Baby Bull.” Nicknames were printed on the back of each player’s shooting shirts.
Years active: 17
Height: 6’3”
Age: 48
Hometown: Martinsburg
Current residence: Buckhannon
Family: Two dogs, Simone and Caesar
Mantra/quote: "Having a goal without a plan is just a wish"
