North Muskegon tennis coach Cody Liverance is grooming his boys’ tennis team for another successful season; and has had great success coaching the girls’ team.
(Photos courtesy of LocalSportsJournal.com)By Ron Rop
LocalSportsJournal.com
Cody Liverance could easily be labeled Mr. North Muskegon, Jr.
Of course, there have been so many great athletes, teachers, coaches, administrators and others who have spent their entire life rooting for the blue and gold of the Norsemen. Guys like Dave Cooke, Jeff Cooke, Bobby Walters, Stan Guy, Frank Moran and Dale Swanson.
But, at the age of 31, Liverance has pretty much been a “lifer” when it comes to North Muskegon who has decades to go to match the accomplishments and the longevity of the aforementioned legends of North Muskegon.
While Liverance was born in Marquette, he ended up in North Muskegon before he even started school. He grew up on Fleming Street right in the heart of North Muskegon. Across Fleming is the tennis courts. Two houses down and on the other side of Moulton Avenue is the North Muskegon gymnasium. He’s lived at a handful of locations over the years, but if you measured the distance, it would barely cover a mile. That’s how grounded Liverance is in the North Muskegon community.
“I don’t have a wife or kids, but I firmly believe this is one of the best places around to raise a family,” said Liverance. “When your kids can ride their bikes and go do things around town, as a parent, you don’t really have to worry about them. It’s just a great place to live and it was a great place for me to grow up.”
So great that those childhood friends from back in the day remain on the top of his friend’s list to this day, 13 years after they graduated from high school and went their separate ways.
He remains in close contact with his school buddies like Graham Preston, Zac McCamant, John Hardy, Marshall Scheldt, Stefan Miller and Peter Host. Preston was his doubles partner on the NM tennis team that advanced to the state finals before finishing runner-up. And, it was Miller (No. 1 singles player) who convinced Liverance to pick up a tennis racket when the team needed a couple more bodies to fill the roster.
Liverance’s high school sports experience was highlighted by playing in the tennis state finals along with Preston, his No. 2 doubles partner.
“It took me until the start of my junior year to give tennis a shot,” said Liverance, who now coaches both the boys and girls tennis teams at North Muskegon. “It turned out that I happened to be decent at it. It’s funny because baseball is the one I loved and that was the one my dad (Shawn) told me right away that I would love baseball and I would play baseball. I did, but then tennis became the sport I was best at even though I put in the least amount of time and effort into it. But when you’re growing up, you’re doing everything,
you pick up football and go to the field. When Michigan State plays at noon and the game is done, let’s go play a pickup game.”
There was plenty of pickup basketball on the court at a friend’s house and wiffle ball in the backyard.
“We grew up doing all of those things,” said Liverance, who graduated from North Muskegon in 2011. “I think that helped a lot of us, going through school, turn into pretty decent, well-rounded athletes. I might not be the most athletically fit person, I never was, and I’m not right now, but that helped me have good hands and decent athletic abilities.”
After high school, Liverance wanted so badly to attend Central Michigan University following his days at NM and that’s exactly what he did. He loved the smaller campus, the “scene” at the university and the academics seemed to be the right fit. Some visits to friends at Michigan State University prompted Liverance to make a change.
“I made me realize this is where I wanted to be,” said Liverance, who returned home to Muskegon Community College before moving to MSU. “I grew up a Spartan fan and I had family located around the Lansing area. I always thought it was going to be too big for me, but once I got a taste of Central, I realized I could go bigger at Michigan State.”
He finished off his degree at MSU and did a year of student teaching through their program and did his Master’s work there.
His first taste of teaching was as a long-term substitute at Orchard View Middle School. While there, he was hired to coach tennis and freshman basketball.
“I really did love it over there,” Liverance said. “The people were great over there and I really enjoyed the kids and the atmosphere and the way that things were going, there wasn’t a job for me at the end of the year. But, luckily, a job came open here at North Muskegon.”
Liverance is in his eighth year of teaching at North Muskegon. He taught middle school and high school social studies, physical education and economics during the day. He’s also been spotted in the football press box and down on the field. Doing such things as making sure the microphone for the singer of the national anthem has fresh batteries or keeping an eye on the student section during game action. And just this year, he’s been helping out Jeff Cooke as an assistant athletic director at the middle and high schools.
There is a chance that at some point in the future, Liverance may end up stepping into the AD role, but that bridge will be crossed when the time comes. It may force Liverance into stepping away from what he loves and that is coaching tennis and basketball.
That move would seem to fit Liverance, who was voted to have the most school spirit when he was in high school. And, as an AD, going to all the game is part of the job.
“I was going to soccer and I was going to the tennis matches,” Liverance said. “I supported everything and that is where I realized I had this background in sports. I wanted to do that as my career, but I also realized I love it here. How could I be involved in sports and still stay in Muskegon. The stars kind of aligned and if you’re a teacher or a coach you can do that or if you’re an athletic director, you can go that route.”
For the time being, Liverance is grooming his boys’ tennis team for another successful season. And that’s by playing top competition.
“You’re not going to get better if you don’t play good teams and see what good teams look like,” he said. “This is nothing against anyone in our area, but we are not blessed with just a bunch of teams that are world beaters. It’s hard to find a team that is deep 1-12 and we’re doing to have our days when the competition is not super strong, but you also have to play the good schools as well. Kids need to see what the good players look like, what their work ethic looks like, what their attitudes look like if they want to get to that level.”
And while the team has taken some lumps at times during the season, there is a method to the madness of scheduling top competition.
“We’ll get our chances to get our wins, but also chances to see the good teams and take some losses to get better,” Liverance said. “If we get to our level of being of a caliber that can go to the state finals and compete with those schools, that’s what it’s about.”
Much of Liverance’s success as a tennis coach has been with the girls’ team, which has made it the state finals as a team six of seven seasons. The best finish at state was third with a definite highlight being the state title won by Marilyn Gaston and Greta Goszkowicz at No. 4 doubles.
The boys have not yet made it to the state finals as a team. Luke Hall won the No. 1 singles regional title a year ago and made it to the state finals as an individual and reached the quarterfinal round.
“As much as I’ve had success with the girls team, the boys team means just a little bit more because it’s the team I played for,” said Liverance, whose high school team finished fifth at the state finals. “I’ve seen that success and I know how impactful it was for me and how great it was to experience that with still my best friends to this day at the age of 31.”
LocalSportsJournal.com
Cody Liverance could easily be labeled Mr. North Muskegon, Jr.
Of course, there have been so many great athletes, teachers, coaches, administrators and others who have spent their entire life rooting for the blue and gold of the Norsemen. Guys like Dave Cooke, Jeff Cooke, Bobby Walters, Stan Guy, Frank Moran and Dale Swanson.
But, at the age of 31, Liverance has pretty much been a “lifer” when it comes to North Muskegon who has decades to go to match the accomplishments and the longevity of the aforementioned legends of North Muskegon.
While Liverance was born in Marquette, he ended up in North Muskegon before he even started school. He grew up on Fleming Street right in the heart of North Muskegon. Across Fleming is the tennis courts. Two houses down and on the other side of Moulton Avenue is the North Muskegon gymnasium. He’s lived at a handful of locations over the years, but if you measured the distance, it would barely cover a mile. That’s how grounded Liverance is in the North Muskegon community.
“I don’t have a wife or kids, but I firmly believe this is one of the best places around to raise a family,” said Liverance. “When your kids can ride their bikes and go do things around town, as a parent, you don’t really have to worry about them. It’s just a great place to live and it was a great place for me to grow up.”
So great that those childhood friends from back in the day remain on the top of his friend’s list to this day, 13 years after they graduated from high school and went their separate ways.
He remains in close contact with his school buddies like Graham Preston, Zac McCamant, John Hardy, Marshall Scheldt, Stefan Miller and Peter Host. Preston was his doubles partner on the NM tennis team that advanced to the state finals before finishing runner-up. And, it was Miller (No. 1 singles player) who convinced Liverance to pick up a tennis racket when the team needed a couple more bodies to fill the roster.
Liverance’s high school sports experience was highlighted by playing in the tennis state finals along with Preston, his No. 2 doubles partner.
“It took me until the start of my junior year to give tennis a shot,” said Liverance, who now coaches both the boys and girls tennis teams at North Muskegon. “It turned out that I happened to be decent at it. It’s funny because baseball is the one I loved and that was the one my dad (Shawn) told me right away that I would love baseball and I would play baseball. I did, but then tennis became the sport I was best at even though I put in the least amount of time and effort into it. But when you’re growing up, you’re doing everything,
you pick up football and go to the field. When Michigan State plays at noon and the game is done, let’s go play a pickup game.”
There was plenty of pickup basketball on the court at a friend’s house and wiffle ball in the backyard.
“We grew up doing all of those things,” said Liverance, who graduated from North Muskegon in 2011. “I think that helped a lot of us, going through school, turn into pretty decent, well-rounded athletes. I might not be the most athletically fit person, I never was, and I’m not right now, but that helped me have good hands and decent athletic abilities.”
After high school, Liverance wanted so badly to attend Central Michigan University following his days at NM and that’s exactly what he did. He loved the smaller campus, the “scene” at the university and the academics seemed to be the right fit. Some visits to friends at Michigan State University prompted Liverance to make a change.
“I made me realize this is where I wanted to be,” said Liverance, who returned home to Muskegon Community College before moving to MSU. “I grew up a Spartan fan and I had family located around the Lansing area. I always thought it was going to be too big for me, but once I got a taste of Central, I realized I could go bigger at Michigan State.”
He finished off his degree at MSU and did a year of student teaching through their program and did his Master’s work there.
His first taste of teaching was as a long-term substitute at Orchard View Middle School. While there, he was hired to coach tennis and freshman basketball.
“I really did love it over there,” Liverance said. “The people were great over there and I really enjoyed the kids and the atmosphere and the way that things were going, there wasn’t a job for me at the end of the year. But, luckily, a job came open here at North Muskegon.”
Liverance is in his eighth year of teaching at North Muskegon. He taught middle school and high school social studies, physical education and economics during the day. He’s also been spotted in the football press box and down on the field. Doing such things as making sure the microphone for the singer of the national anthem has fresh batteries or keeping an eye on the student section during game action. And just this year, he’s been helping out Jeff Cooke as an assistant athletic director at the middle and high schools.
There is a chance that at some point in the future, Liverance may end up stepping into the AD role, but that bridge will be crossed when the time comes. It may force Liverance into stepping away from what he loves and that is coaching tennis and basketball.
That move would seem to fit Liverance, who was voted to have the most school spirit when he was in high school. And, as an AD, going to all the game is part of the job.
“I was going to soccer and I was going to the tennis matches,” Liverance said. “I supported everything and that is where I realized I had this background in sports. I wanted to do that as my career, but I also realized I love it here. How could I be involved in sports and still stay in Muskegon. The stars kind of aligned and if you’re a teacher or a coach you can do that or if you’re an athletic director, you can go that route.”
For the time being, Liverance is grooming his boys’ tennis team for another successful season. And that’s by playing top competition.
“You’re not going to get better if you don’t play good teams and see what good teams look like,” he said. “This is nothing against anyone in our area, but we are not blessed with just a bunch of teams that are world beaters. It’s hard to find a team that is deep 1-12 and we’re doing to have our days when the competition is not super strong, but you also have to play the good schools as well. Kids need to see what the good players look like, what their work ethic looks like, what their attitudes look like if they want to get to that level.”
And while the team has taken some lumps at times during the season, there is a method to the madness of scheduling top competition.
“We’ll get our chances to get our wins, but also chances to see the good teams and take some losses to get better,” Liverance said. “If we get to our level of being of a caliber that can go to the state finals and compete with those schools, that’s what it’s about.”
Much of Liverance’s success as a tennis coach has been with the girls’ team, which has made it the state finals as a team six of seven seasons. The best finish at state was third with a definite highlight being the state title won by Marilyn Gaston and Greta Goszkowicz at No. 4 doubles.
The boys have not yet made it to the state finals as a team. Luke Hall won the No. 1 singles regional title a year ago and made it to the state finals as an individual and reached the quarterfinal round.
“As much as I’ve had success with the girls team, the boys team means just a little bit more because it’s the team I played for,” said Liverance, whose high school team finished fifth at the state finals. “I’ve seen that success and I know how impactful it was for me and how great it was to experience that with still my best friends to this day at the age of 31.”
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