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Holdmeyer Takes His Post as the Warriors’ Starting Center

Valley Regional senior Mitch Holdmeyer is a perfect example of what people can accomplish when they dedicate themselves to their craft. Mitch has been a member of the Warriors’ boys’ basketball program since his freshman year and, after constantly working on his game for the past three seasons, he’s become a major contributor for the varsity squad this winter. In his first year as Valley’s starting center, Mitch is averaging 14.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to lead the team in both categories.

Mitch knew that he would make the Warriors’ varsity roster if he continued putting in the time and effort to improve. In addition to playing at the high school, Mitch honed his skills by competing in Valley’s summer and fall leagues.

“I put a lot of work in over the offseason. I went to every open gym. I went to all the summer and fall leagues,” Mitch says. “I improved significantly. My coach was talking about me being in the starting lineup since the springtime...In fall league, we were against city teams with a lot more kids and more talent, and we were still able to compete pretty hard.”

Mitch, who stands at 6-foot-4, has gone from being primarily a perimeter shooter to more of a post presence with the help of the Warriors’ coaches. Now that he’s stationed closer to the basket, the center is draining higher-percentage shots with regularity this winter.

“When I was younger, I used to shoot a lot more jump shots,” says Mitch, an Ivoryton resident. “I moved in more, so I’m more of a mid-range player, but at Valley, I’ve become almost exclusively a post player. Why take a jump shot when you can get a layup?”

Mitch attributes much of his progression to Valley’s coaches for having him work on his post moves over and over at practice. While Mitch now has a variety of tools that he can use to beat his defender, his favorite move is his hook shot.

“Valley is great, and all the coaches are really great. They taught me how to do post moves. I stuck with it and got better at doing moves and, eventually, I got solid at it,” Mitch says. “My favorite move is my baby hook over my left shoulder with my right hand. I also like drop-stepping and going baseline for the reverse layup.”

Mitch believes that sticking with the Warriors proved integral in his development, specifically because he was working within a structured program that had set plays and defensive strategies. Now, Mitch is a major player for Valley’s varsity squad, which is aiming to get back into the State Tournament. Valley started out the season by dropping three straight decisions, but the Warriors have played well lately, and are now just two wins shy of making states with their record of 6-5. All along, Mitch felt confident that the Warriors would get something going.

“We knew we could do it. We needed to put it together. The first couple of games, we played the three best teams on the road. We didn’t really have our identity yet, and we didn’t really trust each other on defense,” Mitch says. “We allowed a bunch of points against the best team in the Shoreline. I think we are one of the top scoring teams in the Shoreline, and now all we have to do is play defense.”

Valley Regional Head Coach Kevin Woods saw how dedicated Mitch was to improving as a player and fitting into his team’s schemes. Woods believes that Mitch has become one of better centers in the state, and the coach also appreciates the attitude that he brings to the court.

“He’s given us something that we didn’t have with a dominant inside presence. He’s got great post moves. He’s worked incredibly hard, and he’s one of the top centers in the state. He’s a First Team All-Conference and All-State player,” Woods says. “He’s more of a leader when on the floor in the way he plays. He brings the energy, and he’s enthusiastic...It’s turned our team into one with a lot of fire and attitude in a good way, and a lot of that starts with Mitch.”

Mitch says that he owes a lot of his success to Coach Woods, and he thanks Woods for having faith in him and motivating him to reach his potential.

“I want to thank Coach Woods for believing in me. I obviously wasn’t the best player my other three years, but I stuck with it, and he never gave up on me,” says Mitch. “He always said hard work pays off, and he was right.”