February 26, 2025 • 30 mins
Tim Cates sits down with one of the greatest professional beach volleyball players in history, April Ross. A 3-time Olympic medalist and the winner of a Gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, April’s career spans over three decades, and her journey has been nothing short of legendary. From her days as an indoor volleyball star at USC, where she helped lead her team to two National Championshps, to becoming a dominant force on the professional beach volleyball circuit, April’s accolades are a testament to her incredible work ethic, skill, and dedication to the sport. After making a name for herself in the world of professional beach volleyball, April has transitioned into coaching and continues to inspire the next generation of athletes. In addition to her athletic achievements, April also graduated from Concordia University Irvine and the MCAA Program.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
She's one of the most decorated volleyball players of all time.
A three time medalist at the Olympics, gold, silver, bronze.
She is a legend on the beach and now the
head coach at El Camino College. She's also a recent
graduate from Concordia University, Irvine, getting her Masters in Coaching
at Athletics Administration.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We talk with the.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Great April Ross next on episode seventy seven of the
Masters in Coaching Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well, welcome into episode seventy seven of the Masters in
Coaching Podcast here on iHeartRadio or wherever you're getting this
podcast or watching on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
We certainly appreciate that, so excited to talk to this
week's guests.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
She is volleyball royalty, one of the best and most
decorated players ever to play the game. Three time Olympic medalists,
winning gold at the twenty twenty Olympic Games in Tokyo,
eight time Player of the Year, three time member of
the Beach Volleyball Team of the Year in college, a
two time national champion us SEE, two time first Team
All American in high school, yes, two time CIF champion
(01:05):
in the state at Newport Harbor High School and now
she's coaching after all of this in her career. She's
coaching beach volleyball at al Kamuno College here in southern California.
And she graduated from Concordia University Revines Master's in Coaching
Athletics Administration program, and she's a mother all of that.
She is April Ross and she joins us now. April,
how you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I'm great, Yeah, thanks for having me. Excited to be on.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Absolutely, it's been a busy year or so for you.
You have now taken over as the head coach of
the volleyball program at Alkamuno College. What's that been like,
that transition from player to coach.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, that's been actually the easiest part. I think I
have so much knowledge from playing for so long, just
you know, teaching it to the girls and coming up
with drills at second nature. The thing that has been
the biggest challenge is just getting accustomed to being in
that kind of environment in a college and with a
(02:04):
team of twenty girls and managing all of that my
assistant coaches, Like I've never been in a position like
that before. I've coached before in the assistant role here
and there, But I really feel like with a lot
of this stuff outside the court, I've kind of jumped
into the deep end. But it's it's fun and I
(02:25):
enjoy learning. I enjoy being uncomfortable in the way that
it's going to help me grow, and I feel like
that's kind of where I am right now.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Is this somewhere you thought you'd be coaching at this
time in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I had a feeling it would be a natural next
step for me. I was unsure whether I would enjoy
it or not. And I actually really enjoy coaching. I
enjoy the whole thing. But it surprised me how passionate
I am about it. Yeah, and I can't really picture
myself doing anything else. I like the part where I
(03:00):
get to interact with the girls and hopefully have some
influence on them, you know, in volleyball, but also after
they're done.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You talk about being around it still as a coach.
How long have you been around the game of volleyball? Well,
you think back, when when did you start?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I think about this often. I started playing when I
was thirteen years old and I'm going to be forty
three in June, so been around the game for a
good thirty years and played at the pro level for
twenty years, so it's been a while.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Did you think volleyball would be your life for this long?
I mean being a great player and moving up the
ranks and doing it professionally. Did you think volleyball would
be your life this long?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
No, not at all. I was the type of player
and type of person that kind of just I played
because I loved it. I actually quit at one point
because I fell out of love with it and I
was like, I don't want to do this anymore. But
even in juniors, you know, it was about my teammates
having fun, even though it's very challenging and at points,
(04:10):
you know, I doubted myself and my ability and you
have to get through all that. But in the end,
it was always, you know, I wanted to do this
for this moment. You know, like, what is the next thing. Okay,
We're going to Jo's in club volleyball in high school, Okay,
that's my goal. You know, I want to do well there.
Or we're going to this We're in the state championship finals, Okay,
(04:35):
I want to win that game. It was never like, oh,
I want to get a scholarship. That's why I'm playing volleyball.
I want to go to the Olympics. That's why, like
I'm continuing to play volleyball after college. No, it was
always like I enjoy what I'm doing, I have this
next goal. I'm just gonna focus on that and then
see what comes next. And there was always something coming next, thankfully,
(04:55):
you know. And one thing led to another, and I
got to play with some really great players on the
beach and that helped a lot. You know, Like it's
a two person sport. You got to have a good partner,
and thankfully I was blessed with great partners and got
to do as much as I did and got to
keep playing as long as I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
And you win medals with three different partners, which we're
going to get into going back to USC playing indoors
and winning the national championship twice there?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
The experience winning as a team indoors in college.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That those are still winning, those two national championships are
still on my mount rushmar of volleyball accomplishments. Like our
team was so close knit, we worked so hard, we
pushed each other and it wasn't easy, and you know,
(05:55):
I'm just so proud of what we were able to
achieve there, and then the first one winning winning in
New Orleans was so much fun. I still we got
to after after we won, we went to Bourbon Street,
marched down Bourbon Street with the USC marching band behind
us playing the fight song, And I think that has
(06:15):
to be like my top celebration ever. Uh yeah, I
mean in Tokyo when we won the gold medal, it
was COVID and we didn't even get to really celebrate.
So no, that was so much fun. And I'm it's
really I think I have more appre I definitely have
more appreciation now looking back at how hard it is
(06:36):
to win an indoor volleyball national championship than I did.
At the time. It was like, this is what we're
expected to do. We were the top recruiting class, blah
blah blah, we were supposed to win every game. We
you know, put that expectation on ourselves, uh and did it.
But looking back, it was I'm impressed with what we did.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
It was pretty impressive to win the national championships twice.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
At US.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You played indoor volleyball professionally before you put your feet
in the sand and started playing beach volleyball. Talk a
little bit about that transition and playing from indoor and
then going outdoor professionally. Is that something that was just
a natural progression as a volleyball player or was that
something you had to think about making the switch.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Well, it was never my plan to play beach volleyball,
So I quit indoor volleyball. I went back, I got
a job at a restaurant and was going to go
back to school and just figure out something else to
do with my life. Ended up on the beach with
a friend, just trying to qualify for some ABPS, and
(07:42):
I remember being just shocked at how hard it was
and how bad I was at it, because it's so different,
and moving in the sand is not a joke, and
I just didn't have my sand legs, and I also
didn't know what I was doing. So it took me
a good full season, you know, in season and offseason,
(08:04):
to really figure out the game. But it's it's so
hard and it's humbling, and it's hard to explain. But
when you're out there and you're feeling it, you just
feel like you can't play volleyball anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Right, What's What's the biggest different I mean, obviously the sand.
You're not playing on a court anymore. You're down to
two versus two. That's those are two huge differences. Is
that the biggest hurdle to get over? Is it the conditioning?
Is it just a style of play and not having
as many people on the court playing against each other?
Is I guess it sounds like a stupid question, but
(08:39):
how how different is it?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
It's it's significantly different, like yes, moving around in the sand,
every everything you do, how you set, how you get
your feet to the ball when you hit. And then
I think even bigger than that, though, is and and
the thing that takes longer is this strategy on the
beach because there's only two of you, and you do
(09:02):
have to figure out how to cover the whole court
effectively with only two people. And if you're a defender,
you only have one blocker against the hit, or indoor
you have two or three blockers and you're just covering
your little area, you know, And here you have to
decide are they shooting? Are they hitting? And you know,
how do I fake them out to get them to
(09:23):
go to the place on the court that I want
them to hit? So I can run down and pick
it up, and that is super nuanced and takes years
and years and years to figure out. But when you
first get out there, there isn't You need a basic
understanding of that, and that's super tough to figure out.
And then also, like indoors, you're just you tip sometimes,
(09:43):
but you really just like hit harder and harder and harder.
And on the beach you have to be able to
shoot the ball around and have vision of what's open. Yeah,
so there's a lot different. I'd say serving is probably
the most similar thing to indoor. Just get back there
and serve in the court.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
What's life like on the AVP Tour and the World
Tour for a professional volleyball player like yourself at the
level you were playing.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Well, it evolved over time, So I was I was
lucky enough to be, you know, at the top for
a long time playing high, high level beach volleyball, And
when I first got out there, it was it was
a little more fun. I would say, like you've got
you travel around. I didn't have all the expectations on myself,
(10:35):
you know, like I have to be winning, have to
go to the Olympics, and you just kind of went
out whether you're in Thailand or Switzerland, and did the
best that you could in the tournament, pocket your prize money,
and then you go to the player party, and then
you go do a little sight seeing, and then you
pack your bags and you move to the next place.
And it was a really really fun life experience and
(10:59):
I got I feel like, I, you know, got to
hang out with all the other players and really experience
the places that we were at. And then later on,
you know, after an Olympic medal or two, it becomes
a lot more business like, and I think the sport
evolved too. You know, a lot of federations around the
world are putting a lot of money into beach volleyball
(11:19):
and expect a lot from the players. And with those
expectations come you know, parameters, and you need to train
and you have these coaches, and so the player parties
kind of went away and everybody is just keeps to themselves,
does their thing, and it's it's a lot more about
winning and performing. It's still really fun to travel around
and you're all in the same hotel and you chit
(11:41):
chat at breakfast, but it just got a lot more
professional towards the end.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Yeah, it became a business rather than just something you
were doing and making money and talent and see in
the world, which was a great opportunity.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
April Ross is our guest.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You're on the Mashes and Coaching podcast on iHeartRadio wherever
you were downloading. We appreciated talk a little bit about
the first Olympic and was that a goal to make
the Olympics. Did you set that out as Okay, I'm
a professional now the Olympics is at next goal? Or
is it something that just kind of came about.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
So the first Olympics I tried to go to was
Beijing in two thousand and eight, and that was two
years after I switched to beach volleyball, so I still
really knew, but that wasn't a goal. I just started
playing with Jen Kessi, who ended up being my Olympic partner.
But she was a veteran player. She asked me to play.
We got together and she was already traveling around on
(12:33):
the world tour, so she took me with her and
we were kind of like, we'll see where this goes,
and we ended up winning tournaments and found ourselves in
the Olympic race. Like we didn't plan on that. We
just ended up there. Once it became a possibility, we're like, okay, yeah,
we want to go. We ended up losing out super
narrowly at the very last tournament to go to Beijing,
(12:53):
so we didn't go there obviously, And after that we
sat down and said, okay, we want to go to London.
How do we plan for this, Like we're gonna really
work for it this time, have you know, have a system,
get organized? And uh, you know, we made it pretty
handily into into London. But still I thought, you know,
(13:15):
once it got there, like this is a once in
a lifetime opportunity. You know, I may never get back here.
And we enjoyed the heck out of out of London
and you know, found ourselves in the finals. Didn't really
I won't speak for Jen. I didn't expect to make
the finals of the Olympics. Yeah, I mean we were
(13:39):
the third seed in the I think we're the third
seed in the whole tournament going in, but I don't know.
It's just so deep and there's so many experienced players.
When you get there and it's such a big stage,
and you're like kind of like, I'm just lucky to
be here, so I don't know, and that's been a
theme for me too. You know, you get on the
court and you just do the so you can and
(14:01):
see see how it goes. And yeah, that was that
was a really fun experience.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Was it the plan after you win silver bronze to
chase the gold for that final Olympics? Was Was that
something you sought out to do in twenty twenty in Tokyo?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, they're they're you know, leading up to Rio, there
was a part of me that thought, maybe this is it.
Maybe I retire after Rio, and I you know, we
got the and I mean I fully expected to win
gold and Rio, but not that winning the bronze was,
(14:39):
you know, a disappointment or anything. But I think afterwards
it was more that I just felt like I still
had more in me. I still had a lot of
potential left. And I loved I loved the lifestyle. I
loved going to the beach every day and training, and
I just felt like I could I could go for
(15:00):
another Olympics. Yeah. And then once I found my partner
and Alex Kleinman, and we started having a little bit
of success or I kind of got a feel for
how good she could possibly be. I was kind of like, Okay, yeah,
let's let's go for that goal. Let's complete the trifecta.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I'm correct. Three different partners for three different Olympics. Is
that challenging? Is it easier to do that? Were you
comfortable with all three going into Obviously you guys were
prepared and going in and you felt very confident all
three times.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Like I said, I think I was lucky with my partners.
They were they were easy to play with. But I
also think I'm a pretty adaptable person and can adapt
pretty well to whoever I'm playing with. It's it's challenging
in some ways, and it's easier in some ways, Like
it's easier because it's fresh and new and fun. When
(16:02):
I think if you play with one person, for if
I were to have played with one partner for all
those Olympics, you know, how do you get past your
ceiling or how do you find new ways to improve
and continue to get better? And so I think that
can be that could get a little monotonous. So you know,
(16:23):
if if I had ended up with somebody I didn't
see eye to eye on eye to eye with on
on things, I think it would have been more challenging.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well for professional volleyball players.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
This is a question I don't know, and maybe it'll
help our listeners kind of figure that out. Do you
and your partner are you guys practicing and coaching by
yourselves or do you guys have coaches like team sports do.
When you're in between tournaments and you're out on the
beach Monday, I say, Monday through Friday. You know, is
there a coach that you guys work with?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, we we hire our coachka. So I'd say the
the biggest umbrella we're under is kind of like USA Volleyball.
That's like we USA Volleyball has a headquarters in Torrents.
You do what we do our lifting there. They provide
us with physical therapy and stuff, so we utilize their resources,
(17:18):
but we still hire our own coach. Okay, so we
can go to anybody and say, hey, come coach us,
and that's kind of what happens. And then for Tokyo,
though USA Volleyball they don't always have this, but they
had a head coach of USA Beach Volleyball and he
would come help us train here and there as well.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
When you're looking for coaches throughout your career were you
were you looking for certain things from them styles? Uh,
maybe a motivator, a yeller as somebody that's going to
give you more technique, help, that's a quiet leader. It's
going to maybe teach and then stand back and let
you guys figure it out. Are you looking for certain
kind of coaches or your time playing?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Yeah, well, for yeah, My what I'm looking for in
a coach is somebody who meshes well with our team
dynamic and personality because we are together all the time.
We have to try like travel the world and we're adults,
you know, so we can't have somebody you know, yelling
(18:24):
at us or making us do punishments and you know,
like we're out here, we're motivated, we know what we're
working for. Like, so someone's got to be able to
walk that line. And they they and they also have
to have enough beach volleyball knowledge and experience that they
can teach us stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So about beach volleyball, your your volleyball royalty, you probably
know more about it than them.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Well you would think you maybe would think that, but
there are different ways to think about the sport, you know,
and so different countries, different ways and different teams have
different strategies and ways to do things. So the coach
I actually had my first Olympic coach, my first Olympic
partner come back and coach me and Alex for Tokyo.
(19:14):
So she and so she understood all of that. She
was great. Unfortunately, when COVID moved the Olympics back a year,
she couldn't stay with us, so we had to hire
a new coach right before the Olympics. She came to
us from the Netherlands Federation, so she had learned a
bunch from them and she was able to teach us
(19:36):
stuff that she learned there. But it's hard to find
a coach on the beach. Honestly, it's really hard.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
How big is beach volleyball globally?
Speaker 1 (19:44):
For those listening and watching, especially those in southern California,
I think they have an idea. We watched the Olympics.
We certainly see in every four years. But you've seen
the grow the sport grow. You talked about from a
sport to a business during your time playing. But how
far does it reach around the world and how big
is it?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It fluctuates, so sometimes it feels bigger, sometimes it feels
smaller definitely when we're on natural beaches is I think
where it's the biggest. But then we also have a
tournament that's really popular in stad Switzerland in the Alps,
and that everybody. It's like this little village and you're like,
(20:25):
where are people coming from? And they just flock to
the court and it's packed, you know, every day. So
there's like pockets here and there where it's really popular.
We used to go to this place in Poland in
the middle of the forest on a lake and the
same thing. Where are people going to come from? And
then they end up packing the stands. It always does
really well in the Olympics, and I think the challenge
(20:46):
of the sport on the business side is how do
we harness that popularity from the Olympics and turn it
into a four year, consistent, consistent model that will make
the organizers and the players' money. So, you know, it's
been a challenge here and there for the sport. But
(21:10):
the AVP, the domestic tour, is trying something different this year.
They tried something different last year. They're going to continue
it this year and we'll see if that pays off
and does well.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
What's it like stop playing.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
What's it like to stop playing on the circuits and
go from playing all the time to then you're.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
A mom and now you're a coach and.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
It's a different, different way of looking at the sport
and coaching not playing every day. How's that transition.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Been for you?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
It's been amazing. I you know, I don't think people
understand how intend I am not to be playing because
I was so competitive for so long and I don't know,
I just feel like I left it all on the
cour left it all in my career and I had
(22:02):
nothing more to contribute or give, and I was tired,
Like I stopped and I was like, oh, like I
have so much more energy and time to do whatever
I want and be with my family and go on
vacations and this is this is really nice and like, oh,
I don't have to grind every day of my life.
Like it's kind of nice. So, uh, I'm glad I
(22:27):
did it, but I don't need to do it. I like,
I don't miss it.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Our mutual friend Chris Peter McGee still is convinced you're
going to come back and play.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I don't think she. I don't think she's done playing yet. Well, well,
we'll see, we'll see. I'm not convinced yet.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But uh, in all this, you've also and got your
master's degree from Concordia University, Irvine. How important was that
for you April, to to go get that master's degree.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Well? I love learning and I always pictured going back
to school. So in I decided to retire, you know,
I had I didn't know what I was going to do.
I thought maybe coaching, and I know to get certain
coaching jobs you need a master's like at community college
and at least here in Sokel like, that's the gig
(23:11):
you want, Like, you want to get a coaching job
at a community college, have an impact on the on
the athletes there, maybe teach an extra class or two,
and then have time for your family and living life
and all that. So I thought, I didn't know if
any jobs were going to open up, because people tend
to hang on to them for a long time. But
I thought, I'm going to be prepared, so let's go
(23:32):
get my masters. I had so many friends that had
done the coaching and athletic administration masters at Concordia raved
about it. So I did that, and lo and behold,
right when I was done. A job opened up at
El Camino, and so because I had my masters, I
was able to apply and got that job. But it's
(23:53):
come in so much more handy and was so much
more important for me to go through that program than
I thought. Like I'm a counter doing so many things,
coaching a team of of you know, twenty girls, that
I'm faced with these situations, I'm like, oh, I learned
about that in my ethics class, and this I have
to hold firm to my values, you know, like it
(24:15):
can't be all about winning and losing. And yeah, it was.
It was great that I went and did that.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Was it an easy process for you? The online in person?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Was it pretty convenient for you to go through it?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
So convenient? Yeah, I mean I'm in Manhattan Beach now,
so if I, you know, needed to drive down and
every day, that's a long drive for me. So being
online mostly was was ideal. And I could do my
studying when when Ross my son was napping, or when
my husband was home. And yeah, it was really convenient,
(24:55):
and the all the instructors were really flexible and understanding.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Now that you've got a program at El Camino and
it's at the beach volleyball program.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
So it's kind of a blend.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I guess if you were to look at, you know,
a volleyball team, I mean, it's not just you and
a partner and kind of doing your own thing.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
You've got you said, twenty girls. What's that like?
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Coaching a bunch of teams out there under one umbrella
of beach volleyball? Is that something that's fun?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Is it? Is it hard to work with each set
of girls?
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
How you coach them as teams? Or you coach them
all together as a group and then pair them off
your in terms?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
How does that work?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
It's challenging. It's challenging. It's much easier to just coach
maybe one ProTeam, you know, and just focus on them.
And it's fun at the same time. And to see
certain girls really get it and you get through to
girls and they start to improve and move up the ladder,
that's rewarding. But you and I'm trying, like I'm experimenting
(25:57):
here and there, you know, like what works, what doesn't work?
How am I going to do this going forward? But
I train them all pretty similarly for a large amount
of the practice. Maybe you know, the first eighty minutes
and then the rest of the practice I kind of
put them in teams and train them individually and work
on specific things for each team. But for me, the
(26:18):
hardest part, honestly is deciding who to put out of
those twenty girls, how do I put them together to
be the best collective team, Like because energy, I'm a
big believer in energy, and the energy kind of has
to match between the girls. But then they also have
to compliment them each other skill wise and physically, and
(26:39):
so there's a lot of pieces to the puzzle. And
we're going right now. We've competed a couple of times
at El Camino. We're going into conference this Friday, and
I want to have the teams locked, you know, in
conference and throughout, so I'm not changing people every week.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And it just feels like, I don't know, like it's
such a it's such a big decison. So I gotta
I gotta figure that out this week.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
You're enjoying the coaching though, I am.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Enjoying the coaching. Yeah, I love it. I love being
around the girls. And yeah, it's like I care wait
way more than I thought I would. Like, Like I said,
I left everything in my career. I was telling people,
you know, I'm I'm not even that competitive anymore. Like
I got it all out and now it's bad I swore,
(27:27):
I swore, And now that we're competing, I like want
to win so bad and I want the girls to
get better and I'm fully invested.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Well, April, I really appreciate the time. It's been a
heck of a career. It's a Hall of fame career. Again,
your volleyball Royalty one of the most decorated volleyball players
in the history of beach volleyball and indoor volleyball as
well for the CIF championships and the two time national
championships at US, I say, fine on to you, but
(27:58):
I went to UCLA, so I don't that stuff understandable.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
That's okay, but continuous.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
And congratulations on the new chapter in your life as
a coach and eager to see how that moves forward
and what's ahead for you.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So again, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Well there she goes, true volleyball Royalty one of the
best and most decorated players ever to play volleyball, indoor
or outdoor. And we are so lucky to have her
here on the Masters and Coaching podcast. Thanks to April Ross.
Thanks to you for listening and being a part of
this podcast. What a legendary career she has had from
(28:40):
high school to college indoor volleyball outdoor.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
On the beach.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
She dominated the AVP, the World Tour of Silver, a bronze,
and then finally a gold medal in the twenty twenty
Summer Games in Tokyo. And she is now the head
coach at El Camino College here in southern California for
their beach volleyball program. April Ross, Wow, what a treat
to have her here on the Masters in Coaching podcast.
(29:08):
She went through the program while having a baby, while coaching.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
And inning her career on the beach. You can do
it too.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Find out more at CUI dot edu slash Coaching. Concordia
University Irvines Masters in Coaching and Athletics Administration Program. Find
out more about it again CUI dot edu slash Coaching.
Find out if it's a right fit for you. New
students get a one thousand Scott New students get a
one thousand dollars scholarship. Find out more and contact them
(29:38):
to get started with all the different start dates.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
They have throughout the calendar year.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
CUI dot edu slash coaching again, thanks to you for
listening and being a part of the podcast. Thanks to
April Ross for joining us as episode seventy seven of
the Masters in Coaching podcast is now in the books.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Until next time, Tim Kate saying so long everybody,
She's one of the most decorated volleyball players of all time.
A three time medalist at the Olympics, gold, silver, bronze.
She is a legend on the beach and now the
head coach at El Camino College. She's also a recent
graduate from Concordia University, Irvine, getting her Masters in Coaching
at Athletics Administration.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We talk with the.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Great April Ross next on episode seventy seven of the
Masters in Coaching Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well, welcome into episode seventy seven of the Masters in
Coaching Podcast here on iHeartRadio or wherever you're getting this
podcast or watching on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
We certainly appreciate that, so excited to talk to this
week's guests.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
She is volleyball royalty, one of the best and most
decorated players ever to play the game. Three time Olympic medalists,
winning gold at the twenty twenty Olympic Games in Tokyo,
eight time Player of the Year, three time member of
the Beach Volleyball Team of the Year in college, a
two time national champion us SEE, two time first Team
All American in high school, yes, two time CIF champion
(01:05):
in the state at Newport Harbor High School and now
she's coaching after all of this in her career. She's
coaching beach volleyball at al Kamuno College here in southern California.
And she graduated from Concordia University Revines Master's in Coaching
Athletics Administration program, and she's a mother all of that.
She is April Ross and she joins us now. April,
how you doing.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I'm great, Yeah, thanks for having me. Excited to be on.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Absolutely, it's been a busy year or so for you.
You have now taken over as the head coach of
the volleyball program at Alkamuno College. What's that been like,
that transition from player to coach.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Well, that's been actually the easiest part. I think I
have so much knowledge from playing for so long, just
you know, teaching it to the girls and coming up
with drills at second nature. The thing that has been
the biggest challenge is just getting accustomed to being in
that kind of environment in a college and with a
(02:04):
team of twenty girls and managing all of that my
assistant coaches, Like I've never been in a position like
that before. I've coached before in the assistant role here
and there, But I really feel like with a lot
of this stuff outside the court, I've kind of jumped
into the deep end. But it's it's fun and I
(02:25):
enjoy learning. I enjoy being uncomfortable in the way that
it's going to help me grow, and I feel like
that's kind of where I am right now.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Is this somewhere you thought you'd be coaching at this
time in your life.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I had a feeling it would be a natural next
step for me. I was unsure whether I would enjoy
it or not. And I actually really enjoy coaching. I
enjoy the whole thing. But it surprised me how passionate
I am about it. Yeah, and I can't really picture
myself doing anything else. I like the part where I
(03:00):
get to interact with the girls and hopefully have some
influence on them, you know, in volleyball, but also after
they're done.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
You talk about being around it still as a coach.
How long have you been around the game of volleyball? Well,
you think back, when when did you start?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
I think about this often. I started playing when I
was thirteen years old and I'm going to be forty
three in June, so been around the game for a
good thirty years and played at the pro level for
twenty years, so it's been a while.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Did you think volleyball would be your life for this long?
I mean being a great player and moving up the
ranks and doing it professionally. Did you think volleyball would
be your life this long?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
No, not at all. I was the type of player
and type of person that kind of just I played
because I loved it. I actually quit at one point
because I fell out of love with it and I
was like, I don't want to do this anymore. But
even in juniors, you know, it was about my teammates
having fun, even though it's very challenging and at points,
(04:10):
you know, I doubted myself and my ability and you
have to get through all that. But in the end,
it was always, you know, I wanted to do this
for this moment. You know, like, what is the next thing. Okay,
We're going to Jo's in club volleyball in high school, Okay,
that's my goal. You know, I want to do well there.
Or we're going to this We're in the state championship finals, Okay,
(04:35):
I want to win that game. It was never like, oh,
I want to get a scholarship. That's why I'm playing volleyball.
I want to go to the Olympics. That's why, like
I'm continuing to play volleyball after college. No, it was
always like I enjoy what I'm doing, I have this
next goal. I'm just gonna focus on that and then
see what comes next. And there was always something coming next, thankfully,
(04:55):
you know. And one thing led to another, and I
got to play with some really great players on the
beach and that helped a lot. You know, Like it's
a two person sport. You got to have a good partner,
and thankfully I was blessed with great partners and got
to do as much as I did and got to
keep playing as long as I wanted to.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
And you win medals with three different partners, which we're
going to get into going back to USC playing indoors
and winning the national championship twice there?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (05:25):
The experience winning as a team indoors in college.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That those are still winning, those two national championships are
still on my mount rushmar of volleyball accomplishments. Like our
team was so close knit, we worked so hard, we
pushed each other and it wasn't easy, and you know,
(05:55):
I'm just so proud of what we were able to
achieve there, and then the first one winning winning in
New Orleans was so much fun. I still we got
to after after we won, we went to Bourbon Street,
marched down Bourbon Street with the USC marching band behind
us playing the fight song, And I think that has
(06:15):
to be like my top celebration ever. Uh yeah, I
mean in Tokyo when we won the gold medal, it
was COVID and we didn't even get to really celebrate.
So no, that was so much fun. And I'm it's
really I think I have more appre I definitely have
more appreciation now looking back at how hard it is
(06:36):
to win an indoor volleyball national championship than I did.
At the time. It was like, this is what we're
expected to do. We were the top recruiting class, blah
blah blah, we were supposed to win every game. We
you know, put that expectation on ourselves, uh and did it.
But looking back, it was I'm impressed with what we did.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
It was pretty impressive to win the national championships twice.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
At US.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
You played indoor volleyball professionally before you put your feet
in the sand and started playing beach volleyball. Talk a
little bit about that transition and playing from indoor and
then going outdoor professionally. Is that something that was just
a natural progression as a volleyball player or was that
something you had to think about making the switch.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Well, it was never my plan to play beach volleyball,
So I quit indoor volleyball. I went back, I got
a job at a restaurant and was going to go
back to school and just figure out something else to
do with my life. Ended up on the beach with
a friend, just trying to qualify for some ABPS, and
(07:42):
I remember being just shocked at how hard it was
and how bad I was at it, because it's so different,
and moving in the sand is not a joke, and
I just didn't have my sand legs, and I also
didn't know what I was doing. So it took me
a good full season, you know, in season and offseason,
(08:04):
to really figure out the game. But it's it's so
hard and it's humbling, and it's hard to explain. But
when you're out there and you're feeling it, you just
feel like you can't play volleyball anymore.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Right, What's What's the biggest different I mean, obviously the sand.
You're not playing on a court anymore. You're down to
two versus two. That's those are two huge differences. Is
that the biggest hurdle to get over? Is it the conditioning?
Is it just a style of play and not having
as many people on the court playing against each other?
Is I guess it sounds like a stupid question, but
(08:39):
how how different is it?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
It's it's significantly different, like yes, moving around in the sand,
every everything you do, how you set, how you get
your feet to the ball when you hit. And then
I think even bigger than that, though, is and and
the thing that takes longer is this strategy on the
beach because there's only two of you, and you do
(09:02):
have to figure out how to cover the whole court
effectively with only two people. And if you're a defender,
you only have one blocker against the hit, or indoor
you have two or three blockers and you're just covering
your little area, you know, And here you have to
decide are they shooting? Are they hitting? And you know,
how do I fake them out to get them to
(09:23):
go to the place on the court that I want
them to hit? So I can run down and pick
it up, and that is super nuanced and takes years
and years and years to figure out. But when you
first get out there, there isn't You need a basic
understanding of that, and that's super tough to figure out.
And then also, like indoors, you're just you tip sometimes,
(09:43):
but you really just like hit harder and harder and harder.
And on the beach you have to be able to
shoot the ball around and have vision of what's open. Yeah,
so there's a lot different. I'd say serving is probably
the most similar thing to indoor. Just get back there
and serve in the court.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
What's life like on the AVP Tour and the World
Tour for a professional volleyball player like yourself at the
level you were playing.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
Well, it evolved over time, So I was I was
lucky enough to be, you know, at the top for
a long time playing high, high level beach volleyball, And
when I first got out there, it was it was
a little more fun. I would say, like you've got
you travel around. I didn't have all the expectations on myself,
(10:35):
you know, like I have to be winning, have to
go to the Olympics, and you just kind of went
out whether you're in Thailand or Switzerland, and did the
best that you could in the tournament, pocket your prize money,
and then you go to the player party, and then
you go do a little sight seeing, and then you
pack your bags and you move to the next place.
And it was a really really fun life experience and
(10:59):
I got I feel like, I, you know, got to
hang out with all the other players and really experience
the places that we were at. And then later on,
you know, after an Olympic medal or two, it becomes
a lot more business like, and I think the sport
evolved too. You know, a lot of federations around the
world are putting a lot of money into beach volleyball
(11:19):
and expect a lot from the players. And with those
expectations come you know, parameters, and you need to train
and you have these coaches, and so the player parties
kind of went away and everybody is just keeps to themselves,
does their thing, and it's it's a lot more about
winning and performing. It's still really fun to travel around
and you're all in the same hotel and you chit
(11:41):
chat at breakfast, but it just got a lot more
professional towards the end.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Yeah, it became a business rather than just something you
were doing and making money and talent and see in
the world, which was a great opportunity.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
April Ross is our guest.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
You're on the Mashes and Coaching podcast on iHeartRadio wherever
you were downloading. We appreciated talk a little bit about
the first Olympic and was that a goal to make
the Olympics. Did you set that out as Okay, I'm
a professional now the Olympics is at next goal? Or
is it something that just kind of came about.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
So the first Olympics I tried to go to was
Beijing in two thousand and eight, and that was two
years after I switched to beach volleyball, so I still
really knew, but that wasn't a goal. I just started
playing with Jen Kessi, who ended up being my Olympic partner.
But she was a veteran player. She asked me to play.
We got together and she was already traveling around on
(12:33):
the world tour, so she took me with her and
we were kind of like, we'll see where this goes,
and we ended up winning tournaments and found ourselves in
the Olympic race. Like we didn't plan on that. We
just ended up there. Once it became a possibility, we're like, okay, yeah,
we want to go. We ended up losing out super
narrowly at the very last tournament to go to Beijing,
(12:53):
so we didn't go there obviously, And after that we
sat down and said, okay, we want to go to London.
How do we plan for this, Like we're gonna really
work for it this time, have you know, have a system,
get organized? And uh, you know, we made it pretty
handily into into London. But still I thought, you know,
(13:15):
once it got there, like this is a once in
a lifetime opportunity. You know, I may never get back here.
And we enjoyed the heck out of out of London
and you know, found ourselves in the finals. Didn't really
I won't speak for Jen. I didn't expect to make
the finals of the Olympics. Yeah, I mean we were
(13:39):
the third seed in the I think we're the third
seed in the whole tournament going in, but I don't know.
It's just so deep and there's so many experienced players.
When you get there and it's such a big stage,
and you're like kind of like, I'm just lucky to
be here, so I don't know, and that's been a
theme for me too. You know, you get on the
court and you just do the so you can and
(14:01):
see see how it goes. And yeah, that was that
was a really fun experience.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
Was it the plan after you win silver bronze to
chase the gold for that final Olympics? Was Was that
something you sought out to do in twenty twenty in Tokyo?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, they're they're you know, leading up to Rio, there
was a part of me that thought, maybe this is it.
Maybe I retire after Rio, and I you know, we
got the and I mean I fully expected to win
gold and Rio, but not that winning the bronze was,
(14:39):
you know, a disappointment or anything. But I think afterwards
it was more that I just felt like I still
had more in me. I still had a lot of
potential left. And I loved I loved the lifestyle. I
loved going to the beach every day and training, and
I just felt like I could I could go for
(15:00):
another Olympics. Yeah. And then once I found my partner
and Alex Kleinman, and we started having a little bit
of success or I kind of got a feel for
how good she could possibly be. I was kind of like, Okay, yeah,
let's let's go for that goal. Let's complete the trifecta.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
I'm correct. Three different partners for three different Olympics. Is
that challenging? Is it easier to do that? Were you
comfortable with all three going into Obviously you guys were
prepared and going in and you felt very confident all
three times.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
Like I said, I think I was lucky with my partners.
They were they were easy to play with. But I
also think I'm a pretty adaptable person and can adapt
pretty well to whoever I'm playing with. It's it's challenging
in some ways, and it's easier in some ways, Like
it's easier because it's fresh and new and fun. When
(16:02):
I think if you play with one person, for if
I were to have played with one partner for all
those Olympics, you know, how do you get past your
ceiling or how do you find new ways to improve
and continue to get better? And so I think that
can be that could get a little monotonous. So you know,
(16:23):
if if I had ended up with somebody I didn't
see eye to eye on eye to eye with on
on things, I think it would have been more challenging.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Well for professional volleyball players.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
This is a question I don't know, and maybe it'll
help our listeners kind of figure that out. Do you
and your partner are you guys practicing and coaching by
yourselves or do you guys have coaches like team sports do.
When you're in between tournaments and you're out on the
beach Monday, I say, Monday through Friday. You know, is
there a coach that you guys work with?
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, we we hire our coachka. So I'd say the
the biggest umbrella we're under is kind of like USA Volleyball.
That's like we USA Volleyball has a headquarters in Torrents.
You do what we do our lifting there. They provide
us with physical therapy and stuff, so we utilize their resources,
(17:18):
but we still hire our own coach. Okay, so we
can go to anybody and say, hey, come coach us,
and that's kind of what happens. And then for Tokyo,
though USA Volleyball they don't always have this, but they
had a head coach of USA Beach Volleyball and he
would come help us train here and there as well.
Speaker 1 (17:42):
When you're looking for coaches throughout your career were you
were you looking for certain things from them styles? Uh,
maybe a motivator, a yeller as somebody that's going to
give you more technique, help, that's a quiet leader. It's
going to maybe teach and then stand back and let
you guys figure it out. Are you looking for certain
kind of coaches or your time playing?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Yeah, well, for yeah, My what I'm looking for in
a coach is somebody who meshes well with our team
dynamic and personality because we are together all the time.
We have to try like travel the world and we're adults,
you know, so we can't have somebody you know, yelling
(18:24):
at us or making us do punishments and you know,
like we're out here, we're motivated, we know what we're
working for. Like, so someone's got to be able to
walk that line. And they they and they also have
to have enough beach volleyball knowledge and experience that they
can teach us stuff.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
So about beach volleyball, your your volleyball royalty, you probably
know more about it than them.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Well you would think you maybe would think that, but
there are different ways to think about the sport, you know,
and so different countries, different ways and different teams have
different strategies and ways to do things. So the coach
I actually had my first Olympic coach, my first Olympic
partner come back and coach me and Alex for Tokyo.
(19:14):
So she and so she understood all of that. She
was great. Unfortunately, when COVID moved the Olympics back a year,
she couldn't stay with us, so we had to hire
a new coach right before the Olympics. She came to
us from the Netherlands Federation, so she had learned a
bunch from them and she was able to teach us
(19:36):
stuff that she learned there. But it's hard to find
a coach on the beach. Honestly, it's really hard.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
How big is beach volleyball globally?
Speaker 1 (19:44):
For those listening and watching, especially those in southern California,
I think they have an idea. We watched the Olympics.
We certainly see in every four years. But you've seen
the grow the sport grow. You talked about from a
sport to a business during your time playing. But how
far does it reach around the world and how big
is it?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
It fluctuates, so sometimes it feels bigger, sometimes it feels
smaller definitely when we're on natural beaches is I think
where it's the biggest. But then we also have a
tournament that's really popular in stad Switzerland in the Alps,
and that everybody. It's like this little village and you're like,
(20:25):
where are people coming from? And they just flock to
the court and it's packed, you know, every day. So
there's like pockets here and there where it's really popular.
We used to go to this place in Poland in
the middle of the forest on a lake and the
same thing. Where are people going to come from? And
then they end up packing the stands. It always does
really well in the Olympics, and I think the challenge
(20:46):
of the sport on the business side is how do
we harness that popularity from the Olympics and turn it
into a four year, consistent, consistent model that will make
the organizers and the players' money. So, you know, it's
been a challenge here and there for the sport. But
(21:10):
the AVP, the domestic tour, is trying something different this year.
They tried something different last year. They're going to continue
it this year and we'll see if that pays off
and does well.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
What's it like stop playing.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
What's it like to stop playing on the circuits and
go from playing all the time to then you're.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
A mom and now you're a coach and.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
It's a different, different way of looking at the sport
and coaching not playing every day. How's that transition.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Been for you?
Speaker 3 (21:42):
It's been amazing. I you know, I don't think people
understand how intend I am not to be playing because
I was so competitive for so long and I don't know,
I just feel like I left it all on the
cour left it all in my career and I had
(22:02):
nothing more to contribute or give, and I was tired,
Like I stopped and I was like, oh, like I
have so much more energy and time to do whatever
I want and be with my family and go on
vacations and this is this is really nice and like, oh,
I don't have to grind every day of my life.
Like it's kind of nice. So, uh, I'm glad I
(22:27):
did it, but I don't need to do it. I like,
I don't miss it.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Our mutual friend Chris Peter McGee still is convinced you're
going to come back and play.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I don't think she. I don't think she's done playing yet. Well, well,
we'll see, we'll see. I'm not convinced yet.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But uh, in all this, you've also and got your
master's degree from Concordia University, Irvine. How important was that
for you April, to to go get that master's degree.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Well? I love learning and I always pictured going back
to school. So in I decided to retire, you know,
I had I didn't know what I was going to do.
I thought maybe coaching, and I know to get certain
coaching jobs you need a master's like at community college
and at least here in Sokel like, that's the gig
(23:11):
you want, Like, you want to get a coaching job
at a community college, have an impact on the on
the athletes there, maybe teach an extra class or two,
and then have time for your family and living life
and all that. So I thought, I didn't know if
any jobs were going to open up, because people tend
to hang on to them for a long time. But
I thought, I'm going to be prepared, so let's go
(23:32):
get my masters. I had so many friends that had
done the coaching and athletic administration masters at Concordia raved
about it. So I did that, and lo and behold,
right when I was done. A job opened up at
El Camino, and so because I had my masters, I
was able to apply and got that job. But it's
(23:53):
come in so much more handy and was so much
more important for me to go through that program than
I thought. Like I'm a counter doing so many things,
coaching a team of of you know, twenty girls, that
I'm faced with these situations, I'm like, oh, I learned
about that in my ethics class, and this I have
to hold firm to my values, you know, like it
(24:15):
can't be all about winning and losing. And yeah, it was.
It was great that I went and did that.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Was it an easy process for you? The online in person?
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Was it?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Was it pretty convenient for you to go through it?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
So convenient? Yeah, I mean I'm in Manhattan Beach now,
so if I, you know, needed to drive down and
every day, that's a long drive for me. So being
online mostly was was ideal. And I could do my
studying when when Ross my son was napping, or when
my husband was home. And yeah, it was really convenient,
(24:55):
and the all the instructors were really flexible and understanding.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Now that you've got a program at El Camino and
it's at the beach volleyball program.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
So it's kind of a blend.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
I guess if you were to look at, you know,
a volleyball team, I mean, it's not just you and
a partner and kind of doing your own thing.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
You've got you said, twenty girls. What's that like?
Speaker 1 (25:16):
Coaching a bunch of teams out there under one umbrella
of beach volleyball? Is that something that's fun?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Is it? Is it hard to work with each set
of girls?
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
How you coach them as teams? Or you coach them
all together as a group and then pair them off
your in terms?
Speaker 2 (25:30):
How does that work?
Speaker 3 (25:32):
It's challenging. It's challenging. It's much easier to just coach
maybe one ProTeam, you know, and just focus on them.
And it's fun at the same time. And to see
certain girls really get it and you get through to
girls and they start to improve and move up the ladder,
that's rewarding. But you and I'm trying, like I'm experimenting
(25:57):
here and there, you know, like what works, what doesn't work?
How am I going to do this going forward? But
I train them all pretty similarly for a large amount
of the practice. Maybe you know, the first eighty minutes
and then the rest of the practice I kind of
put them in teams and train them individually and work
on specific things for each team. But for me, the
(26:18):
hardest part, honestly is deciding who to put out of
those twenty girls, how do I put them together to
be the best collective team, Like because energy, I'm a
big believer in energy, and the energy kind of has
to match between the girls. But then they also have
to compliment them each other skill wise and physically, and
(26:39):
so there's a lot of pieces to the puzzle. And
we're going right now. We've competed a couple of times
at El Camino. We're going into conference this Friday, and
I want to have the teams locked, you know, in
conference and throughout, so I'm not changing people every week.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And it just feels like, I don't know, like it's
such a it's such a big decison. So I gotta
I gotta figure that out this week.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
You're enjoying the coaching though, I am.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Enjoying the coaching. Yeah, I love it. I love being
around the girls. And yeah, it's like I care wait
way more than I thought I would. Like, Like I said,
I left everything in my career. I was telling people,
you know, I'm I'm not even that competitive anymore. Like
I got it all out and now it's bad I swore,
(27:27):
I swore, And now that we're competing, I like want
to win so bad and I want the girls to
get better and I'm fully invested.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Well, April, I really appreciate the time. It's been a
heck of a career. It's a Hall of fame career. Again,
your volleyball Royalty one of the most decorated volleyball players
in the history of beach volleyball and indoor volleyball as
well for the CIF championships and the two time national
championships at US, I say, fine on to you, but
(27:58):
I went to UCLA, so I don't that stuff understandable.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
That's okay, but continuous.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
And congratulations on the new chapter in your life as
a coach and eager to see how that moves forward
and what's ahead for you.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
So again, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Well there she goes, true volleyball Royalty one of the
best and most decorated players ever to play volleyball, indoor
or outdoor. And we are so lucky to have her
here on the Masters and Coaching podcast. Thanks to April Ross.
Thanks to you for listening and being a part of
this podcast. What a legendary career she has had from
(28:40):
high school to college indoor volleyball outdoor.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
On the beach.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
She dominated the AVP, the World Tour of Silver, a bronze,
and then finally a gold medal in the twenty twenty
Summer Games in Tokyo. And she is now the head
coach at El Camino College here in southern California for
their beach volleyball program. April Ross, Wow, what a treat
to have her here on the Masters in Coaching podcast.
(29:08):
She went through the program while having a baby, while coaching.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
And inning her career on the beach. You can do
it too.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Find out more at CUI dot edu slash Coaching. Concordia
University Irvines Masters in Coaching and Athletics Administration Program. Find
out more about it again CUI dot edu slash Coaching.
Find out if it's a right fit for you. New
students get a one thousand Scott New students get a
one thousand dollars scholarship. Find out more and contact them
(29:38):
to get started with all the different start dates.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
They have throughout the calendar year.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
CUI dot edu slash coaching again, thanks to you for
listening and being a part of the podcast. Thanks to
April Ross for joining us as episode seventy seven of
the Masters in Coaching podcast is now in the books.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
Until next time, Tim Kate saying so long everybody,
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