Player experience: There are many pros of being a former athlete turned coach. First of all, Christy and Liz could empathize with us because they also had played on court. They knew of competition and conditioning needed to excel in volleyball. They knew firsthand how hard it was to balance sports, schooling, and other activities at same time. They knew what to look for in their players’ potential. I remember feeling more confident when my coaches gave me one-on-one advice about what I needed to work on to become a better player. I appreciated their mentoring because I knew it was backed by their own experiences on and off volleyball court.

Enthusiastic and energized: I have come across many athletic peers, and ones who have succeeded are those who have played for love of game. Athletes can perform at various levels of talent, but if their heart is not 100% into game, they will most likely not continue playing much longer. My coaches had incredible talent as players, but it was not without their enthusiasm and giving their all on volleyball court, that improved their performance. Their positive energy excited us as players and it impacted way we were playing. At practices, Christy and Liz actually played against us, giving us much competition and hands-on coaching. Their animation on sidelines and constant feedback and advice was very motivating.

I credit Christy and Liz for being best coaches to me during my playing days in high school. What sets them different than any other coach whom I have had was that I had opportunity to see them as players years before they were coaches. They obtained leadership coaching through their many stages of playing volleyball and brought that to their coaching game.