An inside look at Sumter High's championship head girls basketball coach Jeff Schaffer from key people in the program

Jeff Schaffer brought the Sumter High girls basketball program to new heights this winter, leading the Lady Gamecocks to their first state title in four decades.

To celebrate the victory, I talked with some of the program's brightest stars, seniors Kiara Croskey, Rickell Brown and Keziyah Sanders, as well as his right-hand woman, assistant coach Chris Vandevander, to get a new perspective on the longtime coach.

Croskey has played for Schaffer since she was in seventh grade, while Brown and Sanders got the call to varsity as freshmen. Vandevander joined Schaffer during the coach's first stint as the head coach, eventually replacing him when Schaffer stepped away in 2008 to take over as director of golf at Oak Hills Golf Club in Columbia. The two reunited when Schaffer took the program back over in 2017, and the rest is history.

What was your first interaction with Coach Schaffer?

BROWN: My first interaction with Coach Schaffer was very memorable and exciting. It was my first varsity practice, and my emotions were high, but he made sure that I felt welcomed and was sure to let me know that he was aware of what I could do on the court and was ready to do whatever to help to succeed.

SANDERS: My first interaction with Coach Schaffer was very exciting and outgoing! He boosted my confidence on how great of a player I am and what he saw in me in the future.

What is it like to coach alongside him?

COACH V: We think a lot alike. We both focus on the details. We both knew we had a lot of talent here, and the ultimate was to win the big one. We've both been in it for a long time, and we thought if we stick around long enough, keep working hard at it, we had enough talent to pull this out. He makes it real easy. He just lets me focus on the basketball and handles all of the administrative side of things. He's really great at that, the organization, the prep.

What would people be surprised to learn about Coach Schaffer?

CROSKEY: One thing people would be surprised to know about him is that he's a very funny and goofy person. He looks so serious all the time, so people kind of don't get to see his chill side, but he's such a clown. He'll always give you a good laugh when you need it.

BROWN: He is very emotional and treats you as if you're his own child.

What makes Coach Schaffer a great head coach?

COACH V: He's really hard on them when it comes to basketball and doing what they're supposed to do. He very much shoots them straight. Most people don't see this side of him, but he's really a softy. He wants to do right by the kids, he wants to give them experiences, he's got a lot of love for them.

CROSKEY: Because he sees so much of the potential of his players and he just wants the absolute best for anyone who has the opportunity to play for him. He'll always remind you that everything is a process and you have to trust it, and the hard work you put in now will most definitely pay off later. He's also very supportive in anything you do, but he will also let you know when you're wrong, and that's what you want from a coach so you can learn from your mistakes and be better. He's like a second father.

SANDERS: What makes Coach Schaffer a good coach is how he pushes us and never lets us settle for less. He always tells us if he stops yelling then we already failed. So when he gets on me, I know he can see the better in me, and I know he wants the better for me.

What are your favorite memories with Coach Schaffer outside of the state championship win?

BROWN: My junior year at our Christmas tournament at Hilton Head was my favorite memory of Coach Schaffer. We all wore Christmas PJs and laughed until our stomachs locked up.

SANDERS: My favorite basketball memory with coach was going to Hilton Head. We got to see everybody's lives a little bit outside of basketball and spending more time with each other and just enjoying each other's company wearing matching pajamas, going out to eat and shopping.

CROSKEY: My favorite basketball memory with coach would be when we played Carolina Forest at Carolina Forest this year and won. He would always be anxious about playing there because we always lose there, but I told him we got them this year, and we did. He was so proud of me and almost shed tears because I told him that this year was ours. It was a special moment between us because we've grown so much over the years.

COACH V: I think for me it's when I realized how soft he was; that was one of the turning points. I'd seen that very hard side of him, but I think when we had one of our first banquets, he got really emotional. That was a turning point that he's here for these girls.

What is your lasting memory of playing for Coach Schaffer?

BROWN: Going undefeated and winning the state championship with the best girls team in Sumter High history.

CROSKEY: My lasting memory of playing for him at Sumter High will always be winning a state championship because that's something no one could ever take from us. Knowing that he wanted one on the girls side, especially for us knowing we've been with him for the last four to five years and now that we got one is such a huge blessing and accomplishment.

What did this state championship mean to you?

CROSKEY: It was very important to win this state title all together because it's been something not only just me, but the rest of the team including the senior group has been wanting since the beginning of the season. We've always been doubted by people because of our size, so every game we came across we just had to play with a chip on our shoulder. All the hours in practice and time outside of practice working on our craft individually and staying dedicated was something that brought us closer together to win it all.

BROWN: It was very important to win the state title this year. It shows the dedication and commitment that we've put in for the last four years! We overcame a lot of adversity knowing that we lost at such a high stage numerous times in previous years. We stayed patient and waited for what we knew was ours for the taking.

SANDERS: It was very important to win the state championship this year because we been close three out of four years, and our excuse was we were young and we would always be back. It was very important to the seniors because we deserve this and we been there before, and we felt like this year was our reason. I'm never cocky, but I feel like nobody could stop our starting five, even knowing we didn't have the height. We wanted to prove it's always heart over height!