“I believe that we can help the people that are involved in our program to see strength at times when they don’t necessarily even see it in themselves.”
Leanne Williamson, the head coach of women’s volleyball at the University of South Dakota, sits down with us in this episode of the 35,000 feet podcast sharing how the past season went for her team, her journey to becoming a coach, some tips for those interested in pursuing an athletic route in University, her most memorable travel experiences, and where she hopes to travel in the near future.
In this episode, we discuss:
How this past season went for the University of South Dakota Volleyball team (0:20)
How Coach Williamson got into coaching (9:20)
Leanne’s favorite travel experience (13:23)
One thing that no one knows about Leanne (16:28)
Leanne’s advice to athletes wanting to play in college (19:32)
Leanne’s next adventure (22:41)
The 2019 - 2020 Season for University of South Dakota’s Volleyball Team
Morgan: Hi guys. Welcome back. It's Morgan. Today, I'm sitting down with Coach Leanne Williamson from the University of South Dakota. Thanks so much for joining us, Leanne.
Leanne Williamson: Well, thanks for having me, Morgan. I appreciate it.
Morgan: Yeah, we're super excited to get to know you and look into your team and your season and just get to know you better. So I guess just to start off, I wanted to ask you if you could tell us about the highs and lows of your season.
Leanne Williamson: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, this year, I think that we, well, I know that we had a lot more highs than we did lows. We had our best season in program history. And I've been here for about 11 years so I kind of got to see the program evolve in a lot of different ways, and this was kind of the, I would say, the one year that we achieved more than what we have in the past. So we finished 31 and three. So when you think about highs and lows, I think a lot of people think about wins and losses. And if we look at it that way, we didn't have a ton of lows. Our first match of the season was our first loss of the season was our fourth match of the year and then went on a very long win streak. So it was a lot of highs in regards to the wins and losses.
I think the thing that was interesting this year for our team, and I think for me personally, was the fact that we won as many matches as we did. There were a lot more, some different challenges that we faced as a coaching staff and as a team. And when you're winning as much as you are, I think you can at times start to feel complacent. You can say, "Hey, we're really good right now. We're doing this well, we're doing this well." And I think sometimes, especially for the team, it can be easy to kind of forget about that growth process still. And we talk a lot about trusting the process and we talk about obviously where we start at the beginning of year being very different than where we were at the end of the year.
So I think for myself, at least, some of the lows, although I wouldn't say they were a normal low, was sometimes even just really trying to figure out and maybe trying to beat my head against the wall sometimes, like how do we keep the team motivated? How do we make sure that we're still moving in the right direction? And I think as a program, they did very well with it. But I think for myself as a coach, that's probably where I felt the most stress at times. The highs, obviously every win was memorable, but I think one of the couple of the main things is we won all four of our preseason tournaments. We went undefeated in conference in our regular season this year. So we won with a 16 and O record, which was incredible. And whenever you're on a team, winning that many in a row and not having a loss through conference when there is just so much ... Teams are all very good and anybody can beat you on any night was a really big accomplishment for us.
One of probably the biggest lows that our team had just as a whole is being laughed out of the NCAA tournament. We lost in our conference tournament in the semis, which was obviously a big upset, not the kind that we wanted at that moment. So we're kind of at the mercy of them to give us possibly an at-large bid, and we didn't get that. So I still remember that day. We were sitting as a team watching the selection show, and that was very difficult for our program and because they had put in so much work and they wanted it, that was something that was a goal they had set for themselves. And it's hard. And that's what's fun about sports, but it's also what's so hard about sports is you invest so much. So see it not come to light in that moment was difficult.
Now, that low brought us to another high. Made it to the NIVC tournament, which is kind of that secondary tournament in our sport right now. And we made it all the way to the finals. We did end up losing to a very good Georgia Tech team, but it was an incredible atmosphere. It was an incredible run for our team. We had over 2,400 people there in our final match and we hosted throughout the entire way. So a low that could have been such a negative for our team turned into a really big positive because they were able to embrace a new challenge. But every year, the highs and lows change. Sometimes it's more wins and losses. Sometimes maybe it's an injury. But those are things that I know we as a coaching staff really enjoy because it's constantly a challenge, it's constantly making you think outside the box and find ways to help your team and to help your program kind of make those strides throughout the year.
Morgan: I can see how being a coach would take up so much of your time. So how do you balance out being a coach and being a mom?
Leanne Williamson: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's something that I'm very adamant about. It's something that I am very open with anybody who wants to talk to me about of kind of what that life looks like. And when I got into coaching, I was blessed to have played as an athlete for two different female coaches that were moms, that were married, that had that family life. And they really modeled for me what it could look like to be able to be a very successful coach and also be a successful wife and mother. And so when I got into coaching, that was something that I felt very strongly about. And I was single when I first started, when I started in the assistant position and worked my way up. And by the time I had applied for the head coaching position, I had just gotten married. I found out I was pregnant with twins actually at the time before I even got the job.
So my husband and I knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but it was something that I fully believed in. And it's something that I take very seriously. Being at our level and being a coach in this position, we have the ability to help our student athletes grow throughout their time here and show them not only how to get better as a volleyball player and as a student, but even how to form those relationships and be good in those situations. And so much of it comes down to balance. So for me, I want my family to be a part of our program. I want our players to feel comfortable and know my family. My kids come to practice occasionally, usually when they're sick. And it's not me that gets distracted, it's actually my other coaches, other assistants
But I think that's important. In the end, my number one job is being a mom. And if I am needed, I will obviously make sure that my family comes first. And our team knows that. Actually, that first year of being a head coach, I missed three of our weekends, two of them leading up to the birth of my twins because I wasn't allowed to travel. And then one the weekend after that I had kids. I did my best. I came to practice every day and I made sure that I was as involved as I could be, but the doctor didn't let me do more than that. And at the time, it was probably good for me to have to sit back a little bit.
But now I have three kids. I just had another baby in June. And my baby traveled with me for the first couple weekends in the season. And I think for me, again, being a mom makes me a better coach. And I believe that being a coach makes me a better mom. So that's something that when we recruit players, they know about me, they know about our program, they know what that balance means. And it's something that I've told my husband, I've told my other assistant coaches, if I ever lose that part of me, I'm done coaching. Because I believe that balance is huge, but I believe I can be a successful mom. And I believe I can be a very successful coach. It just takes time, it takes patience, it takes balance, it takes a lot of time management at times and just understanding kind of what my priorities are throughout the year.
Morgan: Wow. No, and I feel like that's good for everyone to know. So thank you so much for sharing that because balance, I agree, I think it's very important. And I think that's honestly probably what helps your team out so much is being a good, well balanced coach. I'm sure your team picked up from you. You know?
Leanne Williamson: I'd like to think so. I think a lot of them are very independent people. I mean, we do recruit a lot of people that fit into our system and our program as well. But for them, we talk about you're a student, you're an athlete, you're a friend, you're a daughter, you're a girlfriend. And in those situations, you can do it all. You just got to figure out how to best utilize your time. One of the things we say is when you're at volleyball, that's your number one priority. You shouldn't be thinking about school, you shouldn't be thinking about relationships. But when you leave volleyball, it's okay to leave volleyball in the gym. You can go and you can study and do really well in school and then have that social life. And I think it's something that our players, I think they enjoy. I think it's something that they're very good at. And yet, you see them grow throughout their time here and just honestly get better at it each year that they're here.
Morgan: Wow. And that's awesome because those are traits that are going to leave with them after they're done with their sport too.
Leanne Williamson: I mean, we like to think so.
Leane Williamson’s Start at Coaching
Morgan: Yeah, it will. It will. I know it will. Well, and thank you so much for sharing that. And so you made me curious, how did you get to be a coach in the first place? What inspired you to do that, take that route?
Leanne Williamson: I've always really, really enjoyed volleyball. It's something that I had grown up kind of in the gym. My mom was just a grade school coach. And so my sister and I were always on the sidelines peppering while she was running her practices. And both my sister and I played other sports. So if my sister had a soccer game, I was on the sideline playing volleyball. And I loved just kind of, I just fell in love with the sport. I fell in love with the team aspect of it. I fell in love with the competitiveness. And I mean, to be a little bit fair, I guess I was good at it. So that probably helped as well.
But really, once I got to college and I saw how many, obviously, just successful coaches there were, and the fact that they got to continue to be around the sport and help people. I mean, our coaches, my coaches that I got to play for, even through my high school days and my club days, I remember so many of them and what they taught me. And that was something that was always very intriguing to me of the fact that I could give back to not only a sport, but to other people when it comes to something that really impacted me in my life.
So out of college, well actually, I was still in college at the time, but I was doing my student teaching. And a former coach that I had played for through club, and actually a family that I had known for a very long time, had gotten this job out of South Dakota. And he had approached me to be his graduate assistant at the time. And honestly, at the moment, I thought that was perfect. I got to get my Master's and kind of get that next stage of my life done. But then I got to get into coaching and just see what it was like. Obviously, I was still working a lot and still impacting the game and the program as much as I could, but it was a little bit of that introduction. Like this is what this is going to be like. And I fell in love with it.
So from there, I was a GA for about a year and then became an assistant coach and was an assistant coach for about four years. And then interviewed for the head coaching job when my former boss had left and took another job in his career path. And something that's, I mean, I can't imagine not doing now. It's something that truly I love going to work every day, I love being able to work with our athletes. And one of my favorite things about coaching is watching these young women come in as freshmen and seeing them leave as seniors and just how much they grow, not only as a volleyball player, but as a student and as a person. And just the maturity that comes with it. And that's something that I just don't think you can fully explain just how special it is to be a part of that.
Morgan: I love that. I love listening to coaches stories on how they became a coach because you can tell the passion that they have for the sport. And I love that you said you love going to work.
Leanne Williamson: I love it, which is why right now this is killing me. I'm not allowed to go to work. So I'm working from home and it's just, it's different. It's hard not to see our players every day. And talking to them now, just checking in on them, seeing how they're doing. And they're rock stars. I mean, they're going to do great through this time, but I don't think it's something that any of us really wanted. I mean, we didn't want to have to leave work or leave school. And they're all at home now, doing their schooling at home. And not being able to be in the gym with us is tough, but it's something that I know that when we get back and we are able to play again, I don't think any of us are going to ever take it for granted.
Morgan: It's true. I've been thinking a lot about that, how I think people are going to appreciate things more, you know?
Leanne Williamson: Absolutely.
Coach Leanne Williamson’s Favorite Travel Experiences
Morgan: Well, thank you so much for sharing that with us. What's one of your most memorable travel experiences?
Leanne Williamson: So for me, when I think about that question, we've had some, I would say, cool travel. I mean, we went to Hawaii with our team one year, we went to San Francisco one year. And those are experiences that I really enjoy. And I'm sure you've heard me talk about our team a little bit, but I think they're really good people. So for us, we really enjoy traveling with our team. We enjoy the long bus trips at times. We enjoy getting on a flight and going and doing something just new for the majority of us. And the amount of time that they get together at restaurants and in the hotel, those are situations that I don't think you can fully describe what that means to a team all the time.
But for me, one of the most memorable travel experiences is we actually went out to Denver, Colorado a couple years, well two years ago now. And played at Denver University and in our conference tournament. And we are kind of the underdogs coming in. The team that had won the regular season had gone undefeated. And then we came in and were able to knock them off in the championship game. And for us, that was something that is a program that we hadn't achieved before. We hadn't been able to go to the NCAA tournament. Before and winning that match gave us the birth in the NCAA tournament. And then we went to Creighton and played there in our first round. So I think for our program, that was one of the most memorable experiences just because it was that moment where it was like things kind of fell into place. We achieved something that nobody else before us had, and it was a very special moment to be a part of.
But again, beyond that, we always take them out to a really fancy type restaurant at the conference tournament. So going out to eat and seeing how happy they were and listening to them laugh together. And again, the travel that comes into it. I mean, those things are things that we very much enjoy as a coaching staff and as a program. So to not only have this great travel experience, but then to see our team achieve something so special is definitely a moment that I'm not going to forget anytime soon or probably ever, but just the amount of smiles and the players and their parents hugging afterwards. And it's just something that it's a very special thing when that can happen. And now, we've had other situations like that since then, but now I think when I really look at that first time, that's one that's definitely going to stick in my mind for awhile.
Morgan: No, I love that because I feel like college sports, especially when you travel together, your team just gets closer. And it's a closeness that you can't get anywhere else. Traveling just brings your team closer. So I loved hearing that.
Leanne Williamson: Yeah, absolutely.
Coach Leanne Williamson’s Advice to Future University Athletes
Morgan: Yeah. If you're an athlete wanting to play for a team or university, what would your advice be to them?
Leanne Williamson: I think in terms of just thinking about that, what that next goal is, is just constantly remembering that everything that you're doing from the time that you set that goal is going to set you up for achieving it. And it's not always the easiest thing, but I think you got to continue to put into perspective kind of what it takes to get to that point. And it does take hard work and it takes time and it takes effort, but it also takes being able to step away and remember to enjoy the process. And I think sometimes it can be like, I think even right now I look at it and I know people are stressed out and there are players that are concerned that this coronavirus is going to affect their recruitment and their ability or their opportunities to possibly play at that next level.
And yet, there's nothing that they can control about that. So what can you control? You can control what you're doing every day to make yourself better, whether it's on the court, which I know a lot of people aren't able to do right now, or maybe it's working more on your mindset or putting a lot more into your studies so that you can fully achieve everything that you want to when the gyms do open back up. But so much of this, I think even for our players, we'll say it occasionally when things get really stressful, like, "Hey guys, remember, why do we play this game? We play because it's fun. We play because we enjoy it." It's like, yes, we all want to win. And yes, we're all very competitive. But in the end, if you don't enjoy this game, it's not going to be as worth it.
So much of it is remembering that this is fun. And it's fun to play in hard games and it's fun to play in those situations. For us, we played an NIVC championship against a very good Georgia Tech team. And I think we called our first time out and we were down six, zero at the time. And one of the things that we talked about in that match is this is what we wanted. We wanted to play one of the best teams and we wanted to be challenged and we want to have to earn everything. So even some of the losses at times, that's still fun. If you can step back and look at the process and look at really what it took to get you to that place. And I think that's something that's really important. I think especially for younger athletes that are looking at maybe playing at that next level is those goals are great, but you've got to enjoy the route to get you there too. And I think the more you can enjoy it, the easier it is to put in the time and the energy to hopefully get you to that spot.
Morgan: Wow. Yeah. And I really enjoy listening to your point of view because you're just talking about hard work and dedication and how you need to remember why. And I think that's what a lot of people could use to hear at this time. So thank you for sharing that.
Leanne Williamson: Of course.
Something Noone Knows About Coach Leanne Williamson
Morgan: Yeah. What's one thing that no one knows about you that you could share with us?
Leanne Williamson: Oh, well, I mean, I think there's a lot.q Most people know a lot of things about me. I'm kind of an open book when it comes to a lot of things. But I think if you look at probably the amount of people that are maybe listening to this that many people don't know is the past year, my husband was actually deployed. So we went through a season, almost an entire season, and I had a child. And when you look at actually one of my previous answers of balance, we, myself and my family, and obviously my husband still helped me from afar of we went through a pretty difficult year with him being deployed with the Army and the National Guard. And with that, I think it just continues, for myself anyway, to shape really, I think, who I am, but what my mindset is on life. And again, I look at enjoying the process and you look and enjoying what you do.
If I didn't enjoy what I did right now as a coach, as a volleyball coach, I would not have been okay with that year. That year would have been very difficult. But when I look at balance and I look at what I want to do and how I want to impact people and how I even want to be a model for my own children and for our players, I think this last year, in a lot of situations, can, I think, prove to me that I can do that. And it's not something that my family and I ever want praise for or anything from that nature. But I think for what I believe in and for what I try to be on any given day, I think that year really showed, I think even myself at times, how strong I could be.
And with that, we use those experiences to show our athletes those moments too of, "Hey, look what you just went through." You have a player that goes through an injury, maybe a surgery that requires six to nine months of rehab. And at those times, those are sometimes some of their lowest times in terms of their mentality. But for us, it's look what you accomplished. Look what you went through and how you came out stronger on the other side. And I think that's really important. But so something that no one knows about me, but at the same time takes it into, again, something that I believe that we can help the people that are involved in our program see strength at times when they don't necessarily even see it themselves.
Morgan: Wow. Yeah. That's hard too, to have a husband deployed. And so I feel like I love that you pointed out that we don't realize how strong we are until it happens. And then we're like, "Wow, we are strong enough to handle this."
Leanne Williamson: Absolutely. I think it was harder maybe even before and after he got home than it was during. Because when you need to, you just, you work through it. You do what you need to do. And it went by in a blink of an eye, I'll say that.
Morgan: Oh, wow. I'm glad it did for you, but I'm glad that you were strong and that people can take something from your lesson too and learn from it.
Leanne Williamson: Oh, thank you.
Leanne Williamson’s Next Adventure
Morgan: Yeah. No, thank you for telling us. Well, I guess what's your next adventure, Leanne?
Leanne Williamson: My next adventure right now is really trying to figure out this whole situation. I think every day is an adventure. I think that every year brings something new. And I kind of mentioned it earlier, I fully love that about coaching, that you never know kind of what that next challenge is going to be or that next even positive situation is going to be. So for me, I think right now, as myself as a coach, as our staff, with our program, we're trying to navigate this coronavirus situation, not being able to practice, not being able to have our team in one spot. And it does create some different challenges. So really for me, my next adventure is kind of trying to tackle this challenge and figure out how to make our program the best it can be come fall.
And I mean, I don't know if this would be my most fun adventure right now, but it is definitely important for us. And it's something that's going to hopefully set us up for success when we are able to get back together. But if we talk about fun adventure outside of volleyball, we're looking forward to some camping this summer.
Morgan: Oh yeah. Hey, that's awesome. I'm looking forward to that too. And I wish you and your team the best of luck. Thank you so much for letting us get a glimpse into your wonderful team.
Leanne Williamson: Well, thank you. Again, I appreciate you having me on and I appreciate you letting me share our story.
University of South Dakota Volleyball
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Theme Song - I’ll Just Be Me by Gravity Castle