We’ve been so ready for this one! This week, we're dropping our first parent round table (shoutout to Scott Jones for coming to hang with us) and we sit down with some of our volleyball dads! We discuss everything from advice for new volleyball parents, club-wide communication, and more.

We are grateful for the opportunity and conversation. Big thanks to Andy, Lawrence, and Ethan for joining us. This one will be split into two episodes - join us next week to hear part two! 

This week we welcome the new year and start off our season sitting down with United alum and D1 college athlete Jasmine Brooks. We chat about her recruitment experience, major differences in club ball vs. a D1 athletic program, maintaining awareness while taking care of your mindset, keeping realistic expectations for yourself, and the importance of support.

This week we sat down with former United athlete and UAB commit Riley Lovell. We hear about how she has managed the challenges of recovering from shoulder surgery and her advice for pushing through the stresses that arise during recruitment - such as maintaining confidence, overcoming self doubt, doing your research, and keeping your options open.

KJ goes solo this week and focuses on attacking, specifically common issues that hitters face. She discusses adjustments that can be made to fix these - such as the four step approach in relation to timing and why your ball may be taping the net.

We are back this week after a Thanksgiving break and sat down with United Boys 18 Black athlete and Indiana Tech commit Taiki Peterson. We hear about his recruitment process, his thoughts on what needs to happen to bring more growth and attention to boys volleyball, and the most rewarding part of his volleyball journey so far. 

This week we sat down with United 18 National and UTA commit Sophie Krichev. Join us as we talk about her recruitment experience and hear a few tips she offers fellow athletes as they navigate that process. We also cover how self worth is not found in your performance, her proudest moment as a volleyball athlete, strategies for maintaining focus during a match, and more. You don't want to miss this one!

This week we sat down with United Coach Alex Owen - and thoroughly enjoyed this conversation! We cover the importance of communication, holding yourself and your teammates accountable, and how harmony on the courts starts with harmony in the stands.

This week we sat down with Positional Coach Alicia Krichev and talk all things college recruitment - how to best support your athlete, the impact of game statistics versus other factors in the eyes of recruiters, when players should begin thinking about recruitment, and more. Most importantly, how to appreciate uniqueness in your own journey and not compare to others.

We've been excited about this chat for a long time! This week we sat down with United coach and former UF athlete Macy Phillips. We talk about everything from her recruitment experience, core philosophies she applies when creating an environment of growth for her players, and trying out for a spot on a semi-pro team in Nashville.

This week we sat down with United Coach and Oakwood VB player Cameryn Bucknor. We hear about her journey to becoming a student athlete, how discipline instills continuous growth as an athlete, and what led her to pursue coaching.