CLEVELAND — In a Copley girls basketball practice, you’d think coach Julie Solis was directing traffic. 

What You Need To Know

  • Copley girls' basketball head coach Julie Solis is taking her team to the state semifinals 

  • This is the third different program she's coached that has made it to the semis

  • Solis has also taken teams from Twinsburg and Solon to the state semifinals 

She’s had the same approach for years. 

“As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten a lot less intense," Solis said. "I think having high expectations is good."

It’s worked out since this is the third different school she’s taken to at least the state semifinals. The others were Solon and Twinsburg. 

“Five times with five different teams," Solis said. "It’s that culture. It’s like letting them know you really care about them. But when you step on the floor, it really becomes like a business.” 

Solis’ assistant coach, Julie Taylor, played for her back at Solon. She said the vibe in practice is very familiar. 

“It seems almost the same," Taylor said. "It’s like walking in and practicing when I was 15 and 16.” 

Coach Solis said she’s learned which methods work and which ones don’t after all these years. She’s learned that setting high standards leads to success. 

“They gotta wanna run through a wall," Solis said. "They gotta believe, and I believe especially, when you are the underdog, the mental piece is a huge part.”