“Look at this picture, isn’t it cool?”

Steve Burmaster held up a large photo of his team made specially for him by his players. The recently resigned volleyball coach at Cornerstone was eager to share a few highlights from his volleyball coaching career, but was especially excited to show off his many photos of friends, family and volleyball teams from the past seven years.

“It’s been good,” Burmaster said. “I mean, it was amazing because the first six years we won 82 percent of our matches. That’s an unreal figure! I hope we continue to do well here. CU has a good reputation, and [that] is attractive to good, strong Christian athletes.”

Burmaster has left a strong legacy at Cornerstone.

“Coach Burmaster is one of the most organized, professional and sincere people I know,” Ryan Campbell said, interim head coach. “He constantly strives to lead by example and be a positive influence to all. At Cornerstone, he created dominant teams year after year.”

“Ultimately,” Campbell said. “Coach Burmaster will be hard to replace.”

Campbell will take Burmaster’s place for the rest of the 2008-2009 year while CU searches for a replacement coach.

Burmaster said he hopes whoever takes his place in the future has a heart for students, community services the team participates in, mission trips and a competitive spirit.

Burmaster surpassed 200 victories at Cornerstone in 2007, the highest ever for a volleyball coach in CU history.

When Burmaster first started coaching CU in 2002, victories soon lined up. In 2003, Cornerstone won the WHAC Conference Tournament, in 2004 they won the conference championship, as well as Region VIII Championship. And if that wasn’t enough, they finished the year at the National Championship Tournament.

But the memories Burmaster plans to take away from Cornerstone will stretch further than athletics.

“If I had to look back over the past seven years, it would have to be the mission trips,” he said, when asked of memorable moments. “Mission trips to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic … It was fun getting the national title, but going on those trips opens up everyone’s eyes to what it’s really all about.”

“When you’re coaching, and as a team, you face a lot of adversity,” Burmaster said. “The bonds of competition is hard work and sacrifice. All the fundraising we’ve done, that’s a lot of hard work too. That’s what makes it possible to go on missions; it’s the money the girls go out and raise…the school’s not covering that.”

Along with mission trips, Burmaster said the long-term relationships he’s gained with his players have been important to him.

Recently, the birth of Burmaster’s youngest daughter, “right in the middle of summer training,” made it difficult to balance home life with the team, he said. “And we’re expecting another baby this next Sept. 28. Where’s that? Right in the middle of volleyball season.”

Consequently, Burmaster said he realized he needed to be home for family support, instead of traveling frequently for work.

But it isn’t the last for this coach. He said he pictured himself coaching high school players again because it’s less time-consuming than college.

“High school tournaments are a day long and you’re done, instead of five away tournaments, nationals and trips,” he said.

Burmaster won’t easily forget the Cornerstone volleyball team, and he said he plans to stay in touch with his players through Facebook.

“I’m continuing to wish the best for them, and wherever I’m at, I’ll continue to keep in touch,” he said.