The Locker Room Podcast
The Locker Room is a podcast for former athletes navigating the confusing and often painful transition from a life centered around sports to a life outside of the game. For many athletes, walking away from sports is more than the end of a season. It can feel like losing purpose, community, and even a piece of who you are. One day, your life is built around competition and performance. Then suddenly, it's not. No schedule. No team. No clear version of who you are supposed to become next. This podcast explores the emotional weight of that transition: the identity crisis, the anxiety, the depression, the feeling of being lost, and the pressure to “move on” before you have fully processed what you left behind. Through honest conversations, personal reflection, and relatable stories, The Locker Room creates space for former athletes to feel seen, understood, and reminded that they are not alone. Life after sports is not just about finding a new career or routine. It is about rediscovering purpose, rebuilding identity, and learning that who you are has always been bigger than what you did.
The Locker Room Podcast
Episode 13: Talent Needs Opportunity
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In this episode of The Locker Room, we talk about what happens when talented athletes never receive the opportunities, resources, or support needed to fully develop. This conversation explores how finances, family circumstances, coaching changes, access to club sports, exposure, and specialized training can shape how far an athlete is able to go.
We also discuss the importance of coaches speaking life into their players, athletes advocating for themselves, remaining flexible when their role changes, and creating more affordable pathways for young athletes whose potential may otherwise go unnoticed. Because talent matters, but talent still needs someone willing to recognize it, invest in it, and give it a real chance.
The Locker Room is a podcast for former athletes navigating the confusing and often painful transition from a life centered around sports to a life outside of the game. For many athletes, walking away from sports is more than the end of a season. It can feel like losing purpose, community, and even a piece of who you are. One day, your life is built around competition and performance. Then suddenly, it's not. No schedule. No team. No clear version of who you are supposed to become next. This podcast explores the emotional weight of that transition: the identity crisis, the anxiety, the depression, the feeling of being lost, and the pressure to “move on” before you have fully processed what you left behind. Through honest conversations, personal reflection, and relatable stories, The Locker Room creates space for former athletes to feel seen, understood, and reminded that they are not alone. Life after sports is not just about finding a new career or routine. It is about rediscovering purpose, rebuilding identity, and learning that who you are has always been bigger than what you did.
Introduction
SPEAKER_03What is up, everybody? It's your boy Jalen, and welcome or welcome back to the Locker Room Podcast, the number one podcast in the world for former athletes to engage in conversations about the difficulty of transitioning out of a highly committed sports lifestyle and into normal life. The first part of today's conversation is centered around one big question. How many athletes stop short of their potential, not because they lack talent, but because they lacked exposure, support, or a clear path forward? Because when you really think about high school sports, it's not just about whether an athlete is good enough to play at the next level. It's also about whether or not they're seen, encouraged, and placed in the right environments for their talent to be recognized. So today we're going to talk about what happens when talented athletes don't get the exposure they need, how coaching, confidence, and support shape an athlete's future, and why creating better pathways matters for athletes who may have ability but not access. And of course, I'm not having this conversation alone. I'm joined by my wife, Janaya Ridges, who played sports up until high school graduation and has a much different perspective on this topic due to her experiences growing up. So whether you're a former athlete, a current athlete, a parent, a coach, or just somebody who loves the game, this conversation is guaranteed to give you something to think about. But before we get into it, make sure you subscribe to follow the show, leave a five-star review, like, comment, and share this episode with another athlete or sports fan who needs to hear this conversation. But without further ado, let's bring it into the locker room. All right, Janaya, go ahead and introduce yourself, please.
SPEAKER_00All right, hello everybody. My name is Janaya Ridges, aka Janaya Leah on the streets. Um, I am a former high school division one athlete. I'm just kidding, I didn't make it to D1, but I did play um volleyball, basketball, tennis, all throughout um school and just as a kid from elementary to high school. And yeah, I feel like at athletics was a big part of my life. So that's my credibility on here. I know I'm not D1, but close enough.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So what what made you kind of want to participate? Well, did you have a favorite out of those or so?
SPEAKER_00My favorite was actually the one that I started last, which as you know, because I put you on to it was tennis.
SPEAKER_03Okay, what what made that your favorite?
SPEAKER_00Um, I think what made it my favorite was just I guess the game itself. Um, and the fact that it was just something the fact that it was just something like new to me and those around me, because nobody in my family really plays tennis except for my aunt, but like she's never talked about it until I told her I was playing tennis. Um, and I feel like just the mixture of like the elements in that game, like the cardio, the hand-eye coordination, um and yeah, just yeah, just the fact that it was just so new to me. I love it.
SPEAKER_03So, what made you want to participate in the other sports? In the other sports, yeah, uh volleyball, track.
SPEAKER_00Um honestly, I feel like at that age, it was really just something to do. Like I started with track, that was my first sport that
Jania’s Athletic Background
SPEAKER_00I participated in, and it was not the sport that I wanted to do by any means, but how it came about was um my younger sister was participating in cheer, and so her and my older sister had both done cheer. My cousin, who was living us living with us at the time, he was in football, and my older sister was in track, and that's what she wanted to do. She was really good at it, and she went to college uh to run track, but I actually at at the time had a really big interest in soccer, and all my friends at school that I was close with, they all played soccer, and so I used to play with them at school at recess doing soccer. Um, and I remember like asking my mom and then my dad if I could, you know, join this little soccer club that all my friends played for. It was kind of iffy. My dad said no, my mom was like, we'll see. Um, and so eventually what that conversation turned into was this is what we're gonna do to see if you would be able to commit to soccer. We're gonna take you to track practice with your sister, and you're gonna practice, make that team, and once you show us your commitment and track, we will then basically enroll you in soccer. Did that happen? Absolutely not. Um, and I absolutely sucked at track, but that's what got me in the track. And then um, this was in like elementary school, so we didn't have like the sports in elementary school, but then moving into middle school, but yeah, then moving into middle school, um, I believe it was sixth grade at my school. We could start sports um in sixth grade instead of having to wait till like seventh or eighth. I went to try out for basketball. And so what made me do basketball was once again my older sister, me and her used to like play all the time, and I just kind of had that interest of just like wanting to do something, but then that's when kind of like the experience that I gained from running track in elementary kind of came full circle because I didn't know how to play basketball. I absolutely sucked, I didn't even know how to dribble. But me kind of being in shape and being fast and like having that endurance from running track allowed me to do well at basketball tryouts and end up making that team, and then from there I ended up doing volleyball. That was also just kind of random because my coach that coached basketball also coached volleyball, so yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so um was there ever well, let me back up. What age did you start playing sports? Like what was the force first sport you played and at what age?
SPEAKER_00So the first sport I played was track, and I wanna say I wanna say I started track in third grade. How old are you in third grade?
SPEAKER_03Like nine, eight, third grade? So if you're five in kindergarten, probably about nine.
SPEAKER_00So like eight or nine. So yeah, so about eight or nine is when I um joined the track team.
SPEAKER_03Okay, and you said that this was during the time where you were trying to go to soccer. I wanted to do soccer, but your parents were saying let's commit to track first and see what happens.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_03Okay, the reason I was asking that because I was trying to see if you were like put into a sport or pressured to be put into a sport, and and like I like like I asked, what kind of time frame we're talking about as far as age, because you know, for me, I started playing football at six and played pretty much all the way up till college and then started track shortly after that, I think around eight. Um, but I think my dad sort of well, I told my dad I want to play football apparently, and then I think track, I may have said that also, but um, I just wanted to see if it was more of an intrinsic thing or if somebody kind of pressured you into it. Um Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And uh well, hopefully I'm not jumping ahead on any of your questions, but I do think um kind of being able to like, I guess, have that decision is somewhat of a privilege. Because I think for me, because like in total it was five of us, um my parents probably put me in track because it was a little more convenient versus having to go to like three different practices and sporting events, and that's probably honestly the reason why I didn't do soccer and or because that would have been a whole extra like fee. Whereas, you know, they probably got a deal for putting multiple kids on the same team with um track. But I will say, aside from me, and maybe this is a middle child thing, I don't know, but aside from me, um my sister acts to do cheer, and then my older sister wanted to do track, so I feel like for them that was a thing of like, hey, this is what we want to do. Whereas for me, it was kind of just like, okay, well, you know, this is what you can do.
SPEAKER_03So but uh so y'all could all have your own thing, kind of.
SPEAKER_00Well, they had their own thing, and I just kind of had to figure it out. No, I just had to go with what was available to me.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I see what you're saying.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because I couldn't join my other sister's cheer team because it was age restricted. So it was like, okay, this is six, why cheer team? I'm not six, I'm eight.
SPEAKER_03Right, right.
SPEAKER_00Whereas I could join the track team.
SPEAKER_03Because that's what Naughty was doing.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. And then it was just like, yeah, it's open. Whereas I couldn't do soccer because it's like, yeah, I want to do it.
SPEAKER_03But now it's three different things your parents gotta take care of.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like they didn't, they wasn't actually gonna put me in soccer.
SPEAKER_03Right, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, I was kind of, I guess I was kind of pushed into track.
SPEAKER_03Right, okay.
Talent to Play in College
SPEAKER_03Because you were pushed into it because that was really the only thing else that was available. Okay, so did you ever feel like you had an opportunity in any of those sports to make it to the next level? Um, whether it be a sort of a maybe national level in high school or or any college level?
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah, I do feel like I was actually probably the best at volleyball out of all the sports that I did. I feel like I was the best at volleyball. And I could have been pretty good at basketball had I had a little extra training um or even you know just experience because I know like a lot of times I feel like people do really good in sports when their parents have like certain athletic experiences. My mom didn't play sports growing up, uh, and my dad, I think, really only played football. Therefore, neither one of them could really help me um advance in any of the sports we did, truthfully. Um it's leaving me. Hold on. Neither one of them could really help me advance in any of the sports we did. Oh, yes. But with volleyball, I feel like that was something that came a little more easily to me. And so when I started playing, I got really good at that because I could jump really high, even though I was like not necessarily intolerant, which you know, volleyball tends to be for like taller girls, but I still was able to make it work.
SPEAKER_03And so I remember tall being above like 5'10, yeah, not really at the age I was playing volleyball.
SPEAKER_00If you was even 5'7, like in middle school going into high school, like that's still pretty tall, you know, for that's a good volleyball height. I was maybe 5'3, 5'4 at the time when I started playing volleyball. Um, nonetheless, especially in middle school at that time, I was still pretty good. And so we had this thing in um Clayton County uh with sports, it was called like the All-Star game or something like all-state all-star, something like that. Where basically um
Missing the Middle School All-Star Game
SPEAKER_00we would take like the east side of Clayton County, and we would go against the west side of Clayton County. I can't remember which side I was on, but and so you would take like the best two players from each team, and they would kind of form like the East team, and then same thing on the West. And so I actually got that opportunity. Um, I think this was like eighth grade, yeah. I got the opportunity towards the end of volleyball season, and it was something I had been looking forward to since I started playing volleyball.
SPEAKER_03You had been looking forward to that game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, basically been like an all-star game. Um, and not that I feel like it was gonna be some good life change and opportunity, but I still felt like it was such like an amazing accolade to just have in the sport, and essentially it was like a next level for me in middle school. Um, and what happened was my parents ended up separating, and the week before the game, I actually transferred from the school, and it was so crazy because the day my mom like came up to the schools to like withdraws was the day I found out like about the game. And so when the principal like called the room and was like, hey, bring your textbooks and stuff, I went to go talk to my coach learning, like, hey, my mom is in the office trying to pull me out of school, like this is crazy. And my coach even came up and like tried to convince her to let me just stay for like one more week to play this game and you know, whatever else. And mom was like, you know, dealing with whatever she was dealing with, like, nah, we gotta go today. And I was so sick because I really had been looking forward to that game. And I mean, like I said, I don't think it was gonna be something super life-changing, but I do think it probably would have definitely made a difference in how serious I guess like I may have taken volleyball, but yeah, that was a little opportunity that I had and just didn't work out, yeah. It didn't work out, yeah.
SPEAKER_03That is that is tough to hear. And I think a part of it too, and I think it it's more applicable to parents who may have not played sports, but not recognizing how big those moments are for your kids. I feel like you never really know in the moment because obviously, like you said, your mom's gonna go in through a lot, they're separating. But I don't think that's an excuse to completely disregard the the child what the child is doing. Because I mean, especially at that age, like you want to be a part of like you want to be a part of the team, you want to kind of see what like what you can do essentially, and that was kind of your stage to do that, and you didn't get the opportunity to, so yeah, that is tough. Um, with that, do you feel like, and I know you said you felt like basketball maybe could have been a better thing for you had you had more opportunities to develop? So in volleyball or in track or anything else, do you feel like you had those opportunities? Or like, and because your parents didn't play sports, do you feel like they didn't really understand how did those conversations go with you? Did you have those conversations about maybe trying to get extra training? Like, how did that play out?
SPEAKER_00So I feel like this one kind of has like multi-elements to it. So with volleyball, um, to answer your question, yes, I do feel
How Extra Training Changed Her Development
SPEAKER_00like I was given more of an opportunity to like somewhat advance and kind of increase my skill level. Because at some point, you know, once I told my grandma the conversation I was having, like with my parents um regarding sports and stuff, she actually started to then because I I'm like my grandma, you know, was has been very instrumental like throughout our lives, and especially with it being, you know, five of us three in the same house at um one time. She kind of assisted my parents a lot when it came to us, like taking us on vacations for like breaks and all that stuff. And so when I talked to her about kind of the issue I was having when it came to sports, like feeling like I was falling behind because I'm not able to train like outside of the season as much as everybody else and stuff like that, she went out of her way and started looking up like different little training camps and clinics for me to go to that she could afford. And so um for volleyball, she actually started coming and like get me um and would take me to different training clinics and stuff once, maybe multiple times a week, and I think that really helped me a whole lot um in volleyball, so much that I actually was able to um change my position. I think my senior year or basically later in my like high school volleyball career, I was able to kind of like change my position when we had a change in um coaches during our season, our coach ended up leaving. Um, but at that time I had been playing outside, which is a hitter, um, spiking a ball, which tick typically is one of those like tall girl positions because you want to, you know, be able to jump high, be tall, not get blocked. And so at that time, since we got a new coach, this coach, you know, was kind of sleep on me a little bit. And she she was more of like a seasoned volleyball coach, so she's used to seeing, you know, tall girls and whatever else. And so she was kind of more so committed to like, you know, even though you may be good at this position right now, she was more so open to taking this, you know, 5'7 uh member of the team who may not be as good, but because she's 5'7, she has a lot more potential than me, who was 5'3, therefore she, you know, like wasn't really trying to play me outside, even though I was pretty good. I mean, she wasn't in the thing was like I feel like sometimes when you kind of are disadvantaged in some ways, my way being height, um, you make things work. And so I would do like a lot of like I'm thinking in tennis, but like just think like lobs, like instead of me smacking the ball real hard and real high, I'm just like, okay, I'll just tip it over their head real quick. Stuff that worked for me and work for the team because it scored points, but at the same time, it's like, you know, I rather work with the girl where I can train her to be a good hitter versus the girl who kind of like makes things work. And so that kind of like I would say that definitely kind of like um changed my feelings towards the sport at that time because it just I wasn't able to, I really enjoyed playing that position, and I wasn't able to do that anymore, and I kind of feel like I was put on the back burner, I'm like, I'm not getting playing time the same as I was, and all that stuff. And what really shifted that mentally for me was going to my coach one day and saying, And I went to the actual co-coach who was, you know, him, but Coach Bogomel was actually the football coach, but yeah, was representing the school. Um, and I went to him and I said, Hey, Coach Bogomel, honestly, you know, I was thinking of quitting the team since I haven't really been able to play
Changing Positions to Stay on the Court
SPEAKER_00and you know I can't really play outside and stuff. And he was saying, Oh, you know, like that's sad because you've been on this team for like all four years and stuff. And I was like, Well, yeah, but I don't want to quit. So I'm thinking, would you be open to me just becoming a passer? And so that means like now instead of me hitting the ball, where in volleyball, you know, um, if y'all don't know, you rotate. So basically every time a point is scored um on either end, you rotate.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00So every time a point is scored or broken, we rotate. And so um, if I'm the person, I'm a hitter. When I was a hitter, I sucked at passing. So that meant as we rotate on the court, it's six positions. As we rotate, as soon as I rotate outside of my position, get out of the game. Get out of the game. Because I like it was to the point where oh my gosh, and this is this is when it really starts to mess with you. Man, when I'm gonna rotate to that back row, you better, you better hope it's a sub for me. Cause bro, I was shank ball so bad. I'm talking ball go to the bleachers. Like I just wasn't well rounded at all. And so um, when my grandma saw me up for that training and I started working with them, um, I was really able to focus a lot more on passing without you know feeling shame because I'm like, man, like if I don't impress this new coach or if I'm not passing good at practice, she's not gonna put me in a game because that's basically how it was at that point, having a new coach when we would practice, like at school, if I'm practice for me was like a game because I'm having to perform. Yeah. And if I'm not doing good in practice, she literally would not put me in the game. And so going there, it was almost like, okay, I can actually work and hone in, and especially sometimes like other girls wouldn't even show up to the clinic. So now it's just me and the coach almost like one-on-one, and I'm just working on passing the whole time, passing, passing, diving, diving. Um, and so I was able to get real good at my passing. I talked to the coach later in the season, ended up becoming a pastor um that year, and it was crazy because when he ended up talking to the coach and we all kind of got together and talked, she was actually happy, like, oh wow, that's a good idea. And I'm happy that you like basically weren't being prideful and decided that this may be a switch that you want to make, because yeah, you're not about to be on the front row. You're not about to be on the front row, and it was so crazy, like hearing that, because that wasn't the first time I heard it. Um, oddly enough, the first time was at the very first clinic my grandma signed me up for it. Was that um the lady's name was Kiba Phipps, she is an Olympian volleyball player, and so she used to do like little training clinics around Atlanta, and so my grandma takes me to this lady's clinic, and it was actually a hidden clinic. So, and like for clinic clinics are different from like actual training because a clinic may just be like a one, two, three-day type thing once a month. And so that's what that was. It was just like a one-time thing, and it worked out because my grandma was saying it was crazy expensive, like $40 for that like one clinic. Um, but yeah, she took me to a hidden clinic to work on my hidden technique. So I go, and uh first thing in the clinic, she has us like all line up with the setter and show us, show her what we got. Like do this little drill, jump up to the net. All right, now we're gonna hit the ball. And I remember lining up, and um, it was some hitters there, and it was some passers. And the passers were only were only there to kind of assist the setter, because this was a hitting clinic. So I line up, she looks at me, she's like, Oh, pass a line back there. I'm like, No, I'm a hitter. She like, girl, how tall are you? And I'm like, five, three. And she was like, Yeah, you ain't no hitter, you ain't gonna be a hitter for long, but all right.
SPEAKER_03Because she already know, right.
SPEAKER_00But then when I but then when I actually went up to hit and she saw how high I could jump, she was like, Oh, okay, I see you, girl. But it was still kind of like a pat on the head, like, yeah, okay, that was cute. Yeah, but yeah, so that wasn't the first time I heard that, but the I mean, that was the first time I heard it. And when I heard it, I'm like, man, this lady don't know what she's talking about, like whatever. But then when you actually start playing against them, volleyball players for real, I don't want no front row smoke. You're right, I'm not a hitter. Yeah, but passing is all the fun, anyways. But yeah, man, so okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, so that's that's good to hear. You you did have some help because I feel like part of the reason why I wanted to kind of talk about this is because I feel like there are so many kids who probably deal with the same thing, feeling like they Well, luckily for you, you did have somebody that could help. It was your grandma, and she did pretty much like it seems like everything she could to help you at least get some kind of improvement or you know be able to dive into the sport a little bit. But I feel like there's there's kids out there who don't get that, who are like you were like, hey coach, I'm about to quit. And then they do quit because there's no there's no improvement. Like a new coach may come in and be like, hey, you know, you the the last coach was rocking with you. Yeah, but I don't really see it. And they're not, and not only that, but they're not willing to try you at something else or even see what you what you have, or they may be willing to see what you have, but not really though. Like you can you can have a player there, but yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I would like to say that honestly happens on every level, by the way. And somebody that you should probably invite on this podcast uh will be my cousin Morgan. You know Morgan, she played softball um basically her whole life and went all the way through college. And I remember uh well, she's had a similar experience with what we're talking about, where she committed to Mercer for softball.
SPEAKER_03Don't tell me the whole story.
SPEAKER_00Don't tell you?
SPEAKER_03Don't tell me the whole story. Just kind of Oh, so when you have her on here? So I'm not sure.
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, basically, like, yeah, she committed really early. Um, and essentially by the time she got to college, there was a change in coaching and her whole like softball collegiate career was turned upside down.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, nah, it it's it's wild. And I think that I think it was good on you to recognize where you are kind of headed, because I feel like that's another issue that youth athletes run into is is like because of some because something works when you're younger, as you get older, especially if things don't change, if you don't get taller, if you don't look faster, if you don't jump higher, if you don't run faster, whatever. I think I've said that already.
SPEAKER_00But No, you didn't.
SPEAKER_03Okay, but it if if certain qualities about your game don't change, especially if your size really doesn't change that much, especially like you said with volleyball, I mean these girls in college are like like six foot five, ten, six foot, like at minimum, and sometimes even taller. So um that was good of you to recognize, hey, like let me get good at what I can get good at and what's gonna get me playing time because at the end of the day, like to get exposure, you have to be willing to take whatever role that you can get. You can't just be mad because you you don't be flexible. Yeah, you gotta be flexible. If you if you're not the coach ain't gonna play you a hitter, you either gonna pout about it and stay on stay on the bench, or you're gonna figure out how to get back on the court.
SPEAKER_00And and the thing was, um, you gotta be flexible both physically and mentally, because oddly enough, it was very smart of me to go to my coach and propose that I just become a passer. Because guess what? The team had a shortage of passers. We had like freshmen in the back as passers, and they suck.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and they really don't know what they got.
SPEAKER_00And I'm yeah, and it was it was so crazy because it was like it was actually over the summer, so the season has hadn't even started at that point when I realized, you know what, girl, let me just be a passer. Um, and it was perfect because I got in and I'm now passing all the balls because ain't none. And so if if I'm a little better than who's in the back row, now I'm getting even more time. Whereas when I was a hitter, man, it was six of us lined up all trying to be hitters.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so we was all having a share playing time throughout the summer in practice, and so you can only get so good. So when I went to pass her, I'm the main one. And so, like by the end of that year, um, or by the time the season started, I was the libero, which means like best passer on the team, stay in the game, can come in and out the game for anybody. So, yeah, that was that was big on my part.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, were you proud of that?
SPEAKER_00I was very proud because one, the libero, um, I don't know how well y'all know volleyball, but the libero gets to wear a different color jersey. So, say for example, your team colors are black, I'm the libero. I can come in for anybody, so I could wear like a pink jersey. So that way they know, like, hey, this person is special. And in volleyball, um, you can only come in and out for one person. So if I'm number 23 and I sub in for number six, I can only sub in for number six the whole game. So if number six get hot, start playing good, 23 ain't going back in the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Whereas the Libero, where you come in handy, is for players like me, my freshman year, where you suck when you get to the back row, but you already have a different sub, I can still pull you out and you know, like get in the game and stuff.
SPEAKER_03So So did were there ever college aspirations? Like, did you ever well were there ever college aspirations? And then did you ever want to get a scholarship to play in college?
SPEAKER_00Okay, yes. So multiple elements here again. I don't know if Jalen, well, Jalen probably don't probably don't talk about me on his podcast.
SPEAKER_03I don't.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Um his wife is a little long-winded if y'all can't tell already.
SPEAKER_03That's okay. You're doing a great job.
SPEAKER_00Thank you very much. So, college multi-level here. So early on, before I actually knew the politics of volleyball, I did want to go to college. I actually wanted to go to Pepper Dime, which was a big volleyball school in Malibu, California. That was my dream, and that's where they filmed Zoe 101. Fun fact. Um, but I also would be back and forth with basketball, wanting to make it to college doing that. And so I would go back and forth because I knew when it came to the both of them, the odds of me getting
Why Some Sports Create More Opportunities
SPEAKER_00a scholarship to go play basketball were way higher than me going to play volleyball.
SPEAKER_03For sure. Well, at a big school, maybe. I would I mean it don't even matter.
SPEAKER_00It doesn't matter. It's just it was the odds because like there are more basketball teams, the teams are bigger, and those programs have much more money. And the method of which those coaches scout is also much different. I'll tell you that later. But um basketball, I was decent at it, and no shade. You don't have as a girl, you really don't have to be spectacular at basketball to do good.
SPEAKER_03Well, I'm not gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna say it my yeah, I'm yeah, and I I'll say like with the teams I was playing against and like whatever, you ain't gotta be that good. Like, just be alright. Um, but I stopped playing basketball in I stopped playing basketball when I left Riverdale. So when I transferred that day and couldn't make the all-star game.
SPEAKER_03So middle school. You didn't play all throughout high school.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, like once I got to high school, I stopped playing basketball. But um, I remember a couple of times entertaining, like, okay, yeah, maybe I should actually go back to basketball. And I remember talking to Coach Strickland a couple times, RIP, um, like about joining the team. And honestly, his coat, his coaching, his coaching methods, I was like, no, sir. I was like, no, sir. But yeah, he single-handedly kept me from joining that team. And he's like, it was so funny because like uh when I was injured, I had an injury in middle school, and so I took a break throughout the basketball season. And during that break, I would keep the books for the team. So I kind of like had that experience. And so when I got to high school, I remember going up to Coach Strickland one day, sidebar by the way, going up to Coach Strickland one day and saying, Hey, Coach Strickland, my name is Janaya. Um, Coach Flynn told me to come talk to you because I wanted to know if you need a manager for the girls' basketball team. And he was like, What's your name? And I said, Jania. And then uh he was like, Well, yeah, that's cool, but if you want to be the manager, you gotta come practice too. And when I tell you, I was like speechless, I'm like, What do you mean I have to dress out and practice just to keep the books? Like, this man tells me, Yeah, the manager might play some games.
SPEAKER_03Oh no, but he's looking for everything.
SPEAKER_00Like, bro, I said I wanted to be the manager, not join the freshman team. So yeah, with that being said, uh, ended up not doing that. But I remember um RP goes straight, right? Right, he's a funny guy. But I remember um that was so this happened in ninth grade. I remember getting the 10th grade and just thinking, and I'm like, man, I might need to like play basketball to get a scholarship. Like, because I knew I could. I was I I was pretty, I could shoot good. Only thing I really couldn't do good, I just need to work on my handles. But other than that, I'm like, man, and mind you, I didn't stay at the games and saw the girls that we went to high school.
SPEAKER_03I'm like, man, they ain't work, they ain't talking about it.
SPEAKER_00They suck. I'm just saying, they don't suck, but they sucked. Um well I or what I saw what y'all considered to be super good at basketball, and I'm like, man, that was me last year. Um, and so I kind of went back and forth with that, and ultimately that ended up being something I didn't really want to do.
SPEAKER_03Do you regret that?
SPEAKER_00No. Cause I don't think I was meant to really get back into um I don't think I was really meant to get back into playing basketball. And so I don't regret it. Um yeah, I don't regret it. But yeah, so that was where college dreams ended with that. And I remember it was so funny because when I thought of it at that time, like when it hit me, I don't even know why. I was just like, oh, I need to get this scholarship. I don't even know why. But I remember texting my dad, like, yeah, I think I'm gonna start back playing basketball so I can get a scholarship. Um, and I texted him that because even though he's not good at basketball, he would like every blue moon, basically every time my brother came to visit, he would take us to like the rec center and like just shoot around with us. But my dad is the type of parent who is like he can't shoot with us, like, oh, you need to work on your form. And then I'd be like, okay, show me, brick. So he sucked, but he would come to my game sometimes and like critique and lecture me on the way home about everything I should have did that he can't show me how to do. So so yeah, um, I remember texting, he was like, Yeah, you know, go for it. And this is where, you know, like that uh cousin comparison comes in. He like, yeah, you know, Morgan got that scholarship. Dang, and I'm just like, Yeah, you know, Morgan been playing uh softball. I no, I was like, Yeah, you know, well, basically, you know, Morgan's mom has been paying for her to play outside of school for this many years, and I shut him up. But anyways, um, so yeah, that was it for basketball. Volleyball, I like I said, I had the dreams of going to Pepperadine, playing on that collegiate level when I thought it was possible. What I realized through playing volleyball and through like, you know, chatting with teammates and stuff, is that the secret sauce to volleyball is essentially AAU or club for volleyball. Scouts are not just, especially if you're not at no big school, scouts ain't just at high school volleyball games, they're at the club games, and I can understand why because if you ever been to a volleyball club game, it's literally like 20, 30 games going on at once, so it makes it very, very easy for scouts to do that. And the thing was the Secret Sauce Um aka Club, most of those girls did leave with scholarships, and I hope they did because that junk costs like two, three K a seats.
SPEAKER_01Very expensive.
SPEAKER_00Um, and so yeah, I I did ask my parents if I could play club, and I remember telling them how much it was, and they was like, see ya. But I I would go train with all the club players doing like open gym and stuff. But yeah, once I realized like, yeah, I was kind of it it wasn't gonna work out unless I played club. And it was so funny because we had a practice one time the summer we got a new coach plus coach Bogomil, and he had a parent team meeting because the spirit on the team was so low after losing our first coach, like attitudes was bad. And this, I feel like this was his first time also coaching girls, because he came from coaching freaking defense football to now you coaching girls, and he this man ain't even know what to do. So he literally had like a whole powwow meeting to check all our attitudes because we was all giving him attitude. Um, and literally at the meeting, and some of the parents got so mad because they say, Oh, you crushed their dreams. But at the meeting, he literally said, Listen, ladies, it's important that y'all get out here and have a good time playing for fun because that's all this is, it's fun. Uh, y'all not really finna make no money off volleyball. Go look up how much volleyball pro volleyball players make. Most of y'all probably won't go to college for volleyball because I mean, it's just it's not that big. And volleyball is much bigger on the West Coast. We in Georgia, so have fun. And when he said that, I was like, wow, thank you for being honest. And that's exactly what I did from there is have fun. That's exactly because I knew I'm like, my dad ain't paying 3K a season. Um, and ain't no coach coming to this school. So let me have fun.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's that's very that's very insightful. I think coaches could gain a lot of I think coaches can gain a lot from just being completely honest with players, man. I feel like that that hurts so many players that just waste their time riding the bench or just pursuing these dreams that are driven by their parents or driven by these false expectations of what they think they'll get from just putting in, you know, these long hours or just spending so much money, you know, what whatever sport it is, man. Like I feel like just being real as the coach, like parents can think one
Coaches Must Be Honest About an Athlete’s Path
SPEAKER_03thing, but the coaches can see stuff, man. They they've seen, well, I'm not gonna say all of them have seen it all, but they've seen enough, man. Like they're they're grown people. They hopefully they've been doing it for long enough to be able to see certain types of athletes come through, certain type of attitudes, certain types of, you know, um archetypes of players to know what works and what doesn't.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_03And I feel like the best thing you can do for a young kid is just be honest, man. Like, hey, you know, this probably isn't gonna work out for you, to be completely honest. Or this is the best outlook. Or this is the outlook, you're done after high school, and you might as well go ahead and get ready for a nice long college education or or go into the workforce or whatever, which isn't a bad thing. But it's like you you should probably find something else. Like, for like, for example, um, you know, there was a lot of teammates I had playing football that, you know, a lot of them weren't really athletic, a lot of them were slow, or you know, or whatever the case was. And not that all of them stayed that way, some of them developed and became, you know, well, I'm not gonna say they were good because the football team's trash, but I mean, some of them, you know, ended up being pretty good. But I'm like, man, what would happen if you would have just changed sports and did something like wrestling, baseball, basketball, um, you know, any of these other sports, or maybe, you know, it's okay to have fun, but I feel like wanting to get to that's next that get to that next level or to fulfill your potential, like you said earlier, you have to be flexible. Like you can't just be focused on one thing. Unless you're the best, then you can't really be you should well, I'm not saying you can't be, but you shouldn't be hyper-focused because you're really just setting yourself up for disappointment. Um did you did you want to add anything else to that?
SPEAKER_00Um, and then I I guess I would just add like coaches, if they know, because maybe some coaches don't know, they're just trying to get a stipend um increase on their teacher salary. Um, but if they do, being honest on the pathway, because I will say volleyball is different in the sense where I mean to make it to the next level, there is kind of unless you had a super volleyball school or just an overly exposed school, the barrier to entry is that uh club fee that everybody can't pay, and that's the main source of recruiting. Whereas sports like football, that's not really the case. If you good at like I feel like scouts um do still go to high school football games and watch highlight tapes. Nobody's watching a volleyball like highlight tape, really, not for high school at least, but that does not mean that, you know, that applies to other sports. So it's still different for, you know, basketball and football. But I know even with basketball, it's kind of similar in a sense where it's like, you know, um, if you're trying to get recruited, you can't just stop after your um high school season is over. You need to go over the summer and play AAU. And that helps because maybe the scouts are there, maybe they're not there, but you also still able to um develop and get more film to show them aside from your high school film. Because with high school and school in general, you only get in as much as your coach is putting you in. Whereas doing AAU, you know, you got double time.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, that's another thing with that too. Um I feel like the AAU structure is very difficult nowadays because kids are just playing a lot. Like you're going from season to season, there aren't they aren't taking a break, which is a whole nother conversation. But I feel like on that, the last point you brought up about um the bridge between high school and AAU, like it's it's it's tough because you may not play for your high school team. Your head coach may have a gripe against you. If he may be a new guy, he may not trust you, he may like what he sees with other guys versus you, and so you may not be getting time even though you feel like you deserve it. But on your AU team, like you're a dog, like you may be a standout player, and so that's really the only way you can get get exposure or get eyes on you or get film, like you said. So that is tough. I do think that's another we talked, me and Trent talked about this. That's I think you have to be um you have to be very aware of what's going on. Like I was very immature. I I didn't have the wherewithal to have these conversations with my coaches, even though I didn't really experience the same thing, but I did experience some things that prevented me from I feel like developing as the player I could have been and getting the opportunities that I felt like I should have gotten. Um, but these players have to advocate for themselves. Like, hey, talk to these coaches, like, coach, I think, you know, I feel like I'm better than where you have me at right line right now. Like, why am I not getting playing time? I feel like I should be here and you have me here. Like, what can we do to fix that? What do you need to see out of me so for you to trust me? Like, what like can you can I get a couple more minutes to and and work on some things? Like, I just I think that you know it's it's just very difficult because you're young and you're focused on so many things, but at the same time, it's like if you want to play sports, I mean you gotta take it seriously, especially in high school, depending on what sports you play. I mean, you might have to be grinding from sophomore year. Like, some some and some athletes, if you're really good, I mean, you may only need one or two years, but um, but yeah, I mean, it's it's really tough the the AAU thing because it's just kind of adding on more mileage to these kids. And and most players, oh I'm not gonna say most, but I'm saying I'm I should say some players don't have that luxury of parents or guardians who have the money to put them in AAU, like who don't have the money for the club fees, and so you're pretty much just stuck with this generation of kids who it's just like, I mean, we'll never know. Like, we'll we'll never know what could have been with you. Like, do you is that something you it's not I don't know if regret is really the right word because it's not your fault, but is that something that you were like, dang, like I really wish that could have worked out, or is that something you're like, man, I wonder what could have happened if that would have, if they would have been able to make that work.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Um, and I will say, I, you know, I'm just proposing all the new guests, you definitely should get like a coach coach on this, like, you know, I don't know, one of your old coaches and stuff. Because one thing I will say is, you know, I feel like any coach is open to critiquing an athlete. So if you go up to a coach and say, hey coach, what can I work on to be better? Any coach will I would assume answer you and like truthfully, you know, let you know. But on the other end, I feel like coaches are already kind of like spread a little thin in some ways, especially if they, you know, we talking about a high school coach where it's like, man, you know, they teachers and coaches and still got families and stuff. Um, and this makes me think of this show I like Friday Night Lights, where me and that coach, like it was just it's just a lot going on because if you think you ain't the only player on the team, and then just think, man, it's some parents out here who be tripping, like blowing the coach up, like, hey coach, how my son do tonight? I don't know, bro. You was there. Like you tell me, or hey coach, when what my like the parents are doing it for the kid, like, hey, what do my son gotta do to get more playing time? Like, bro, coaches literally like get harassed, you know. So um, I definitely think you should we should get like the coach's perspective on a lot of this. But to answer your question, absolutely, I definitely, you know, um, I feel like, like you said, it wasn't really something that was in my control. And I know my parents like did the best that they could, and I don't want to make it seem like you know, I just had some like underprivileged upbringing. Because I did not, but that was just something that just was not in their budget, because like I said, neither one of my parents like have really ever been serious athletes, serious in the sense where like they parents was playing for AAU and stuff, which they came from a different time, but neither one of them, you know, like uh did any sports even. I think my dad may have played football in ninth grade. I don't know. I don't know. But neither one of them were really serious athletes, and so I don't really think when it came to us doing sports and stuff like that, they took it um past a support type role. Um, but yeah, I do, I I definitely did like have some type of remorse and maybe even jealousy that like I couldn't play on these AAU teams and participate in the way some of my other classmates did because truthfully, um, in some ways it would make me work harder, and then in some ways it would just kind of cause me to like take it to the channel and it's just like, yeah, I mean, that's one one more reason for me to show out, and two, another reason for me to just focus on my grades, bro. Cause yeah, it just ain't gonna work out. Yeah, it just ain't gonna work out, but it was so crazy, like uh it was kind of motivation for me to work harder because then I would see like girls coming in the classes under me, uh not significantly better, but a little more better than I was simply because they were playing club and was practicing three, four hours every day after school and just having all this time getting all These reps that I wasn't able um to get, especially in volleyball, because it ain't many ways to practice by yourself at home in volleyball. Whereas basketball, I can go out and just passing it to yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Whereas basketball, I could practice my dribbling around the neighborhood. I could shoot like stuff like that. Whereas volleyball ain't much I can it's if I'm a hitter, ain't much I can do at home. Um but I do know like there were times when my new coach came on, and I don't think I mentioned, but she was actually a club coach paid for by the booster fund.
The Unsung Hero Coach
SPEAKER_00So she wasn't like no school coach, she actually coached club, and it was so crazy.
SPEAKER_03She actively coached the club or she had coached clubs.
SPEAKER_00No, like she was actually she actively was coaching club.
SPEAKER_03Oh, and coaching y'all.
SPEAKER_00And coaching us. And crazy, crazy, crazy story here. So um freshman year, there were two um freshmen that made RC team. Me and my classmate at the time, Naomi Franco, and I'm gonna say her name because she's an athlete. Um difference between me and Naomi Franco was not talent, it was height. I was 5'3, she stands at 6'6'1. And I say that difference fresh me here because guess what? Neither one of us could pass, both of us could somewhat hit. Now she uh could hit really, really good, but she didn't really have the technique at the time. She was just tall and could just smack that thing. Um but we both still had a lot of room to grow and were good enough to like kind of be floaters or involvity. Um and so she also played basketball, sucked at that, but at some point she quit that, stuck with volleyball. When this coach came on, I think that single-handedly changed Naomi's life. And I think that was one thing for me. I didn't have remorse, I didn't really have jealousy, but it was just kind of like crazy to see in real time. Because, like I told y'all before, my coach invested in who she saw had the most potential. She came on that team, seen Six Foot Naomi, and was like, and so at this time right, and at this time, Naomi was actually playing for Kiva Phipps, the Olympian I told you earlier. She was playing for her, like, you know, smaller scale club. I'm pretty sure her club was just cheaper than the other ones. Um, and so yeah, she was playing for her club and kind of advancing yet still on, still at like a slower pace. The club that our coach came from was I believe like A5 South, which if y'all look it up, that's like one of the, yeah, that's like one of the big ones. And so I remember, you know, the coach coming in and she would always like give Naomi a lot of attention and really work with her and like push her way harder than other than the other players, and she would tell her because it's like, hey, you like the team depends on you. You the only, like, you the tallest on the team. You really the only one that can get up here and block, and also the only one who can really score points by, you know, hitting over their blocks because you tall. And so she would push her like really, really hard, um, and really just invest a lot of time into her, like have her come into practice early, leaving practice late, just practicing with her on her hitting. And so I remember at some point, you know, she would like pull Naomi's dad to the side and like talk to him and stuff like that. Um and I don't know the details, I'm speculating here, but at some point, somehow, um, she was able to get Naomi to leave playing for Kiva Phipps and come join A5 playing with her on her team. And it was so crazy to see because I'm like, me and Naomi started at the same place, but I never played club, and she played club for a smaller, slightly maybe more affordable team. Um, and it was so crazy to see because that girl got good. Wow, that girl got good.
SPEAKER_03Well, then she was probably playing with better players too.
SPEAKER_00She was playing with better players, and the thing was at the time, like, even though we wasn't in no big school, Fed County was a volleyball, I mean, like, or our region, that was a volleyball region. Like, them schools in PCC, those girls all played club. So it was almost like playing club. And like when we would go, when we would go around playing, my teammates would always like like we always kind of knew the girls because they played club with the girls, and now it's just like the team split. It's almost like the World Cup. You know? Yeah, World Cup for Volleyball. Um, but yeah, man, Naomi got good. And um, it was just so crazy to see in real time. And you know, my coach, she would like try to do different stuff where um on like every Thursday night she would open up the club gym to you know all the girls who weren't on teams and it's like, okay, y'all come in for this clinic. And so sometimes, you know, some of us would get in trouble if we didn't show up for the clinic. And I'm just like, bro, everybody don't have a ride like to make it there. Or or on a Saturday, it's like everybody can't do that. So I only made it to like one or two, and I'm just like, I bro, MP, she said, I can't make it down there, and I would always feel bad for that too. Because some of the other girls were already there because the practice was going on during or after their club practices, and they all practiced in the same gym. And so that was like part of it. But when I tell you that girl got good, and it was this this is how crazy it was. Through through that club, I don't even think it was a year of playing on her team that Naomi received a scholarship from which one is in New York? Stanford Syracuse. Syracuse. Well, she had received an offer from Stanford too, yeah. So I think it was between Stanford. Stanford's all the way across the country. Yeah, so I but I think it was between Stanford and Syracuse. She ended up going to Syracuse. That's where the coach graduated from, Syracuse. Um, and then from Syracuse, she ended up transferring to Missouri and finished off at Missouri volleyball. But yeah, it was just it was so crazy because we started at the same level. One of us made it out with a college scholarship. Spoiler, it wasn't me.
SPEAKER_03Wow, that is that's very interesting.
SPEAKER_00That coach single-handedly changed her life.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I think there's pros and cons with that. Not necessarily for the individual player, but I think for the team as a whole, because you have in a sport like volleyball, where typically at the high school level, really with any sport, if you have one player that's like super dominant, I mean, you kind of have to.
SPEAKER_00You have to. Our team depended on her a whole lot.
SPEAKER_03That's what I'm saying. You you kind of have to because as a coach, you can't really lose your job trying to be fair to everybody and give everybody equal attention. I mean, the end at the end of the day, like, this is your job on the line, too. Like, you you have to make sure at the end of the at make sure that you keep your job intact. And the way by doing that is feeding your star player. Like, you have to give them these opportunities. So that it is tough on on the other girls who probably thought the same thing, like, hey, I mean, or not thought the same thing, but who were probably thinking, like, hey, man, Naomi's getting like a lot of attention.
SPEAKER_00Well, she she was just being realistic. And I think at that time, Naomi and I were like the only, I think we may have been like the only seniors on our team at the time. So like the rest of our team was pretty young. Um, so really the only person that may have felt a little disadvantaged was probably like me and maybe like one other person, maybe the other girl who did decide to switch from hitter to passer. Um, and I will say, I've always loved Naomi. Still love her, like we not friends or anything, but like, you know, I don't have any feelings towards her. But I will say, man, like on the team, that that kind of bothered me, like just from the coach, because I'm like, man, like this girl getting all the attention, she's getting like all the effort. It would be to the point where the way volleyball practice would go sometimes, and I think this was before I switched to passer. So mind you, at this point, we all hitters. Other difference was Naomi's left-handed, so she she was right side, I was outside, so we hit on opposite sides. Um, but the way that would work, um, and that was other part of it, it was only like two left sides, so it was Naomi and one other left side hitter, maybe, maybe two. Whereas me, it was like five girls all trying to play outside. And so the way it would work in practice is you know, we would do like little runs, and so we got a passer, passer passes the ball to the setter, setter chooses the set outside or left side, whatever. And so we all kind of get reps in hitting. Bruh practice, coach would be like, all right, set left side, set left side again, set left side again, and it would even be to the point where we'll kind of like uh scrimmage at the end of the practice. Coach like, why are y'all not setting left side?
SPEAKER_01Dang.
SPEAKER_00Because we calling for the ball on the outside, yeah. Like we want to hit too, but and so it would just be crazy because in real time we seen like, okay, coach is trying to get her extra reps, like she's favoring her very quickly. And it's like, okay, it makes sense because like this is our like she's our game. And it even got to the point where you can notice that she knew, like, she even knew that because she started going off on us at some point. I'm like, hey, first of all, you ain't gonna be. Naomi will kind of start getting no nuts, like, because why y'all not playing good? And it's like, hey, bruh, calm down now. I quit this team. I go home, like, bruh. It it just really like I I think that single-handedly.
SPEAKER_03I mean, what was she?
SPEAKER_00We just weren't really a good team.
SPEAKER_03Right. We were okay, but I mean, is she not noticing like how much how good she has it?
SPEAKER_00Do you think she did, but at the same time, I think what really happened was it got to the point where her high school team was so significantly different from her club team. Yeah, she like it almost just felt like a waste of time. I knew girls personally that I that we went to school with who only played club because playing high school is a waste of time. Like, yeah.
SPEAKER_03It's like playing with with kids, basically.
SPEAKER_00Bro, like, yeah. And so at that point, we kind of tell like she had less patience for us because she would get frustrated.
SPEAKER_03Like, even with me, it's like, bro, like, why are you not because it's probably simple stuff, but y'all just don't have the training. Exactly.
SPEAKER_00And so it would be simple stuff like, okay, Janaya, why is your pass not perfect? Because if the pass ain't perfect, you know, setter can't set her where she wants to be. So it would just be like stuff like that. And I do think, like, um, honestly, like that season alone kind of just changed the experience I was having with volleyball and just kind of what I like what I wanted, the trajectory I wanted to go in the sport because I really didn't have no love for it. I was really just trying to stay strong because my daddy told me I couldn't quit. So I was like, well, shoot, I guess I won't quit. But yeah, it kind of definitely messed up my relationship with it a little bit. Mainly um, not because the coach was being realistic, but just to kind of have a coach that wasn't really willing to invest in me as I saw she was willing to do with other players, kind of hurt my feelings a little bit.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, that that is tough. Um, yeah, I I definitely do need to get some coaches on here to hear it from their perspective because I'm sure it's black and white. Yeah, I'm sure it's it's nuanced and everything, but I do think though, I mean you can't sacrifice the team for one player. I'm uh yeah, I do agree that you do need to feed your star player and and understand that the team kind of flows through them. Because when I played rec ball, uh there was this guy named Rico Fry. If you played any rec football in Georgia, even if you didn't play rec football, you probably know who Rico Fry is. I played Blue Devils, I played on the Blue Devils team with him. I played safety, and I mean this dude is probably not even probably, this dude was the greatest rec football player ever. Um this dude was just insane, bro. And um, but we had we had a team, like our coaches did not, they you could tell that they knew he was the best, but he got no special treatment, bro. He did not get any special treatment, he was treated just like the rest of us. We all had to grind, we all had to work, he had to do all the same drills we had to do, like he was not exempt from, and now I'm not gonna sit here and act like there was nothing, but because yeah, I was a I was a kid at this time. I don't even know how old I was, but um, this is probably like ages like nine through nine through like 11 or 12 or something like that. But, anyways, I mean our coaches did such a great job at making sure we were all
How Coaching and Team Culture Shape Development
SPEAKER_03coached very well, like we were all coached at a high level. They had high expectations of all of us. It didn't matter if you were a starter, it didn't matter, and on rec league, it's not many people on the bench because it's just like you got offense, defense, people play both sides, and people the same people play special teams, so it's not a whole bunch of people that's on the bench, but we were all coached extremely well. We were all uh we all knew what we were accountable for at every given moment. Like we all knew the game plan, everything. Um, and like for me that helped a lot because that was being on that team with Rico and all these other great players. That helped me to have an expectation of greatness when I went into middle school and high school. And it was kind of the same thing for me. I went from playing for the Blue Devils. We have we didn't lose a game, we didn't we lost one game in the two years I played with them. Like we were we smacked and destroyed everybody. And I went to middle school playing at Fed Middle, and we losing every game, and we not doing we're not doing anything. And then going to Fed County High School, and we have great athletes on on middle school and high school. Coaching isn't really there. The the attitudes of the players isn't necessarily there from everybody, like from the majority of the players or from the key players, yes, there was, but in football, I mean, there's 11 people, you're one of the 11. So it's just like, I mean, if if you don't have most of those players locked in, then you're kind of screwed. But it's just like I can understand from from Naomi's standpoint being frustrated coming from a a winning program, being around great players to basically being around people who stoop down. Yeah, literally having to stoop down. I I can imagine how frustrating that is.
SPEAKER_00And and I will say, because I I don't want to not make this point. Um sorry, that was my accent. Sorry, guys. All right, um, but I don't want to not make this point, but I do think a positive to Naomi being significantly better than the rest of the team, yet still stooping down and playing with us, what and and getting on us in the midst of it, was the fact that because I knew we were kind of inferior to what she was used to, uh, that would sometimes make me want to essentially overperform, like basically be good enough to kind of be worthy of playing with her. Cause this girl could say, All right, forget y'all, I'm going to play for Woodward. Even though Woodward wasn't that good, but forget y'all, I'm going to play for Stars Mill. Because she was the type of player where schools, maybe like Beauford and stuff, Booster Club, might pay for her to come out there. Like, you know. So with that being said, it's almost like, you know, you want to um, it's almost like she uh She brought you up. Yeah, kind of brought me up to play at a better level. I want to play at a better level to adequately support the level that she's playing at. And so I feel like, and the thing was it was also a benefit. That's the thing. I feel like we kind of had a parasitic relationship, her being on our team because she she was making us better because she was literally one of the hardest hitters in the state. Yeah. And for me as a passer, I'm leaving practice with red wrist every day. Whereas for her as a hitter and stuff, it's like, I mean, shoot, y'all ain't really testing. Like, like y'all can't even hit over the net. I'm not getting many blocks here. So it's like, you know, when we went to go play against good schools, they couldn't return her balls. But she kind of maybe sometimes had a hard time blocking them, or you know, we had a hard time um like I don't know, yeah, like, you know, playing against people who hit like her. Like when we would meet teams that had players of her level, she suddenly she sometimes didn't know what to do because she had never been challenged that much in practice because there's nobody else on the team to challenge her.
SPEAKER_03So when exactly did she start playing for the coaches' club team? Because I'm trying to figure out the timeline like during that senior year, like when when things kind of shifted.
SPEAKER_00So I want to say at least 11th grade. I can't remember when our coaches were.
SPEAKER_03Is when she went to the play for the other team.
SPEAKER_00So I I want to say the booster club coach came to play with us um beginning of the season, 11th grade.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00And then I want to say Naomi may have gone and started playing for her team like towards the end of that year or something. So going into senior year, she had been playing with her the club, the new club. Yeah. So come senior year, by the time that season started, she was like really on it. She was on it, yeah. And that was also the season because I think I was making it.
SPEAKER_03She got the offer.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, but I was gonna say that was a season where I started passing that summer going into senior year.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay, okay, cool, cool. Yeah, I was just trying to figure out the timeline.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so about a solid like two seasons.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, okay, okay. Yeah, that that's um, and that kind of just makes me think about um from a different perspective, makes me think about college because kind of similar scenario, how you know, rec ball, and it it always blew me going from rec to middle school to high school to college, and you know, having such a like, and I know it's rec ball, and then people I don't know what people really think about rec ball, but you know, that meant a lot to me winning and being a part of a winning team. Like that had I had never really experienced that before, and it was in such a great environment. I I you know loved all my teammates and stuff to go to teams, environments, and coaches who not that they didn't know as much, but it's just like we're not winning, so something's clearly not translating. Um, and having that go through from high from middle school, high school to then college, you know, it was like, man, like what are we doing? And and not to and to make a long story short, you know, I got to Morehouse and I after transferring twice and you know getting my life back together, got a scholarship. Or actually, the first season I played there, I didn't get a scholarship, but I did start that season for a couple games. But even then, like when I first got there, I was like, man, these guys are not serious. These guys are laughing and joking. And you know, I I ended up figuring out that some of them were on academic scholarships and just playing football, and some of them were on mixed academic and athletic scholarships. And I'm just I figured out, like, bro, these dudes are literally just-no ballers. Yeah, y'all, y'all not, y'all aren't like, and it's not no shade to them. Like, I I don't ever want to say because I've mentioned this a lot, um, but I I never want to make it seem like I don't, you know, like any of them or I don't respect them as people, but it was just like, man, as an athlete, looking at that, it it was just very frustrating, and it led to me eventually quitting because um, well, that was a part of the reason I quit. The main reason I quit is because I became a Christian, um, which that's a topic for another episode. But part of why, uh, or another part of the reason why I quit is because it was just wasn't serious enough for me. I I felt like the coaching wasn't there. My position coach, coach uh Saeed Lee, if you ever hear this, you know, I respect everything you did as a coach for pushing me and challenging me. But man, outside of that, bro, it it just wasn't the structure wasn't in place. So I I kind of feel for these high school kids, like like you and like many other kids, I'm sure, who had to deal with um, you know, who, or let me let me
Creating More Opportunities for Underserved Athletes
SPEAKER_03back up a little bit. For kids who actually wanted to be better, wanted to wanted to be good, wanted the opportunity, but really just I mean, it just wasn't really in the cards. And, you know, I don't really know what to say to that. I mean, I mean, I guess the question would be, you know, how do we get these kids more opportunities that don't necessarily have them from their families? Like, is there a uh organizations that can, you know, basically fund these kids to play for their their play play club club volleyball? Um, you know, I'm gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_00I mean, different sports, and honestly, that I I had to write that down. I, you know, got a list of things that you would just do if you won a lottery or just came up on some money. And I think that would be a pretty cool nonprofit type thing. Giving kids opportunities to play sports, yeah, like investing in kids and maybe even partner with like different little teams around uh the state, country, whatever, and sponsor a kid to be on that team. Like if the kid is, you know, already decent or whatever, or financial need, whatever. Um but until that time, because I gotta find a name for that foundation, um until that time, I do think like the thing, like I said, that my coach was doing essentially like doing open gym, um, which that was easy for her because like I said, she was already a club coach.
SPEAKER_01Right, she can do that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so she can do that. Um, for other coaches, truthfully, I really don't know. I I do think the summer workouts go a long way. Um with volleyball, it was kind of option. I mean, it wasn't an option because volleyball was is one of those sports that starts literally the first week of school. Summer practice was just regular practice. I mean, you kind of know what football, same thing.
SPEAKER_03Um Well, football, you start practicing spring, basically, and go out of the street.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, exactly. Yeah. Um, but even with like basketball, for example, I know Coach Flynn would do all summer long open gym for his team and sometimes open it up for like, you know, other guys who may be slightly interested or whatever. But yeah, open gym for them. Um, because everybody can do AAU, but getting reps in goes a long way. So I definitely think um that's one way. Um, but yeah, I don't know. Maybe that would be something that you know coaches need to institute, but I don't know. Some coaches like they summer breaks.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, I I think I don't know. Um I think there's there's a disconnect between slightly between what coaches should do and what they are doing, because Like you mentioned earlier in high school, uh some of these coaches are also teachers at the same time, so they're probably not getting paid, they're probably not getting paid. Well, I don't know. I don't want to say they're not getting paid well, but you know, generally speaking, if you especially have a family, you're probably not getting paid well as a coach. Let's just keep it real. Depending on where you are, because yeah, depending on where you are, if you're not sponsored by the booster club, basically to come there, or if you don't have another job and you're also being a coach at the same time, like more likely than not, if you're just working at the school and being a teacher, you're probably not getting paid that much. Um, so I think the motivation for coaches to go above and beyond is very little because it's just like what's in it for me. I'm not gonna get paid extra for it. More likely than not, I'll probably have to come out of my pocket even more to support some of these kids more than what I'm already doing in some in some cases. So it's just really tough to put them in that position where they're kind of not required, but they're kind of called to do more.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And they really they really can't. I mean, it may not be in their means to. So I I just think, like you said, that there probably there is a definitely a need there and uh an idea, a foundation, uh sponsorship, whatever for um for kids to get these opportunities. Because I mean, I I think that affects kids long term too. And I think giving them the opportunity to express themselves, being athletic and going out and having fun, I think that would keep some kids off the streets. I think that would keep some kids from making poor decisions outside of sports. Because like for me, I was lucky enough to where I ran track and played football. So I was basically playing sports year-round, with the exception of uh a little bit of break in the summer, because I didn't really run summer track, so I would kind of have the summer to play football or to get ready for the football season. But you know, that that's still like I'm getting a little bit of a break and not having to play two sports at one time. But um, or for example, like in the winter time, right before track season started, football season would end. You would kind of take a rest period between football and track, get to heal up and do everything and maybe get in shape a little bit, and then track season starts. So I think um I can't even remember the point I was making with that.
SPEAKER_00I don't know, but maybe sports camp, that would also be like a good thing, like sports summer camp. Um, I think I think the point that you were making was uh where these coaches will potentially find the time or opportunity to kind of enrich kids. Enrich kids. Hey, bro, we ain't a newborn.
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, I can't be able to do that.
SPEAKER_00But basically, where coaches would kind of find the time and opportunity to support kids outside of their current responsibilities. Yeah, maybe. And I think there's a dilemma. Do we have the answer to that dilemma? Not at the moment.
SPEAKER_03Not not well, we don't have the ability to change it. I think like what I think what you said, that's probably I think that's the way to go is to, you know, maybe even find angel investors who are serious about it.
SPEAKER_00Athletes do it. Like, I don't know how much, like, I mean, I'm pretty like Cam Newton does a little thing. I don't know like is he.
SPEAKER_03That's that's for seven on seven. Uh I I don't know if the seven on seven thing is free. Um, but that's not really that's not really what I would be talking about. I'll be talking about more like a foundation for basically giving these kids scholarships to go play club and do stuff. Yeah, that's a good thing. Because seven on seven.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, I guess technically that is like Well, I was just saying, 'cause like he's a pro athlete and like I'm not sure. I mean, it doesn't even have to be an athlete. It could just be people who are passionate about kids' developing. But I was just saying, like, that's an example of, you know, just giving kids opportunities for training outside of like, you know, their teams.
The Financial Barrier of Club Sports
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But I I know a lot of guys who went to that little Cam Newton camp or whatever.
SPEAKER_03I had a couple uh teammates and friends that that participated in that as well. Well yeah, teams should offer, you know, uh think things for especially like for special instances of talent and they don't have like Yeah, I feel like it's more prevalent in sports that are like volleyball or like tennis, just because the structure of the sport is that if you come up and you're not playing in the clubs, then more likely than not, it's very hard to get right. I mean, unless you're just like super good in the work, just kind of spreads.
SPEAKER_00Spreads. And but it's like other than that, it's kind of no, because no, I'm telling you, no scouts are going to high school volleyball games. Like you I mean, but that's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_03Unless it's in the c in in the case where somebody just hears about you and like, oh yeah, this per this girl, this guy is really tearing up the volleyball court.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, maybe. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03Because I mean, I feel like talent can be found.
SPEAKER_00Hear about you through weight of somebody in the club.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, maybe somebody in the club to come watch the game. Yeah, like no, like maybe you like for example, maybe somebody, like let's say there was somebody on an opposing team for you all before Naomi started. Like, imagine if she didn't play in the club, but she was still as good. She y'all play against somebody that's in the club, their parents.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, we she's so good. Exactly. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_03Now work it's out about her, and now it's like, oh yeah, you know, maybe we should start paying attention to her. But then again, maybe it's just like maybe a coach comes up and like, hey, I'll pay for it.
SPEAKER_00But no, that's exactly what I'm saying, like by way of the club. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so yeah, maybe it's still club by proxy. But yeah, sports that are that are kind of club oriented, it'll be very difficult.
SPEAKER_00Um barriers to entry, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so yeah, it's it's it's definitely a lot different than like track or because track, I guess, technically
Was Jania’s Full Potential Ever Recognized?
SPEAKER_03is is a club too, but you can get noticed, you can get noticed in high school track. That's not even.
SPEAKER_00As soon as they submit that time.
SPEAKER_03That's what I'm saying. It's over with. It don't matter, it don't matter where you at.
SPEAKER_00So who time was this?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, exactly. Um, okay, do you feel like your athletic potential was fully recognized?
SPEAKER_00I mean.
SPEAKER_03Do you feel like you have more left to give?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, I do feel like I have more left to give. And uh what I think made that evident to me was when I got to college, I'm sure you remember these conversations every now and then. I kinda pondered joining like an intramural team, um, volleyball, because like basically they'll just have like, you know, um, like obviously at the real teams, and then they'll just have like the, you know, just for fun type teams. And I just kind of like it was it was kind of hard because I'm like, man, like I've been doing sports dang there my whole life, and then now I get here and I'm not doing anything, yet I'm having to watch all these athletes, and it kind of just felt like I've been in the club my whole life, and now all of a sudden I'm outside the club, and I'm just like, man, and so it was kind of just like dang, like, what can I do to be in this club again or like feel this feeling again? Almost like chasing a high. Because man, I don't, I don't know. Like, it just feels like so being an athlete and like in school and stuff, everything just feels so exclusive. Like, I remember playing basketball, like on game days, we all walk in the hallways like with our matching sweatsuits and stuff like that, matching shoes, like having practices, winning, losing games, going back to school and stuff the next next day, or even that feeling like people seeing you like dress out for practice, and it's like, yeah, you know, I'm gonna get this work in, like training, all that good stuff, and then like silence, you know. That's kind of how it felt to now kind of be in this school setting, be in this education setting, yet something is missing. It kind of just felt like silence, if um that's kind of like the best way I can put it. Um, and so I definitely do feel like I had much more to give, and even now, you know, with my budding tennis career, um I might have a little more. But now I think I've come to terms like with you know my athletic career just being something for fun, recreational, to stay in shape. But I do feel like I could have gone much further um if that was what God had meant for me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, given the opportunity. Yeah, I I think that's tough because the question is is this is this path that God that you are currently on what God planned for you, or given the given the opportunity by your parents, I mean, well it's not even really a question. Yeah, had your parents put you in something else, like you're the opportunity would have been there. So like, and I'm not saying that saying the path that you're on is not got was not God's will, but I think that the conversation is more like free will at the end of the day, like it's a difficult conversation.
SPEAKER_00I don't I don't want to make this too uh religious because this is the you know, I I don't want to make it that, but that is something I think about is like what if basically exactly just just what is I really honestly I really don't think about the what if too much because I mean it is not like my life is significantly worse because I didn't play AAU or because I wasn't able to make it far. But you know, I mean it don't hurt like saying, okay, well, what if they were able to like pay for this? And once again, I was playing the volleyball. I don't think I'll be some multimillionaire out here from volleyball because that's just not the way the sport works. Like, even then, it's like I I went to college for free anyway, so it ain't like I got student debt. So that would have been the only like game changer for me had I made it to the college level, I would have still ended that sport at the college level. Now I could always ask, you know, what if I started tennis earlier? Um, I don't even I wouldn't even got on scholarship with tennis because tennis, like I said, don't work with that. Ain't no scouts at no like tennis matches, you know what I'm saying? Still club. Um, same thing. And those are really the only two sports that I really like. So yeah, I don't really waste my time um thinking what if because that's just not the type of career that I had. That's it, just not like the type of outlooks that I had. Um now if I was somebody else where I'm like, oh man, I I was a five star coming out of high school and had this career and an injury, oh heck yeah, I'll be sick. That one that wasn't me though.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I it just kind of how it depends on how it how it goes and how it ends.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Like it seemed like for you, it it never really it never really got up to that point. So it there wasn't really that far to to come down.
SPEAKER_00And I feel like it never really got up to that point because like I said, I feel like I had a lot of uh realism.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00In the sense where like my expectations were very like at some point when I did not know high, but then they came to reality and I was like made aware of what the situation actually is. Therefore, like I feel like I kinda gave myself my own closure before the season was even closed. Like, hey girl, just have a good time, do the best you can. So, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay. What
When Talented Athletes Don’t Know Their Potential
SPEAKER_03would you say for athletes who are talented but don't know how good they are? Um and let's imagine these athletes have the any opportunity they can think of, but they're they don't realize how talented they are.
SPEAKER_00Honestly, I feel like that is when it's important to kind of have the right people around you to like speak life into you and kind of make you aware of those things. Because like I said, I can really just think in Naomi because I was there and I could see like, okay, yeah, this girl tall, but like she not that good, and like playing against girls on other teams who was tall but weren't that good, and just seeing how like once that coach came into the equation and really like spoke life into her game and kind of invested into her and made her see how good she actually was, her life literally changed. Um and I I feel like sometimes people realize it on their own, sometimes they don't, but at the end of the day, as an athlete, I feel like you kind of have to want it. Like your career can't be compend uh dependent upon somebody else coming and telling you how good you are. You gotta want to be good, and you also have to work towards being good. Um, and if you just want to be an athlete where it's all like yeah, you don't realize how good you are, guess what? Somebody else out there is working to get better and they will pass you. Um so yeah, I don't know, I don't know what I would say. And I feel like maybe I ain't no coach. I'm not coaching, mentoring nobody athletic right now. But maybe if I were in that position, my answer would be slightly different because I'm face to face with athletes who may or may not be realizing their um max uh full potential. But yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I think
Coaches Must Speak Life Into Their Players
SPEAKER_03I think like you said, having people around you that speak life into you plays a huge role in it. I think athletes do have to want success for themselves. I do think that they should learn how to advocate for themselves, how to ask their coaches for guidance, ask their coaches what they need to work on, what what the next level will require of them so that they can implement those things into their game now. But I do think as a coach, you gotta blow your players up, man. You you have to blow them up. I I feel like that is such an undervalued thing from the coach's perspective because some of these kids are coming from households with no father, no support, and not that you didn't have that, but your parents weren't supporting you.
SPEAKER_00Um they just weren't supporting my athletic career.
SPEAKER_03Exactly. They were not supporting your athletic career. So having somebody that does do that on a regular basis, you see the coach every day. So having somebody that does that, even if they see a little, even guess what? The thing is, it's not just about the talented athletes either. It's about everybody that's out there. Even if you're not saying, hey, you're you're a great player, great job. Way to show up today. You're doing a great job. Keep coming at it, keep working. Yes, speaking life, speaking life, like being encouraging, having these kids become confident. Because the thing is, even if they don't become the best athlete at whatever sport it is, you still want them to become, want them to become good people. But I feel like as a byproduct of that, the kids who actually are talented, and in addition, the kids who actually want it, they will become that much better because they have somebody in their ear blowing them up, telling them how good they are. And then if they start seeing results on the field, they're like, oh man, my coach is telling me I'm good and I'm really performing well. I really am good. And so it just it I feel like that takes the I think the mental part of sports is starting to get a lot more attention than it was when I was coming up because man, that mental part is such, it's such a huge deal. Because for me, that was really a lot of my a lot of my issue. I just I had all the physical abilities, but I just wasn't confident in myself. I didn't, I didn't know, I didn't even know what that even looked like. I like I knew people talking trash and like, yeah, I'm better than you, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But it's like it's a it's another thing to actually live that confidence. Not being cocky, but just understanding your potential, understanding the abilities that you have, um, and that and the way that you can impact the game and the the way that you play the game, how it's unique to you, and how it can be beneficial to your teammates, to your team, whatever. Um I just feel like as coaches, man, you you really have to speak life into the players and you have to take pride in that because you know they may not get it anywhere else. You may be the only place they get these um these kind words. So um, so yeah, I do think wanting it is a big deal. I do think like you, you know, I mean, it's it's also difficult because if you don't know, you just don't know. Like your parents didn't play sports. I mean, where are you supposed to learn it from? Are you supposed to automatically just is a switch supposed to just flip someday? So um, yeah. Um anything else you you want to add?
Final Advice
SPEAKER_03No, well, I think this is great. Um any piece of advice in closing for female athletes, athletes in general. Coaches, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Speak life and invest into your players. Players have fun and do the best you can.
SPEAKER_03I agree.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, have fun, do the best you can. Work hard, um, be flexible. Because you never you just never know where be flexible, aka be adaptable. Like if the first position don't work out, maybe try the next best thing because that might just really be your best, best thing. Um so yeah.
SPEAKER_03The biggest takeaway from today's conversation is this high school athletes need support to be placed in an environment conducive to their growth as athletes and as people. But unfortunately, there's a few systemic changes that need to take place before we can see any meaningful progress. Whether we're talking about the ending of our athletic careers, brainstorming ways to improve the high school to college sports pipeline, or anything else that's happening around the sports world, the bigger conversation always comes back to the athlete experience. Because the game keeps changing, but athletes still need guidance, perspective, and people who understand what it feels like from the inside. So before we leave the locker room, make sure you're subscribed and locked in for the next episode. If this conversation gave you something to think about, comment your thoughts and share it with another athlete. And remember, the game changed, but your story is still being written. Take care and God bless.