The Leave It Better Podcast

What does it take not only rack up an impressive win streak, but to find the confidence to keep that streak going?

In 2023, Indiana Wesleyan University’s Candace Moats was honored with multiple ‘Coach of the Year’ awards, in part to her team finishing with a flawless 38 wins and zero losses season (the first time in 6 years for any NAIA volleyball team to accomplish). 

Coach Moats has been coaching volleyball competitively for 40 years. She shares her advice for not caving to the high-stakes pressure. We also hear about the benefit of surrounding yourself with people that you may not always agree with.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

"If you stop learning, you need to stop coaching." That's the motto of Bayside Academy Head Coach Ann Schilling; a legendary volleyball coach with over 37 years of experience. Janice and Ann discuss her journey in coaching, her philosophy on leadership and team culture, and her personal battle with breast cancer. Ann shares how her cancer diagnosis changed her entire outlook on life and her relationship with God. Hear about the significant experiences that have shaped her methods of passing on life lessons to her young athletes. This powerful conversation highlights the significance of resilience, faith, and the impact of sports on personal growth.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

Building a championship team takes great players that can be pushed to get better, AND great team staff that can push the coach to get better as well. Coach Erin Virtue leads the women’s volleyball team at the University of Michigan and serves as an Assistant Coach for the U.S Women’s National team.

Coach Virtue tells Janice how she and the national volleyball team had to re-shape the scouting system they were using so they could spot and recruit the best players the country has to offer. This episode is a unique look at how any sport can go from a talent pool of hundreds of thousands of active players, and trim it down to just a handful of the best of the best.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

From hall-of-fame player, to the best personal trainer volleyball has to offer, Cathy Noth is here to tell you her methods to shaping young athletes into future stars. As a former Nebraska Husker and NCAA champ, Cathy became the first Nebraska female student-athlete to have her jersey retired. Listen for great step-by-step advice on how to help players improve their skills, and what parents can do today to help their kids.

Links mentioned:

1. For more information go to www.side-out.org.
2. Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
3. Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

For decades, the best volleyball players in the country had few places to turn to if they wanted to stay with the sport they loved after college. Jen Spicher helped change that. As the CEO of the newly created "Pro Volleyball Federation," Jen is giving women a chance to continue their dreams. 

In her talk with Janice, Jen breaks down just what it takes to launch a new professional sports league. Jen also offers her unique perspective on the difference between being a college NCAA coach, and a coach on the professional level.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

The Volleyball Cancer research Charity tournament, Dig Pink, is making lasting impacts, much of it thanks to several young leaders in high school across the country. The conversation revolves around the experiences of the teenage ambassadors of the Side-Out Foundation's Dig Pink program. Learn about their personal motivations, and the big lessons they've discovered as leaders in their schools, teams, and communities. 

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

In the early days of collegiate and competitive volleyball, organizer had one major question in mind: How to raise the popularity and visibility of the game. That’s where Terry Liskevych came in. As a former collegiate and US Olympic team national volleyball coach, Terry Helped create the framework to support promising coaches and leaders in the world of volleyball.

Terry explains to Janice why he has a hard time putting faith in the USA volleyball organization. And in the ongoing debate over who’s needed more: great players or great coaches, Terry makes the case for choosing the players. 

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

You can coach your players, but how do you coach their parents? Roger Anderson, Head Coach and Director of Health and Wellness at Westborough High School in Massachusetts shares his insights on coaching philosophy, the importance of community support. Hear why student-athlete well-being and mental toughness is significant on the court. Coach Anderson also shares the core values he instills in his athletes, and the lessons he imparts to both players and parents.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

Winning isn’t everything if you’re not winning cleanly. Coach Tyler Carey believes in pushing his players to be accountable for every point… even the ones the refs don’t get right.

Tyler helped start the “Power of Pink” volleyball tournament, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. He talks with Janice about how a brush with death helped him find a renewed passion for life, and helping others.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]

If you want to be the best, you need experience. That’s where Ruth Nelson shines. As a volleyball coach at all levels of the sport over many decades, Ruth walks us through her lessons with some of the most influential volleyball figures in the history of the sport. A must listen to episode for young and aspiring coaches! Veteran coaches will appreciate Ruth’s stories and connections.

Links mentioned:

• For more information go to www.side-out.org.
• Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
• Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: [email protected]