September 16, 2024 • 40 mins
Download and hit play on the 29/1 Podcast as we sit down with Varsity Girls Volleyball Head Coach Kaitlyn Lawton and senior middle blocker Magaly Lemus. Our conversation with Coach Lawton brings out her dedication to continuous learning and her passion for volleyball and Magaly shares her experiences as a multi-sport athlete who has taken on volleyball, basketball, and even pickleball.
Kaitlyn's insights into nurturing young athletes and fostering a positive, growth-oriented mindset make this episode an inspiring listen for coaches and sports enthusiasts alike. The ability to learn from mistakes and use failure for good is also discussed.
Magaly shares a deeply personal and touching narrative of her family's journey and the realization of the American Dream. Highlighting the sacrifices made by her mother and grandmother, leading to the opportunity of volleyball and education at Cleveland State University. Magaly's story is a testament to her ability to persevere and to the love of those around her to build her up and provide support.
This episode was recorded in August 2024.
Podcasts now dropping at 5pm every Sunday evening for that late weekend chill, or listen Monday AM during that morning commute or workout. Please like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review. Even share with someone who might like to listen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know each other a little bit better. The people who make West Ottawa Athletics what it is. Go WO!
Special thanks to Laura Veldhof Photography.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I still got to like grow up in like the farms and
like the trailer parks and stufflike that, but like I stayed
here in Holland, so like seeingthat it's like I really did see
like people having to work hardfor what they've like had, and
like my mom being a single momas well, it's like nothing has
ever really come easy for ourfamily.
So it's like I just kind ofalways wanted to make sure I
(00:22):
made everything that they didworth it, like my grandma, my
mom.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
It's like I can't just let that go to waste.
Hey everybody, this is RodneyValinga with the West Ottawa
High School Athletic Program andyou're listening to the 29.1
Podcast 29 sports, one team, theshow that brings you into the
lives of student-athletes,coaches and other faces in the
(00:48):
Panther sports community,bringing you the stories you
might otherwise never hear.
Join myself and AthleticDirector Bill Kennedy as we dive
in with you to get to know eachother a little bit better.
Hey everybody, it's so great tobe doing this podcast with you.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Hey everybody, it's so great to be doing this
podcast with you and sharingthese stories.
I'm your host, rodney Valinga,and I'm here with Panthers
Athletic Director, bill Kennedy.
We just want to say thanks toeverybody out there for taking
the time to listen, for makingit a part of your day, your
drive, your workout, whereveryou are.
We really appreciate it and wehope just for you.
(01:31):
Getting to know thesestudent-athletes a little bit
more is enriching your sportingexperience.
Here at West Ottawa High SchoolToday we spend time with
Varsity Girls Volleyball HeadCoach Caitlin Lawton, who enters
her fifth season leading thePanthers, and senior middle
blocker, magali Lemus, whoenters the season as only one of
three seniors on a young teamlooking to make their mark.
Kaitlin Lawton, magali Lemus,coming up next on the 29.1.
(01:52):
Let's go.
Hey everybody, welcome back tothe 29.1 podcast.
We're here at West Ottawa HighSchool and I'm your host, rodney
Valinga, and I'm sitting herewith Panthers Athletic Director,
(02:12):
bill Kennedy.
We have two really good guestsin today, in my personal opinion
.
Who is it?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Coach Caitlin Lawton, senior Magali Lemus.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, so we're doing girls varsity volleyball today.
Bill, this is going to be niceto get into this.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
It's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So, caitlin, you've been head coach, now with
varsity for, I believe, is itfive years now.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
This will be my fifth season.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And before that you did.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
JV for eight years.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Wow, so you are a very seasoned veteran around
here.
Yes, you kind of bleed theblack and white huh.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Very much.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And Magali.
You are a senior going intoyour senior season.
What position do you play involleyball?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I play middle blocker , but my sophomore season I
played right side.
Oh, you did play right side.
Mm-hmm, for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Okay, all right.
Now we're back here Gettinginto this.
Magali, you're a multi-sportathlete.
You've played volleyball andbasketball at the varsity level
since you were a sophomore.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
A little bit of track my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh, a little bit of track.
What did you do in track inyour freshman?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
year I did hurdles and long jump.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Okay, nice, all right .
With that being said, I heardyou picked up another sport this
summer, though, so although youare.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
She has a big smile on her face, although she's
playing basketball andvolleyball.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I've heard that you have gotten to the world of
pickleball.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That world is awful.
That world is hard and takes alot of patience, but it's hard
when the people around you areso competitive.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
And yeah, because they just put me down a lot.
Who do you play with?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Who are you playing with right now?
You know a couple of fellowPanthers Elijah Reynolds and
Chris Broncourse.
They are really competitive.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I don't like playing against them or with them but I
do all the time Playingpickleball with younger people.
So pickleball, when you're likeyou're playing, usually it's
seniors that are out there.
Right, you're a high schoolsenior, but I mean now I'm
talking senior seniors and thenyou have, uh, used to be
athletes like me who thinkthere's a an ounce of
athleticism still left and wehead on out to the pickleball
(04:15):
court to play.
But it's a fun, fun sport,right?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
no, it's fun to do.
I mean like definitely, likeI'll like get out of, like
volleyball and then I'll go dosomething.
But then around 7.30-ish, 8, wegather a whole bunch of friends
and we go to the pickleballcourts.
It's so much fun.
It's fun when you're bad atsomething, sometimes like golf.
Golf, I'm just swinging awaybecause I'm just hoping to hit
the ball.
That's basically how it is forpickleball too.
(04:40):
If I hit the ball, it's asuccess.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I'm happy with that.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Yeah, and pickleball is like one of the most social
games around, because you werelike, do you?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
play any pickleball, caitlin?
I have not, you have not.
All right, well, we have afoursome in here, so I don't
know what this will turn intodown the road but it's so social
because every like you knowthis, we got everybody's in on
that net right you're reallyclose.
And the crazy shots, they'rejust happening all the time.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
They're just boom, boom.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, and somebody makes a dumb mistake or gets hit
in the head or whatever it maybe, so it's really really fun.
Yes, you also do links though,like that's a big part of your
life, right, I was able to likejust kind of look at some stuff
you put out in line and you gotsome really nice stuff that
you're doing with links over thepast few years.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
that so actually this was like my first year getting
into it.
I've requested it every singleyear.
I just for some reason havenever got put into it until, um,
like last year I got to like Ikind of okay, I kind of like it
was like exam times.
I didn't have an exam in theclass, so I just asked if I
could leave the class and go tothat class.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
So I didn't skip it, but like sure I left that you're
not gonna get in trouble.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I don't know how to say that.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But so I spent some time in that classroom and I
talked to Ploos and I was likehey, like I'd really like to be
like involved in this.
So then this past year I got tobe in their fifth hour, which
is a work study.
And basically Mondays,wednesdays and Fridays.
I think we are at a locationwhere you get to like, get
real-world experience and likethe working force and my
(06:07):
placement was always family fair, so I would get to like be with
some other classmates and likeget to, just like get some work
experience, like bagging stuff,facing shelves.
And then, like on the otherdays when we weren't on our
placements, we'd get to like dosome things in the classroom or
do stuff for other teachers,like refill paper for the what
(06:27):
are they called?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Copy machines.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yes, print makers yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Print makers.
We're changing the name.
Yes, copy machines.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It's been changed.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
But it was so much fun getting to be in Lynx this
year and I'm going to be in itagain this year.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
It's always so much fun to be around everybody and
it just always puts a smile onmy face and I just like being
able to help others.
Yeah, it's really nice to bearound that.
Caitlin, I know we have a bitof a connection Because when my
daughter Madeline played JV, youcoached her.
What year Do you remember howfar ago that?
Speaker 5 (06:58):
was gonna sound terrible.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I don't I don't maybe my ears get so mixed up right,
so probably 2017, 2018 at least.
So we know each other a littlebit from there.
There's always a Westadaconnection as we talk to each
other.
I talked to Ryan Burkeyesterday, who is your assistant
coach, and I said, hey, I knowCaitlin a little bit, but is
there a few things you can tellme, like what does she like to
do?
And he's like what is what doesshe like to do?
(07:19):
He goes watch more volleyball.
That's true, is?
that like a really one of yourthings that you just like to do.
You're a big fan, right?
Speaker 5 (07:27):
I do.
I love volleyball in general,but I love getting to learn more
.
I just I'm like a sponge whenit comes to volleyball.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I will.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
I read books, I go to classes, I contact coaches.
I just want to gather as muchinformation that I can at all
times and I've told the girlsthis a ton If you watch
volleyball, you'll learn so muchjust by watching.
So I'm very Big Ten oriented incollege volleyball.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And the Big Ten in college volleyball is the best
it's the best in the country.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
So if there's a Big Ten game on, it is recorded.
I watch it in my free time,which you would think I don't
have much of that with threechildren and coaching volleyball
, but I find time to still watchthose and super exciting with
the Olympics, I haven't missed agame beach or indoor.
So yeah, love watchingvolleyball.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
And not only are you juggling the schedule of a
varsity volleyball coach, threechildren at home, your husband
is an athletic director and acoach yes so there's a lot of
juggling going on in the lawtonhousehold correct organization
is a big thing in our household.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
I always have to have june through the end of
november planned are you kiddingme in?
March.
Nope, I need to know whereeveryone is at all times, who's
going to watch who and yeah, ourcalendars are very, very
organized between those thosemonths.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So that is something.
Well, your your obsession withvolleyball.
I'm going to put it in thehealthy obsession category.
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
Sometimes my husband would call it an addiction.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I would call it a healthy addiction.
I guess there's worse things.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, it's a healthy obsession.
It's like being addicted toyogurt, I mean okay, right,
that's kind of odd oh that'skind of odd.
Yeah, it is kind of odd.
I kind of made that up on thespot.
Coming up now, miguel, you'vehad a busy summer.
You have a lot going on outsideof pickleball, which is the
majority of the time that you dothings in the summer.
(09:27):
You also work during the summer, but you're spending a lot of
time with friends going to thebeach.
All that all the while stillplaying on the Rise team, right?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Oh, yes, I am.
I am playing on that team thisupcoming winter season.
So when is the season for theRise.
It kind of starts like sametime as basketball season, like
that november-ish time.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
That's when they start okay, so you don't play in
the summer for that um, I justI wasn't on their 17s team this
year.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So, like usually, you would be because they train up
until like almost july, becauseof nationals, sure, but I wasn't
.
I was on their 18th team thisyear and since everybody's like
already committed and goingsomewhere, they want to have at
least a week or two of summer.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I saw those uniforms online.
Those unis were pretty sweetfor that team.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
They are.
We had three different jerseys.
One was navy and red, One waswhite and navy and another one
was red and navy.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Just different colors if that makes sense, one color
was bigger than the other.
What has that experience beenlike for you to play with, uh,
people from other teams, right,other schools?
What's that been like for youjust helping you grow your
volleyball?
Or?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
I feel like club and school are very different, like
as in like atmosphere, wise, andjust like I mean you always
meet another and like a wholenew group of people.
I mean, unless your team hasbeen like since together, since
like 12s, I've always been on adifferent team, I think, like I
don't think I've ever stayed onthe team, and so it's always fun
getting to meet new girls.
But I mean there's always timeswhere, like meeting new people,
(10:53):
sometimes people aren't thesweetest or the great, not like
the sweetest, but aren't justlike the nicest.
So like I would say that clubdoes bring out sometimes like
the ugly side of likecompetitiveness or like I don't
know people in a way which kindof makes it a little bit hard.
But sometimes you just have tolike work through that and, like
you know, make yourself betterwith the people.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, bill, bill and I were talking about that a
little bit earlier today.
When you do these sports andyou try and do all these things,
it's not always smooth, youknow.
There's a lot of conflict, alot of areas which we'll talk
about, but uh, keep moving on.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
bills go ahead yeah, coach, you kind of spoke a
little bit about, uh yourhealthy obsession with the game
of volleyball and your love forbig 10 volleyball in particular.
One of the things you've doneover the last number of years is
, uh get our girls to those big10 volleyball camps.
Maybe talk a little bit aboutkind of the reasons for wanting
to do that and what you've seenkind of come out of that.
(11:44):
And then maybe, mags, you couldtalk a little bit about what
that experience has been likegetting into some of those big
gyms.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Well, with being on the west side of the state, we
don't really have any superlarge colleges around us.
We've got some great volleyballschools and great volleyball to
watch and a lot of the girlshave kind of grown up going to
those games.
So I wanted to give them just adifferent feel and different
opportunity to see a biggerschool and kind of how they do
(12:12):
things.
So we have actually gone toPurdue a couple of times and
it's a heck of a drive, not Imean not too far, but how far is
that?
Like three and a half hours yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
And so not too bad.
But the girls might disagreewith the 6 am wake up call that
we have to go.
Though this year the ride thereeveryone was like completely
awake and talked the whole time.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I love the car rides Like the old days.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I loved having the experience of the car rides and
having a group together.
I loved having the experienceof the car rides and having a
group together and Ispecifically put girls in
certain cars and I want to mixit up and I don't want little.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Did you plan that out three months prior to your
schedule?
Speaker 5 (12:53):
I do, I do, she does, she's a planner.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I am pretty much a planner.
She has like this big calendarlike next to her fridge.
It's like full of things and Ithink it's like two months ahead
.
It is it.
It's like full of things and Ithink it's like two months ahead
.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
It is, it is always two months ahead.
Well, I'm reevaluating my liferight now.
I'm not going to lie, but yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Then we get there and Purdue is basically three days.
You wake up, you go eatbreakfast you play volleyball.
You go to lunch you playvolleyball.
You eat dinner you playvolleyball.
And they get to meet.
Some of the college playersbecome kind of like your coach.
They hang around with you.
Just fun and it was amazing.
And then it's cool for thegirls to have that experience of
(13:32):
getting to talk to them.
And I understand that going D1,especially Power 5, big 10, is
the percentage of athletes thatdo that is extremely small is
extremely small.
But to have someone that's atleast gone through the high
school thing and recruiting andcollege life whether or not it's
big or little schools ofvolleyball, they all have an
(13:54):
experience and for them to beable to share it comes
differently than it would from acoach and me trying to talk to
them about any of it.
So it's cool that they get tomake those connections and I
know Mags made connections witha couple of the Purdue Purdue
athletes from a couple of yearsago where they like actually
talk and communicate throughsocial media.
So that's been a really coolthing to see that my athletes
(14:17):
have actually had a chance tonurture relationships outside of
just West Ottawa volleyball andjust West Michigan volleyball
and just West Michiganvolleyball, but kind of in a
broader, broader idea.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I think like also like, just as in like, we get to
see like the life or not thelife, but like all that
volleyball and like all aboutlike getting coached from
different people, I think thatit's also just a great team
bonding experience.
I feel like after that trip,the group of girls that go, we
always come back a lot closerthan we were before and we have
(14:51):
stories, like funny stories,from those trips that are just
like so heartwarming to thinkabout and it's just so much fun.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Inside jokes, yeah, inside jokes we did a lot of
those.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
It's rough and then also like you're sleep deprived,
so they just become 10 timesbetter.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Yeah, way funnier.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Oh yeah, yes, sir, we laughed at that oh yeah, and
then also we were talking aboutthe car rides.
The car rides are always somuch fun and there's always
different stories to tell fromthe different cars, Like my
first year, I think, I was inCoach Caitlin's car and then
this past time we went I was inBurke's car, and it's just two
different experiences.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
What's the difference ?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Music, oh music, there we go.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Playing the adult playlist?
No, not.
The older set is really guiltyof this at times.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Mags.
Maybe talk to us a little bitabout that.
You've been around coach Lawtonand coach Burke now for the
duration of your high schoolcareer.
What is kind of your?
I have always seen that you andcoach Lawton have had a really
great relationship.
Maybe talk a little bit aboutwhat that relationship is like,
even with Burke as well.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
I feel like it's just having like a steady, reliable
person or people in my life.
I feel like it's just havinglike a steady, reliable person
or people in my life.
I feel like since they, likeyou said, they've been there
like for me my high schoolcareer, basically through all
volleyball.
I think it's just therelationship is past, volleyball
like I don't want to say it'sjust like coach and kid related.
I think it's like I generallyobviously I care for these
people a lot, but, um, I thinkit's just like I said, them
(16:25):
being there for me in toughmoments.
I think they are people that Igo to like when I'm struggling
with things, and I mean justthings out of volleyball but
volleyball related, like CoachKaelin, like she's always been
there, like my first time goingto Nationals was very rough and
just know I was in the bathroom,like I think.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
In Florida.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
In Florida.
Yes, and I was calling her likeevery single, like after, like
every match.
I would call her like crying,and she would just always be
there for me during those roughtimes.
So I would just say that ourrelationship goes pretty deep.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
What was rough when you were playing those games
Like what brought that out ofyou?
Speaker 1 (17:01):
It was probably just like I think I put a lot of
pressure on myself as in like Ikind of want myself to be
perfect and when I'm notexecuting that, I feel like
that's the only thing I see.
So I just like sometimes needreminders that it's like it's
not always going to be good, andI think coach Kaelin does a
great job at like.
Like not like putting thoseexpectations down, but it's like
(17:21):
like keeping me in check, thatit's like I've had one bad I did
I had one bad ball, or like,because something like it's like
it will be like one thing thatwill flip the switch for me.
So it's like sometimes I justneed a reminder that it's like
the next one you can make itbetter, and like it's not the
end of the world if you had onebad game right.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
accepting like imperfection is really important
as an athlete to get thatmindset off.
I mean, sometimes Bill's beardis not even I'm like Bill, it's
it's fine, like you can acceptthe imperfection, it's quite
okay.
And he's like yeah, you'reright.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And then he doesn't fix it.
And, coach, I think over thetime and the more time that
you're around the sports andyou're around kids and you're
coaching kids up, it's gettingthem to realize that what is
what's done is done right.
We can't go, we can't hit therewind button, but we've got to
(18:13):
look forward and I know that'ssomething that you've always
talked to your teams about, andit's about let's move forward.
How, how do we get better fromhere?
Speaker 5 (18:21):
Yes, we always talk about not when, not if you're
going to make a mistake, it'swhen you're going to because,
you're going to make mistakes.
There are very few sports that,no matter what you do, no matter
what happens, a point is givento somebody.
So we have to learn how torebound from that.
(18:42):
So it's not what you did, it'show you respond the next point.
So you can be sad about it.
You can keep worrying aboutwhat happened and then let that
snowball.
Or we can say what's done isdone.
I can't fix it, but I can lookforward to the next point and do
better or learn from thatmistake and move on.
(19:04):
So we really we talk about it'sokay to fail, and there's this
idea that's kind of been a bigpushing point in the summer that
failure has turned into such aword that we're scared of and
that it's not okay and that it'sjust this heavy word, that
failure is something that weshould be terrified of.
(19:25):
And in volleyball you fail allthe time.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
All the time.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
All the time and again, it's not a bad thing to
fail.
Failing is what pushes you,failing is what makes you better
and it helps you learn.
So we got to look at failure asalmost a positive thing and
stop looking at it as a negative, and one point is like the
game's over.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Especially in a sport like volleyball.
We get into the league andwe're playing five games.
There are so many points wonand lost.
It needs to be about what'sgoing to happen in this next
point.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
How can you better the next play?
Or when we talk about it, it'slike if it was a bad pass.
It's like how can the nextperson that touches it better
the ball?
It's just bettering the nextplay.
Or like when we talk about itlike it's like if it was a bad
pass, it's like how can the nextperson that touches it better
the ball and like it's justbettering the next play?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
that's what I always try to think about there's a lot
of things in sports where it'sreactionary and also we go into
this emotional roller coasterwhere everything just falls
apart and the more we talk tomore athletes and stuff it's
like well, no, we're gonna havea planned when that happens.
So what's our planned responsewhen things don't go our way?
This is what we're doing, andthen when you start doing that,
(20:33):
when those situations come up,you're ready for them.
Yeah, we're not going tosnowball and lose everything
here.
We're going to.
This is what our plan is, andlet's refocus.
So it's nice to hear that someI mean a lot of that is what
you're doing, which is reallygreat, right it's the goal?
Yeah, it really is.
It's really nice, caitlin, as acoach.
You've coached for a whilealready and I assume you're
(20:54):
going to be coaching for a longtime yet with the love that you
have for the game.
In the big picture, in the longrun, what do you want these
kids to think about theirseasons 15, 20 years from now?
That's something I think about.
Think about their seasons 15,20 years from now.
That's something I think about.
It's like well, do we focus inon the wins and losses all the
time which we have to becompetitive?
Speaker 4 (21:12):
We're all competitive athletes for goodness sakes
right.
We wouldn't be doing it if weweren't.
We weren't.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Right.
I've always said and not, Iguess, necessarily towards what
the girls think of it afterseason, but I've always come
across as what after we're doneplaying?
Speaker 3 (21:32):
what do I?
Speaker 5 (21:32):
want to leave our opponents feeling and that's
been more of competitive,relentless but at the end of the
day that they're good people.
I don't.
I would rather my girls begreat people that go into the
world and contribute in a greatway than be great volleyball
(21:54):
players that people don't reallylike.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
So I try as hard and getting both is really nice
Getting both is phenomenal.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
I mean, that's what we've got in mags right here
Great human being on top ofbeing a great volleyball player.
And again, you hope that foreverybody, but I guess for
athletes when they're done, Iwould.
I would hope that they learnedsomething and it wasn't just
about volleyball, and that theytake something, even if it's
just one thing that they'vetaken from me just for life, to
(22:23):
help them out, yeah, and thatthey felt like they grew again,
not just as a volleyball player,but just as a person, and they
learned a couple of things thatthey can apply to their life
once they're done withvolleyball.
Because for a lot of athletesin high school, once high school
sports are done, they're done,it's done.
So I want them to realize thatsports is just something that
(22:44):
they do.
It's not who they are and thatthere's so much more to who they
are and that we've just addedsomething to help them in their
futures.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, I've heard.
I've heard coaches ask beforecoach, what do you think about
your season?
And I've, then I've heard thecoach's response I won't know
for 15 years, because that'swhere the real proof is.
Right, like what kind ofmothers, fathers, are they as
(23:18):
part of society?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
right, you know down the road, that's where the real
value in our work as coaches andleadership positions dealing
with high school kids that'swhere it pays off when I love to
have relationships with thegirls past volleyball season in
high school, like if I even ifit's just once in a while that I
can kind of keep up with themon social media and see I've got
(23:40):
players who, matt, just gotmarried and they're having kids
and it's really cool to see themjust kind of grow as as people.
And if I can have arelationship with them past
volleyball, I think that I'mkind of doing it right.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Yeah, I, I'm very fortunate.
I, you know, grew up inMaryland, but I get back home,
you know, once twice a year.
Uh, I still go and havebreakfast with my high school
football coach Every time I,every time I go back home.
I still talk to my high schoolfootball coach every time I go
back home.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Oh, that's nice, I still talk to my high school
volleyball coach prettyregularly, well, there you go,
guys.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You guys turned out okay.
We're trying, speaking ofmoving forward a little bit.
Magali, you had a really Nicething happened to you in April
you got a full ride scholarshipto Cleveland State University.
Congratulations, thank you.
Massive accomplishment toactually pull that off.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Yet maybe you know.
Mags, as we're sitting here,talk to us a little bit about
what that recruiting process islike.
It's changed dramatically sinceI went through it back in the
late 90s.
Um, it's changed dramaticallysince I went through it back in
the late nineties.
Um, what is that like for ahigh school kid?
You know going through thatprocess, having to stay on top
(24:54):
of things, posting to socialmedia, reaching out to coaches
what is that like for you?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
So I'd say it's very stressful and then, like you
said, things have changed sincethen.
I mean, obviously I don'treally know we didn't have media
.
yeah, and my dad and I cut myhighlight tape together on a VHS
cassette yeah, so like withlike obviously there's so many
great athletes out in the world,like in the world, let alone
the United States like it's likesome people like go from like a
(25:18):
different country and come tothe United States to play
college volleyball or collegeanything.
So it's like there's so manygood athletes out there.
So it's like it's socompetitive, which I mean
everything's like is competitive, so it's not like it really
changes anything, but it's likethe constant, like like after
every tournament I know I'd bewatching film like in class,
like I literally all I did inclass was just watch film, make
my highlights so I can send itout to more coaches, because I
(25:40):
was always so worried that Ilike if I wasn't keeping up with
emailing coaches that theywould just kind of forget about
me.
So that's like I'd be like hey,here's my film from this
tournament this weekend, likelike if you could take some time
to watch it and stuff like that.
I just say it's very stressfuland it gives you lots of
anxieties because you're likeworried that you're not as good
as the other people and that'swhere like becoming such a
(26:00):
perfect, like worried that liketrying to be perfect really
comes into play, like as in.
It's like you start to compareyourself to what you see on
social media a lot and like thatyou're not as good as them, and
that's where it's just like itreally builds a really bad
mindset, because it's like whatyou see on social media is their
highlights as well, like youdon't see their mistakes, what
they need to work on all thisstuff.
(26:21):
So it's like social media hassuch a big part, as in, like
comparing yourself to others andlike thinking you're not good
enough to play at these schoolsor stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
You ended up going to Cleveland, ohio, with your
family.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that for the recruiting
visit?
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Oh, the recruiting visit was so much fun.
I loved it there.
When I was looking into schools, like, I feel like a big part
for me was that I wanted to likego a little bit far, but I
didn't want to be too far frommy family and Cleveland State is
only it's like four and a half,like five-ish hours, so it's
like a good distance where I'mnot too far, but I can also
drive home whenever I meanwhenever I have time or like
whenever I can.
(26:58):
So it's like the perfectdistance.
And then also like living inHolland.
We have a pretty nice place,but it's not like a city and I
was like what if we just changeit up for college?
Like you know, try somethingdifferent just for fun.
So I really loved it there.
So it was definitely differentand I mean it's in the city so
it's like it's very pretty andit was so fun.
I got to spend so much timewith the girls.
(27:19):
I think the first night I wasthere it was literally just me
and all the team and it was somuch fun.
The girls were all so sweet andit was just full of laughs and
Fortnite.
We played Fortnite in the dormsso that was really fun.
And the head coach at Clevelandhe was so good about making
sure that my mom was includedthroughout the whole thing.
(27:40):
I think our first phone call hemade sure my mom was there,
which is one thing that none ofthe other coaches I talked to
had done.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
He made sure my mom was there for our first phone
call.
Nobody else had done thatbefore.
No, all the other coaches, sothat makes a mark on you.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Not that they didn't really care, not that they
didn't care, but none of thecoaches were like, hey, make
sure your mom's with you on thephone call, which was like a big
, just like it's my first time.
So it's like for her to feelcomfortable knowing that, like
he wants her involved and likealso the fact that he's taking
time to make sure she feelscomfortable sending sending me
(28:13):
off to cleveland.
Like you know that's really farand like it's a city too.
So it's like it's a bitdifferent I have to share with
you.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
I talked with your mom about it and spending time
on the phone with your mom was,I mean, it was pretty impactful
for me.
I mean, give me a second here,oh boy.
So I talked with your mom onthe phone and it's like she left
an impression on me.
I was, I didn't see it coming,but basically what she said was
(28:41):
when you guys went out toCleveland state right.
It was you, brianna, which isyour younger sister, and then
your brother, which is Kai.
So the four of you went out toCleveland State and she goes.
I have to tell you something.
I go okay, go ahead.
What is it?
She goes.
We're an immigrant family.
She goes.
When I was younger and I was alittle girl, eight years old we
(29:04):
bounced around from state tostate all the time and I don't
know if she told you this orwhatever, but she said all I
heard when I was younger is yeah, we moved here for a better
life, the better life.
And she said where is it?
I don't know where it is.
It certainly isn't my life.
And she said I always wonderedwell, where's this better life,
where is it going to be?
And she said, when you guys gotto cleveland state and you were
(29:27):
there, she goes.
For the first time in my life,I'm now seeing what that means.
Here it is, and it wasn't forme, but it was for my daughter,
it was for my other kids.
And she said I am now.
I know that what I did as a mommattered and it was like a
really special moment.
(29:48):
But that's your mom talkingabout that.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
And it's really dusty in here all of a sudden.
Yes, it is.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I think there's onions around here.
It was cutting onions, I canfeel it.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
But I was I mean, I was taken aback.
I had never heard that fromsomeone before Like it was
almost an American dream, yeah.
But then she was like, yeah, Ifinally saw it.
Like I'm so encouraged by thatas a human being.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I just think that sometimes people like, when it
comes to the whole, like peoplecoming to the United States for
like a better life, I thinkpeople don't truly understand
what they're coming here for andthe opportunity that is given
here in the United States thatare not given in other countries
, let alone like education, likeeven coming to high school here
, is such a big opportunity forlike me and my family, like my
(30:34):
mom I don't honestly don't knowif she even has a high school
diploma.
So I mean I know she came toWest Ottawa actually fun fact
but um, yeah, so like I mean Ilike my grandma was around for a
bit.
She passed away when I was likenine ish.
So like I've got to see her andlike, even when she was still
(30:54):
like what's it called, likegrowing up, I would still watch
her, like I'd go to the bluebird, like she still went, like she
still migrated around to like um, like catch the seasons, like
in different states.
So it's like I still got to,like I still got to like grow up
in like the farms and like thetrailer parks and stuff like
that.
But like I stayed here inHolland, so like seeing that
(31:15):
it's like I really did see likepeople having to work hard for
what they've like had, and likemy mom being a single mom as
well.
It's like nothing has everreally come easy for our family.
So it's like I just kind ofalways wanted to make sure I
made everything that they didworth it.
Like my grandma, my mom.
It's like I can't just let thatgo to waste.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Well, she made it a point to let me know what that
meant to her that you're goingto Cleveland State.
I think it's just beautiful.
One of your friends, BrookePedersen, wrote a really nice
article about you about a littlemore than a year ago.
If anyone's listening, you wantto go find just Google behind
the smile.
It's a nice little article forthe West Ottawa in that that
(31:55):
Brooke wrote and it's a littlebit of background.
It helped me understand yoursituation a little bit more too,
so it was really nice to readthat.
So, yeah, wonderful thing foryour family.
I'm so excited for you to dothat.
We'll always be tough to leaveyour family because your family
is so close, but we all go toschool eventually.
So eventually that's going tohappen.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
But yeah, just really nice and one of the things
Magsit, I don't know if you knowthis or not, but you're kind of
one of those kids that PantherPathways and the existence of
Panther Pathways and, for thoseof you who might not know,
that's our after schoolprogramming for our younger
student athletes Right, it'sfourth, fifth grade kids, but
(32:36):
you're one of the kids that whenwe first started talking about
that, you were the one wherepeople were like you know, my
golly didn't play sports untilseventh grade.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, that was my first time.
I was very pressured intovolleyball.
Actually I did not want to play.
Yeah, mrs Bush up.
Thank Amy Bush, thank God forher.
If it wasn't for her I wouldn'thave played.
I think I came to Trout's thelast day and it's because she
was my gym teacher and she waslike you show up, just bring a
physical and you'll be on theteam.
And I was like, okay, I guess.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, but it's, and pathways exist to get people or
kids introduced to athletics ata younger age so that we start
to get them into our pipelineand we start to, I guess, really
help our students understandthe opportunities that do exist
here at West Ottawa.
And that's, you know, just Idon't know if you knew that or
(33:29):
not, but you're kind of one ofthose shining examples of this
is why we do some of the thingsthat we do at West Ottawa,
because we really are aboutbreaking down barriers and
providing opportunities for allstudents.
Right, and kudos to you forbeing that like shining light
for so many.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
We haven't been down.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
I'm sorry I'm getting emotional and kudos to you for
being that like shining lightfor so many Thanks.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
We haven't been down this path very often.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm getting emotional .
We have not been here yet.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
But you know, sometimes it's meant to be.
You're going to probably gointo the teaching career, right?
That's something you'rethinking about.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Yes, I want to go into like elementary education.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
That's fantastic.
You got the personality for it,that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Thanks.
I don't know.
Growing up I wanted to go intomore social work fostering, but
I have some people in my lifethat are in that career and I
kind of see how it impacts them.
I feel like for me I don'tthink that would be the right
way, Because I feel like I'd bethe type to not leave work at
work.
And I feel like I'd take workhome with me and I just feel
(34:24):
like that would really impact meand my mental health.
So I just I was thinking, I waslike what's another way I can
still impact kids' life and likeget to be with them all the
time.
I was like teaching.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
So that's good for you.
I'm excited for you.
It'll be, you'll be aspectacular teacher when the
moment comes.
We are going to move back tovolleyball.
Yeah.
We're going to actually getinto some actual volleyball
stuff.
Let's talk about the upcomingseason a little bit, Coach.
Okay, we had a number ofplayers leave.
Bill, that graduated.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Yeah, we had a big senior class last year,
including some folks that Mags.
You got to play with multiplesports Chelsea Overbeak, brooke
Patterson.
Big personalities, big leaders.
Where's that leadership void?
Who's going to step into thatas we go into this season?
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Well, as of now, from what I've seen, it's hard to
say Because again we have.
Last time I checked we have 15juniors and seniors trying out.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
You can have a young team, for sure.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
So numbers are really big and I think as of now we
have 60-plus trying out for theentire program.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Well, that's so healthy it is.
Speaker 5 (35:37):
The last two years.
I think we had 70-plus lastyear.
So, it's great to see numbersand it's amazing.
But our seniors we have three sofar and they have done an
amazing job this summer ofshowing up and being a good
example at everything andpositive on the court.
(36:02):
There's not been any issueswith people like gelling and
getting along.
They're always one to like keepeverybody included.
With such a big group it can behard to do that they kind of
don't branch off into their ownlittle spaces, but we've we've
stayed a pretty good group theentire summer, so it'll be tough
in volleyball.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It is of all the sports like we watch, whatever
there's six spots on there.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
Yes, right.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I mean, it is it's competitive Parents get in on
that too, right, everybody wantsa spot my daughter should be
playing instead of yours.
Speaker 5 (36:36):
It's not easy, well, and it's hard because there are
some sports where it's moreobjective.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
When it comes to skill and capabilities and
starting spots, and sometimes itcomes down to volleyball of
chemistry versus skill.
There's just a little bit moresubjective, and to try to make
that clear can be very difficult.
Just for whatever reason, thisworks better and I don't always
(37:08):
have a great answer as to whythat works better, but yeah, it
can be kind of difficult.
So the seniors have done agreat job, but yeah, well, it's
kind of up in the air when itcomes to what the team's going
to look like.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, it is Come tryouts.
Well, Burke told me that hopesprings eternal.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
Yeah, that was one of his lines.
I'm like, well it always doesright.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
It's the beginning of a season.
Anything can happen.
Speaker 5 (37:32):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
What I'm really happy about is the healthiness of the
program.
You have that many young peoplecoming out to play.
You're going to have your yearswhere you get.
Hey, we got three really greatathletes this year and yours you
don't.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
But we wish you guys all the best with your upcoming
season.
I'm super excited about it andwe will be watching you guys.
We'll be out on the court andhopefully get some fans out.
If you haven't watched muchvolleyball here at West Ottawa,
or if you get bored during thefall, come on out to the gym.
It's great to watch Greatenvironment.
It's a great to watch greatenvironment and get out there.
It's great.
This has been really fun to sitdown with you guys.
(38:07):
It's been really nice to get toknow you a little bit better.
Magali looks like she wants toplay some pickleball, so she
probably just wants to get outof here Today.
You're playing today.
You think what do you?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
think I'm trying to think what?
Oh, probably actually.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Get back out there, all right.
Then maybe someday, who knows?
Maybe the four of us?
Speaker 5 (38:28):
will get out there.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Shoot a little stupid video of these people crying
and playing pickleball at thesame time, All right.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Well, thanks for coming on.
Head coach of the girls'varsity, Kate Lawton and Magali
Lemus, senior middle blocker.
Thanks for coming on.
We really appreciate it.
Thanks for being here.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Thank middle blocker.
Thanks for coming on.
We really appreciate it.
Thanks for being here, thankyou, thanks, guys.
Peace out, bye, asmr.
I saw opportunity and had totake it.
I respect that you can now getthis podcast on spotify, apple
(39:21):
music and wherever you get yourpodcasts.
I still got to like grow up in like the farms and
like the trailer parks and stufflike that, but like I stayed
here in Holland, so like seeingthat it's like I really did see
like people having to work hardfor what they've like had, and
like my mom being a single momas well, it's like nothing has
ever really come easy for ourfamily.
So it's like I just kind ofalways wanted to make sure I
(00:22):
made everything that they didworth it, like my grandma, my
mom.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
It's like I can't just let that go to waste.
Hey everybody, this is RodneyValinga with the West Ottawa
High School Athletic Program andyou're listening to the 29.1
Podcast 29 sports, one team, theshow that brings you into the
lives of student-athletes,coaches and other faces in the
(00:48):
Panther sports community,bringing you the stories you
might otherwise never hear.
Join myself and AthleticDirector Bill Kennedy as we dive
in with you to get to know eachother a little bit better.
Hey everybody, it's so great tobe doing this podcast with you.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Hey everybody, it's so great to be doing this
podcast with you and sharingthese stories.
I'm your host, rodney Valinga,and I'm here with Panthers
Athletic Director, bill Kennedy.
We just want to say thanks toeverybody out there for taking
the time to listen, for makingit a part of your day, your
drive, your workout, whereveryou are.
We really appreciate it and wehope just for you.
(01:31):
Getting to know thesestudent-athletes a little bit
more is enriching your sportingexperience.
Here at West Ottawa High SchoolToday we spend time with
Varsity Girls Volleyball HeadCoach Caitlin Lawton, who enters
her fifth season leading thePanthers, and senior middle
blocker, magali Lemus, whoenters the season as only one of
three seniors on a young teamlooking to make their mark.
Kaitlin Lawton, magali Lemus,coming up next on the 29.1.
(01:52):
Let's go.
Hey everybody, welcome back tothe 29.1 podcast.
We're here at West Ottawa HighSchool and I'm your host, rodney
Valinga, and I'm sitting herewith Panthers Athletic Director,
(02:12):
bill Kennedy.
We have two really good guestsin today, in my personal opinion
.
Who is it?
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Coach Caitlin Lawton, senior Magali Lemus.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, so we're doing girls varsity volleyball today.
Bill, this is going to be niceto get into this.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
It's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So, caitlin, you've been head coach, now with
varsity for, I believe, is itfive years now.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
This will be my fifth season.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
And before that you did.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
JV for eight years.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Wow, so you are a very seasoned veteran around
here.
Yes, you kind of bleed theblack and white huh.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
Very much.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And Magali.
You are a senior going intoyour senior season.
What position do you play involleyball?
Speaker 1 (02:54):
I play middle blocker , but my sophomore season I
played right side.
Oh, you did play right side.
Mm-hmm, for a little bit.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Okay, all right.
Now we're back here Gettinginto this.
Magali, you're a multi-sportathlete.
You've played volleyball andbasketball at the varsity level
since you were a sophomore.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
A little bit of track my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Oh, a little bit of track.
What did you do in track inyour freshman?
Speaker 1 (03:15):
year I did hurdles and long jump.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Okay, nice, all right .
With that being said, I heardyou picked up another sport this
summer, though, so although youare.
Speaker 5 (03:23):
She has a big smile on her face, although she's
playing basketball andvolleyball.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I've heard that you have gotten to the world of
pickleball.
Can you tell me a little bitabout that?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
That world is awful.
That world is hard and takes alot of patience, but it's hard
when the people around you areso competitive.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
And yeah, because they just put me down a lot.
Who do you play with?
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Who are you playing with right now?
You know a couple of fellowPanthers Elijah Reynolds and
Chris Broncourse.
They are really competitive.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
I don't like playing against them or with them but I
do all the time Playingpickleball with younger people.
So pickleball, when you're likeyou're playing, usually it's
seniors that are out there.
Right, you're a high schoolsenior, but I mean now I'm
talking senior seniors and thenyou have, uh, used to be
athletes like me who thinkthere's a an ounce of
athleticism still left and wehead on out to the pickleball
(04:15):
court to play.
But it's a fun, fun sport,right?
Speaker 1 (04:18):
no, it's fun to do.
I mean like definitely, likeI'll like get out of, like
volleyball and then I'll go dosomething.
But then around 7.30-ish, 8, wegather a whole bunch of friends
and we go to the pickleballcourts.
It's so much fun.
It's fun when you're bad atsomething, sometimes like golf.
Golf, I'm just swinging awaybecause I'm just hoping to hit
the ball.
That's basically how it is forpickleball too.
(04:40):
If I hit the ball, it's asuccess.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I'm happy with that.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
Yeah, and pickleball is like one of the most social
games around, because you werelike, do you?
Speaker 3 (04:50):
play any pickleball, caitlin?
I have not, you have not.
All right, well, we have afoursome in here, so I don't
know what this will turn intodown the road but it's so social
because every like you knowthis, we got everybody's in on
that net right you're reallyclose.
And the crazy shots, they'rejust happening all the time.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
They're just boom, boom.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah, and somebody makes a dumb mistake or gets hit
in the head or whatever it maybe, so it's really really fun.
Yes, you also do links though,like that's a big part of your
life, right, I was able to likejust kind of look at some stuff
you put out in line and you gotsome really nice stuff that
you're doing with links over thepast few years.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
that so actually this was like my first year getting
into it.
I've requested it every singleyear.
I just for some reason havenever got put into it until, um,
like last year I got to like Ikind of okay, I kind of like it
was like exam times.
I didn't have an exam in theclass, so I just asked if I
could leave the class and go tothat class.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
So I didn't skip it, but like sure I left that you're
not gonna get in trouble.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I don't know how to say that.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
But so I spent some time in that classroom and I
talked to Ploos and I was likehey, like I'd really like to be
like involved in this.
So then this past year I got tobe in their fifth hour, which
is a work study.
And basically Mondays,wednesdays and Fridays.
I think we are at a locationwhere you get to like, get
real-world experience and likethe working force and my
(06:07):
placement was always family fair, so I would get to like be with
some other classmates and likeget to, just like get some work
experience, like bagging stuff,facing shelves.
And then, like on the otherdays when we weren't on our
placements, we'd get to like dosome things in the classroom or
do stuff for other teachers,like refill paper for the what
(06:27):
are they called?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Copy machines.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Yes, print makers yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Print makers.
We're changing the name.
Yes, copy machines.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It's been changed.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
But it was so much fun getting to be in Lynx this
year and I'm going to be in itagain this year.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
It's always so much fun to be around everybody and
it just always puts a smile onmy face and I just like being
able to help others.
Yeah, it's really nice to bearound that.
Caitlin, I know we have a bitof a connection Because when my
daughter Madeline played JV, youcoached her.
What year Do you remember howfar ago that?
Speaker 5 (06:58):
was gonna sound terrible.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
I don't I don't maybe my ears get so mixed up right,
so probably 2017, 2018 at least.
So we know each other a littlebit from there.
There's always a Westadaconnection as we talk to each
other.
I talked to Ryan Burkeyesterday, who is your assistant
coach, and I said, hey, I knowCaitlin a little bit, but is
there a few things you can tellme, like what does she like to
do?
And he's like what is what doesshe like to do?
(07:19):
He goes watch more volleyball.
That's true, is?
that like a really one of yourthings that you just like to do.
You're a big fan, right?
Speaker 5 (07:27):
I do.
I love volleyball in general,but I love getting to learn more
.
I just I'm like a sponge whenit comes to volleyball.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I will.
Speaker 5 (07:39):
I read books, I go to classes, I contact coaches.
I just want to gather as muchinformation that I can at all
times and I've told the girlsthis a ton If you watch
volleyball, you'll learn so muchjust by watching.
So I'm very Big Ten oriented incollege volleyball.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
And the Big Ten in college volleyball is the best
it's the best in the country.
Speaker 5 (08:01):
So if there's a Big Ten game on, it is recorded.
I watch it in my free time,which you would think I don't
have much of that with threechildren and coaching volleyball
, but I find time to still watchthose and super exciting with
the Olympics, I haven't missed agame beach or indoor.
So yeah, love watchingvolleyball.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
And not only are you juggling the schedule of a
varsity volleyball coach, threechildren at home, your husband
is an athletic director and acoach yes so there's a lot of
juggling going on in the lawtonhousehold correct organization
is a big thing in our household.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
I always have to have june through the end of
november planned are you kiddingme in?
March.
Nope, I need to know whereeveryone is at all times, who's
going to watch who and yeah, ourcalendars are very, very
organized between those thosemonths.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
So that is something.
Well, your your obsession withvolleyball.
I'm going to put it in thehealthy obsession category.
I appreciate that.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
Sometimes my husband would call it an addiction.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
Yes.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
I would call it a healthy addiction.
I guess there's worse things.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, it's a healthy obsession.
It's like being addicted toyogurt, I mean okay, right,
that's kind of odd oh that'skind of odd.
Yeah, it is kind of odd.
I kind of made that up on thespot.
Coming up now, miguel, you'vehad a busy summer.
You have a lot going on outsideof pickleball, which is the
majority of the time that you dothings in the summer.
(09:27):
You also work during the summer, but you're spending a lot of
time with friends going to thebeach.
All that all the while stillplaying on the Rise team, right?
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Oh, yes, I am.
I am playing on that team thisupcoming winter season.
So when is the season for theRise.
It kind of starts like sametime as basketball season, like
that november-ish time.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
That's when they start okay, so you don't play in
the summer for that um, I justI wasn't on their 17s team this
year.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So, like usually, you would be because they train up
until like almost july, becauseof nationals, sure, but I wasn't
.
I was on their 18th team thisyear and since everybody's like
already committed and goingsomewhere, they want to have at
least a week or two of summer.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I saw those uniforms online.
Those unis were pretty sweetfor that team.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
They are.
We had three different jerseys.
One was navy and red, One waswhite and navy and another one
was red and navy.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Just different colors if that makes sense, one color
was bigger than the other.
What has that experience beenlike for you to play with, uh,
people from other teams, right,other schools?
What's that been like for youjust helping you grow your
volleyball?
Or?
Speaker 1 (10:31):
I feel like club and school are very different, like
as in like atmosphere, wise, andjust like I mean you always
meet another and like a wholenew group of people.
I mean, unless your team hasbeen like since together, since
like 12s, I've always been on adifferent team, I think, like I
don't think I've ever stayed onthe team, and so it's always fun
getting to meet new girls.
But I mean there's always timeswhere, like meeting new people,
(10:53):
sometimes people aren't thesweetest or the great, not like
the sweetest, but aren't justlike the nicest.
So like I would say that clubdoes bring out sometimes like
the ugly side of likecompetitiveness or like I don't
know people in a way which kindof makes it a little bit hard.
But sometimes you just have tolike work through that and, like
you know, make yourself betterwith the people.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, bill, bill and I were talking about that a
little bit earlier today.
When you do these sports andyou try and do all these things,
it's not always smooth, youknow.
There's a lot of conflict, alot of areas which we'll talk
about, but uh, keep moving on.
Speaker 4 (11:23):
bills go ahead yeah, coach, you kind of spoke a
little bit about, uh yourhealthy obsession with the game
of volleyball and your love forbig 10 volleyball in particular.
One of the things you've doneover the last number of years is
, uh get our girls to those big10 volleyball camps.
Maybe talk a little bit aboutkind of the reasons for wanting
to do that and what you've seenkind of come out of that.
(11:44):
And then maybe, mags, you couldtalk a little bit about what
that experience has been likegetting into some of those big
gyms.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
Well, with being on the west side of the state, we
don't really have any superlarge colleges around us.
We've got some great volleyballschools and great volleyball to
watch and a lot of the girlshave kind of grown up going to
those games.
So I wanted to give them just adifferent feel and different
opportunity to see a biggerschool and kind of how they do
(12:12):
things.
So we have actually gone toPurdue a couple of times and
it's a heck of a drive, not Imean not too far, but how far is
that?
Like three and a half hours yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (12:24):
And so not too bad.
But the girls might disagreewith the 6 am wake up call that
we have to go.
Though this year the ride thereeveryone was like completely
awake and talked the whole time.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
I love the car rides Like the old days.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I loved having the experience of the car rides and
having a group together.
I loved having the experienceof the car rides and having a
group together and Ispecifically put girls in
certain cars and I want to mixit up and I don't want little.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Did you plan that out three months prior to your
schedule?
Speaker 5 (12:53):
I do, I do, she does, she's a planner.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I am pretty much a planner.
She has like this big calendarlike next to her fridge.
It's like full of things and Ithink it's like two months ahead
.
It is it.
It's like full of things and Ithink it's like two months ahead
.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
It is, it is always two months ahead.
Well, I'm reevaluating my liferight now.
I'm not going to lie, but yeah.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Then we get there and Purdue is basically three days.
You wake up, you go eatbreakfast you play volleyball.
You go to lunch you playvolleyball.
You eat dinner you playvolleyball.
And they get to meet.
Some of the college playersbecome kind of like your coach.
They hang around with you.
Just fun and it was amazing.
And then it's cool for thegirls to have that experience of
(13:32):
getting to talk to them.
And I understand that going D1,especially Power 5, big 10, is
the percentage of athletes thatdo that is extremely small is
extremely small.
But to have someone that's atleast gone through the high
school thing and recruiting andcollege life whether or not it's
big or little schools ofvolleyball, they all have an
(13:54):
experience and for them to beable to share it comes
differently than it would from acoach and me trying to talk to
them about any of it.
So it's cool that they get tomake those connections and I
know Mags made connections witha couple of the Purdue Purdue
athletes from a couple of yearsago where they like actually
talk and communicate throughsocial media.
So that's been a really coolthing to see that my athletes
(14:17):
have actually had a chance tonurture relationships outside of
just West Ottawa volleyball andjust West Michigan volleyball
and just West Michiganvolleyball, but kind of in a
broader, broader idea.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
I think like also like, just as in like, we get to
see like the life or not thelife, but like all that
volleyball and like all aboutlike getting coached from
different people, I think thatit's also just a great team
bonding experience.
I feel like after that trip,the group of girls that go, we
always come back a lot closerthan we were before and we have
(14:51):
stories, like funny stories,from those trips that are just
like so heartwarming to thinkabout and it's just so much fun.
Speaker 5 (14:57):
Inside jokes, yeah, inside jokes we did a lot of
those.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
It's rough and then also like you're sleep deprived,
so they just become 10 timesbetter.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Yeah, way funnier.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Oh yeah, yes, sir, we laughed at that oh yeah, and
then also we were talking aboutthe car rides.
The car rides are always somuch fun and there's always
different stories to tell fromthe different cars, Like my
first year, I think, I was inCoach Caitlin's car and then
this past time we went I was inBurke's car, and it's just two
different experiences.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
What's the difference ?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Music, oh music, there we go.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Playing the adult playlist?
No, not.
The older set is really guiltyof this at times.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
Mags.
Maybe talk to us a little bitabout that.
You've been around coach Lawtonand coach Burke now for the
duration of your high schoolcareer.
What is kind of your?
I have always seen that you andcoach Lawton have had a really
great relationship.
Maybe talk a little bit aboutwhat that relationship is like,
even with Burke as well.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
I feel like it's just having like a steady, reliable
person or people in my life.
I feel like it's just havinglike a steady, reliable person
or people in my life.
I feel like since they, likeyou said, they've been there
like for me my high schoolcareer, basically through all
volleyball.
I think it's just therelationship is past, volleyball
like I don't want to say it'sjust like coach and kid related.
I think it's like I generallyobviously I care for these
people a lot, but, um, I thinkit's just like I said, them
(16:25):
being there for me in toughmoments.
I think they are people that Igo to like when I'm struggling
with things, and I mean justthings out of volleyball but
volleyball related, like CoachKaelin, like she's always been
there, like my first time goingto Nationals was very rough and
just know I was in the bathroom,like I think.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
In Florida.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
In Florida.
Yes, and I was calling her likeevery single, like after, like
every match.
I would call her like crying,and she would just always be
there for me during those roughtimes.
So I would just say that ourrelationship goes pretty deep.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
What was rough when you were playing those games
Like what brought that out ofyou?
Speaker 1 (17:01):
It was probably just like I think I put a lot of
pressure on myself as in like Ikind of want myself to be
perfect and when I'm notexecuting that, I feel like
that's the only thing I see.
So I just like sometimes needreminders that it's like it's
not always going to be good, andI think coach Kaelin does a
great job at like.
Like not like putting thoseexpectations down, but it's like
(17:21):
like keeping me in check, thatit's like I've had one bad I did
I had one bad ball, or like,because something like it's like
it will be like one thing thatwill flip the switch for me.
So it's like sometimes I justneed a reminder that it's like
the next one you can make itbetter, and like it's not the
end of the world if you had onebad game right.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
accepting like imperfection is really important
as an athlete to get thatmindset off.
I mean, sometimes Bill's beardis not even I'm like Bill, it's
it's fine, like you can acceptthe imperfection, it's quite
okay.
And he's like yeah, you'reright.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And then he doesn't fix it.
And, coach, I think over thetime and the more time that
you're around the sports andyou're around kids and you're
coaching kids up, it's gettingthem to realize that what is
what's done is done right.
We can't go, we can't hit therewind button, but we've got to
(18:13):
look forward and I know that'ssomething that you've always
talked to your teams about, andit's about let's move forward.
How, how do we get better fromhere?
Speaker 5 (18:21):
Yes, we always talk about not when, not if you're
going to make a mistake, it'swhen you're going to because,
you're going to make mistakes.
There are very few sports that,no matter what you do, no matter
what happens, a point is givento somebody.
So we have to learn how torebound from that.
(18:42):
So it's not what you did, it'show you respond the next point.
So you can be sad about it.
You can keep worrying aboutwhat happened and then let that
snowball.
Or we can say what's done isdone.
I can't fix it, but I can lookforward to the next point and do
better or learn from thatmistake and move on.
(19:04):
So we really we talk about it'sokay to fail, and there's this
idea that's kind of been a bigpushing point in the summer that
failure has turned into such aword that we're scared of and
that it's not okay and that it'sjust this heavy word, that
failure is something that weshould be terrified of.
(19:25):
And in volleyball you fail allthe time.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
All the time.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
All the time and again, it's not a bad thing to
fail.
Failing is what pushes you,failing is what makes you better
and it helps you learn.
So we got to look at failure asalmost a positive thing and
stop looking at it as a negative, and one point is like the
game's over.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Especially in a sport like volleyball.
We get into the league andwe're playing five games.
There are so many points wonand lost.
It needs to be about what'sgoing to happen in this next
point.
Speaker 1 (20:02):
How can you better the next play?
Or when we talk about it, it'slike if it was a bad pass.
It's like how can the nextperson that touches it better
the ball?
It's just bettering the nextplay.
Or like when we talk about itlike it's like if it was a bad
pass, it's like how can the nextperson that touches it better
the ball and like it's justbettering the next play?
Speaker 3 (20:12):
that's what I always try to think about there's a lot
of things in sports where it'sreactionary and also we go into
this emotional roller coasterwhere everything just falls
apart and the more we talk tomore athletes and stuff it's
like well, no, we're gonna havea planned when that happens.
So what's our planned responsewhen things don't go our way?
This is what we're doing, andthen when you start doing that,
(20:33):
when those situations come up,you're ready for them.
Yeah, we're not going tosnowball and lose everything
here.
We're going to.
This is what our plan is, andlet's refocus.
So it's nice to hear that someI mean a lot of that is what
you're doing, which is reallygreat, right it's the goal?
Yeah, it really is.
It's really nice, caitlin, as acoach.
You've coached for a whilealready and I assume you're
(20:54):
going to be coaching for a longtime yet with the love that you
have for the game.
In the big picture, in the longrun, what do you want these
kids to think about theirseasons 15, 20 years from now?
That's something I think about.
Think about their seasons 15,20 years from now.
That's something I think about.
It's like well, do we focus inon the wins and losses all the
time which we have to becompetitive?
Speaker 4 (21:12):
We're all competitive athletes for goodness sakes
right.
We wouldn't be doing it if weweren't.
We weren't.
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Right.
I've always said and not, Iguess, necessarily towards what
the girls think of it afterseason, but I've always come
across as what after we're doneplaying?
Speaker 3 (21:32):
what do I?
Speaker 5 (21:32):
want to leave our opponents feeling and that's
been more of competitive,relentless but at the end of the
day that they're good people.
I don't.
I would rather my girls begreat people that go into the
world and contribute in a greatway than be great volleyball
(21:54):
players that people don't reallylike.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
So I try as hard and getting both is really nice
Getting both is phenomenal.
Speaker 5 (22:02):
I mean, that's what we've got in mags right here
Great human being on top ofbeing a great volleyball player.
And again, you hope that foreverybody, but I guess for
athletes when they're done, Iwould.
I would hope that they learnedsomething and it wasn't just
about volleyball, and that theytake something, even if it's
just one thing that they'vetaken from me just for life, to
(22:23):
help them out, yeah, and thatthey felt like they grew again,
not just as a volleyball player,but just as a person, and they
learned a couple of things thatthey can apply to their life
once they're done withvolleyball.
Because for a lot of athletesin high school, once high school
sports are done, they're done,it's done.
So I want them to realize thatsports is just something that
(22:44):
they do.
It's not who they are and thatthere's so much more to who they
are and that we've just addedsomething to help them in their
futures.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, I've heard.
I've heard coaches ask beforecoach, what do you think about
your season?
And I've, then I've heard thecoach's response I won't know
for 15 years, because that'swhere the real proof is.
Right, like what kind ofmothers, fathers, are they as
(23:18):
part of society?
Speaker 5 (23:19):
right, you know down the road, that's where the real
value in our work as coaches andleadership positions dealing
with high school kids that'swhere it pays off when I love to
have relationships with thegirls past volleyball season in
high school, like if I even ifit's just once in a while that I
can kind of keep up with themon social media and see I've got
(23:40):
players who, matt, just gotmarried and they're having kids
and it's really cool to see themjust kind of grow as as people.
And if I can have arelationship with them past
volleyball, I think that I'mkind of doing it right.
Speaker 4 (23:56):
Yeah, I, I'm very fortunate.
I, you know, grew up inMaryland, but I get back home,
you know, once twice a year.
Uh, I still go and havebreakfast with my high school
football coach Every time I,every time I go back home.
I still talk to my high schoolfootball coach every time I go
back home.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Oh, that's nice, I still talk to my high school
volleyball coach prettyregularly, well, there you go,
guys.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You guys turned out okay.
We're trying, speaking ofmoving forward a little bit.
Magali, you had a really Nicething happened to you in April
you got a full ride scholarshipto Cleveland State University.
Congratulations, thank you.
Massive accomplishment toactually pull that off.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Yet maybe you know.
Mags, as we're sitting here,talk to us a little bit about
what that recruiting process islike.
It's changed dramatically sinceI went through it back in the
late 90s.
Um, it's changed dramaticallysince I went through it back in
the late nineties.
Um, what is that like for ahigh school kid?
You know going through thatprocess, having to stay on top
(24:54):
of things, posting to socialmedia, reaching out to coaches
what is that like for you?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
So I'd say it's very stressful and then, like you
said, things have changed sincethen.
I mean, obviously I don'treally know we didn't have media
.
yeah, and my dad and I cut myhighlight tape together on a VHS
cassette yeah, so like withlike obviously there's so many
great athletes out in the world,like in the world, let alone
the United States like it's likesome people like go from like a
(25:18):
different country and come tothe United States to play
college volleyball or collegeanything.
So it's like there's so manygood athletes out there.
So it's like it's socompetitive, which I mean
everything's like is competitive, so it's not like it really
changes anything, but it's likethe constant, like like after
every tournament I know I'd bewatching film like in class,
like I literally all I did inclass was just watch film, make
my highlights so I can send itout to more coaches, because I
(25:40):
was always so worried that Ilike if I wasn't keeping up with
emailing coaches that theywould just kind of forget about
me.
So that's like I'd be like hey,here's my film from this
tournament this weekend, likelike if you could take some time
to watch it and stuff like that.
I just say it's very stressfuland it gives you lots of
anxieties because you're likeworried that you're not as good
as the other people and that'swhere like becoming such a
(26:00):
perfect, like worried that liketrying to be perfect really
comes into play, like as in.
It's like you start to compareyourself to what you see on
social media a lot and like thatyou're not as good as them, and
that's where it's just like itreally builds a really bad
mindset, because it's like whatyou see on social media is their
highlights as well, like youdon't see their mistakes, what
they need to work on all thisstuff.
(26:21):
So it's like social media hassuch a big part, as in, like
comparing yourself to others andlike thinking you're not good
enough to play at these schoolsor stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
You ended up going to Cleveland, ohio, with your
family.
Can you tell us a little bitabout that for the recruiting
visit?
Speaker 1 (26:38):
Oh, the recruiting visit was so much fun.
I loved it there.
When I was looking into schools, like, I feel like a big part
for me was that I wanted to likego a little bit far, but I
didn't want to be too far frommy family and Cleveland State is
only it's like four and a half,like five-ish hours, so it's
like a good distance where I'mnot too far, but I can also
drive home whenever I meanwhenever I have time or like
whenever I can.
(26:58):
So it's like the perfectdistance.
And then also like living inHolland.
We have a pretty nice place,but it's not like a city and I
was like what if we just changeit up for college?
Like you know, try somethingdifferent just for fun.
So I really loved it there.
So it was definitely differentand I mean it's in the city so
it's like it's very pretty andit was so fun.
I got to spend so much timewith the girls.
(27:19):
I think the first night I wasthere it was literally just me
and all the team and it was somuch fun.
The girls were all so sweet andit was just full of laughs and
Fortnite.
We played Fortnite in the dormsso that was really fun.
And the head coach at Clevelandhe was so good about making
sure that my mom was includedthroughout the whole thing.
(27:40):
I think our first phone call hemade sure my mom was there,
which is one thing that none ofthe other coaches I talked to
had done.
Speaker 3 (27:48):
He made sure my mom was there for our first phone
call.
Nobody else had done thatbefore.
No, all the other coaches, sothat makes a mark on you.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Not that they didn't really care, not that they
didn't care, but none of thecoaches were like, hey, make
sure your mom's with you on thephone call, which was like a big
, just like it's my first time.
So it's like for her to feelcomfortable knowing that, like
he wants her involved and likealso the fact that he's taking
time to make sure she feelscomfortable sending sending me
(28:13):
off to cleveland.
Like you know that's really farand like it's a city too.
So it's like it's a bitdifferent I have to share with
you.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
I talked with your mom about it and spending time
on the phone with your mom was,I mean, it was pretty impactful
for me.
I mean, give me a second here,oh boy.
So I talked with your mom onthe phone and it's like she left
an impression on me.
I was, I didn't see it coming,but basically what she said was
(28:41):
when you guys went out toCleveland state right.
It was you, brianna, which isyour younger sister, and then
your brother, which is Kai.
So the four of you went out toCleveland State and she goes.
I have to tell you something.
I go okay, go ahead.
What is it?
She goes.
We're an immigrant family.
She goes.
When I was younger and I was alittle girl, eight years old we
(29:04):
bounced around from state tostate all the time and I don't
know if she told you this orwhatever, but she said all I
heard when I was younger is yeah, we moved here for a better
life, the better life.
And she said where is it?
I don't know where it is.
It certainly isn't my life.
And she said I always wonderedwell, where's this better life,
where is it going to be?
And she said, when you guys gotto cleveland state and you were
(29:27):
there, she goes.
For the first time in my life,I'm now seeing what that means.
Here it is, and it wasn't forme, but it was for my daughter,
it was for my other kids.
And she said I am now.
I know that what I did as a mommattered and it was like a
really special moment.
(29:48):
But that's your mom talkingabout that.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
And it's really dusty in here all of a sudden.
Yes, it is.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I think there's onions around here.
It was cutting onions, I canfeel it.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
But I was I mean, I was taken aback.
I had never heard that fromsomeone before Like it was
almost an American dream, yeah.
But then she was like, yeah, Ifinally saw it.
Like I'm so encouraged by thatas a human being.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
I just think that sometimes people like, when it
comes to the whole, like peoplecoming to the United States for
like a better life, I thinkpeople don't truly understand
what they're coming here for andthe opportunity that is given
here in the United States thatare not given in other countries
, let alone like education, likeeven coming to high school here
, is such a big opportunity forlike me and my family, like my
(30:34):
mom I don't honestly don't knowif she even has a high school
diploma.
So I mean I know she came toWest Ottawa actually fun fact
but um, yeah, so like I mean Ilike my grandma was around for a
bit.
She passed away when I was likenine ish.
So like I've got to see her andlike, even when she was still
(30:54):
like what's it called, likegrowing up, I would still watch
her, like I'd go to the bluebird, like she still went, like she
still migrated around to like um, like catch the seasons, like
in different states.
So it's like I still got to,like I still got to like grow up
in like the farms and like thetrailer parks and stuff like
that.
But like I stayed here inHolland, so like seeing that
(31:15):
it's like I really did see likepeople having to work hard for
what they've like had, and likemy mom being a single mom as
well.
It's like nothing has everreally come easy for our family.
So it's like I just kind ofalways wanted to make sure I
made everything that they didworth it.
Like my grandma, my mom.
It's like I can't just let thatgo to waste.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
Well, she made it a point to let me know what that
meant to her that you're goingto Cleveland State.
I think it's just beautiful.
One of your friends, BrookePedersen, wrote a really nice
article about you about a littlemore than a year ago.
If anyone's listening, you wantto go find just Google behind
the smile.
It's a nice little article forthe West Ottawa in that that
(31:55):
Brooke wrote and it's a littlebit of background.
It helped me understand yoursituation a little bit more too,
so it was really nice to readthat.
So, yeah, wonderful thing foryour family.
I'm so excited for you to dothat.
We'll always be tough to leaveyour family because your family
is so close, but we all go toschool eventually.
So eventually that's going tohappen.
Speaker 4 (32:13):
But yeah, just really nice and one of the things
Magsit, I don't know if you knowthis or not, but you're kind of
one of those kids that PantherPathways and the existence of
Panther Pathways and, for thoseof you who might not know,
that's our after schoolprogramming for our younger
student athletes Right, it'sfourth, fifth grade kids, but
(32:36):
you're one of the kids that whenwe first started talking about
that, you were the one wherepeople were like you know, my
golly didn't play sports untilseventh grade.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, that was my first time.
I was very pressured intovolleyball.
Actually I did not want to play.
Yeah, mrs Bush up.
Thank Amy Bush, thank God forher.
If it wasn't for her I wouldn'thave played.
I think I came to Trout's thelast day and it's because she
was my gym teacher and she waslike you show up, just bring a
physical and you'll be on theteam.
And I was like, okay, I guess.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Yeah, but it's, and pathways exist to get people or
kids introduced to athletics ata younger age so that we start
to get them into our pipelineand we start to, I guess, really
help our students understandthe opportunities that do exist
here at West Ottawa.
And that's, you know, just Idon't know if you knew that or
(33:29):
not, but you're kind of one ofthose shining examples of this
is why we do some of the thingsthat we do at West Ottawa,
because we really are aboutbreaking down barriers and
providing opportunities for allstudents.
Right, and kudos to you forbeing that like shining light
for so many.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
We haven't been down.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
I'm sorry I'm getting emotional and kudos to you for
being that like shining lightfor so many Thanks.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
We haven't been down this path very often.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm getting emotional .
We have not been here yet.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
But you know, sometimes it's meant to be.
You're going to probably gointo the teaching career, right?
That's something you'rethinking about.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Yes, I want to go into like elementary education.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
That's fantastic.
You got the personality for it,that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Thanks.
I don't know.
Growing up I wanted to go intomore social work fostering, but
I have some people in my lifethat are in that career and I
kind of see how it impacts them.
I feel like for me I don'tthink that would be the right
way, Because I feel like I'd bethe type to not leave work at
work.
And I feel like I'd take workhome with me and I just feel
(34:24):
like that would really impact meand my mental health.
So I just I was thinking, I waslike what's another way I can
still impact kids' life and likeget to be with them all the
time.
I was like teaching.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
So that's good for you.
I'm excited for you.
It'll be, you'll be aspectacular teacher when the
moment comes.
We are going to move back tovolleyball.
Yeah.
We're going to actually getinto some actual volleyball
stuff.
Let's talk about the upcomingseason a little bit, Coach.
Okay, we had a number ofplayers leave.
Bill, that graduated.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Yeah, we had a big senior class last year,
including some folks that Mags.
You got to play with multiplesports Chelsea Overbeak, brooke
Patterson.
Big personalities, big leaders.
Where's that leadership void?
Who's going to step into thatas we go into this season?
Speaker 5 (35:14):
Well, as of now, from what I've seen, it's hard to
say Because again we have.
Last time I checked we have 15juniors and seniors trying out.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
You can have a young team, for sure.
Speaker 5 (35:29):
So numbers are really big and I think as of now we
have 60-plus trying out for theentire program.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Well, that's so healthy it is.
Speaker 5 (35:37):
The last two years.
I think we had 70-plus lastyear.
So, it's great to see numbersand it's amazing.
But our seniors we have three sofar and they have done an
amazing job this summer ofshowing up and being a good
example at everything andpositive on the court.
(36:02):
There's not been any issueswith people like gelling and
getting along.
They're always one to like keepeverybody included.
With such a big group it can behard to do that they kind of
don't branch off into their ownlittle spaces, but we've we've
stayed a pretty good group theentire summer, so it'll be tough
in volleyball.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It is of all the sports like we watch, whatever
there's six spots on there.
Speaker 5 (36:28):
Yes, right.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
I mean, it is it's competitive Parents get in on
that too, right, everybody wantsa spot my daughter should be
playing instead of yours.
Speaker 5 (36:36):
It's not easy, well, and it's hard because there are
some sports where it's moreobjective.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (36:42):
When it comes to skill and capabilities and
starting spots, and sometimes itcomes down to volleyball of
chemistry versus skill.
There's just a little bit moresubjective, and to try to make
that clear can be very difficult.
Just for whatever reason, thisworks better and I don't always
(37:08):
have a great answer as to whythat works better, but yeah, it
can be kind of difficult.
So the seniors have done agreat job, but yeah, well, it's
kind of up in the air when itcomes to what the team's going
to look like.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, it is Come tryouts.
Well, Burke told me that hopesprings eternal.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
Yeah, that was one of his lines.
I'm like, well it always doesright.
Speaker 3 (37:30):
It's the beginning of a season.
Anything can happen.
Speaker 5 (37:32):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
What I'm really happy about is the healthiness of the
program.
You have that many young peoplecoming out to play.
You're going to have your yearswhere you get.
Hey, we got three really greatathletes this year and yours you
don't.
Speaker 5 (37:45):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
But we wish you guys all the best with your upcoming
season.
I'm super excited about it andwe will be watching you guys.
We'll be out on the court andhopefully get some fans out.
If you haven't watched muchvolleyball here at West Ottawa,
or if you get bored during thefall, come on out to the gym.
It's great to watch Greatenvironment.
It's a great to watch greatenvironment and get out there.
It's great.
This has been really fun to sitdown with you guys.
(38:07):
It's been really nice to get toknow you a little bit better.
Magali looks like she wants toplay some pickleball, so she
probably just wants to get outof here Today.
You're playing today.
You think what do you?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
think I'm trying to think what?
Oh, probably actually.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
Get back out there, all right.
Then maybe someday, who knows?
Maybe the four of us?
Speaker 5 (38:28):
will get out there.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Shoot a little stupid video of these people crying
and playing pickleball at thesame time, All right.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Well, thanks for coming on.
Head coach of the girls'varsity, Kate Lawton and Magali
Lemus, senior middle blocker.
Thanks for coming on.
We really appreciate it.
Thanks for being here.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Thank middle blocker.
Thanks for coming on.
We really appreciate it.
Thanks for being here, thankyou, thanks, guys.
Peace out, bye, asmr.
I saw opportunity and had totake it.
I respect that you can now getthis podcast on spotify, apple
(39:21):
music and wherever you get yourpodcasts.
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