Key Points, Top Takeaways and Memorable Quotes - 

“I don’t even know how many finals I had been to at that point, but it was, I kinda just remember going into that match and there was just this, I don’t know,  weird feeling that came over me that was just like, ‘this is my time.’”  11:01

“Even just being a college athlete without the NIL, that was enough in itself.” 17:07

“I think the biggest thing for us was like making sure we were great partners on the court, off the court.” 20:12

“I just explain it as like a whirlwind.” 22:02

“One point at a time.”  23:44

“Perfect is the enemy of good.” 24:11

“When you love something so much, you don’t look at it as a sacrifice.” 27:20

“A nice coffee with a friend.” 30:59

“I think people long for connection.” 32:10

“It’s finding a balance of like we want to win, but at the end of the day, it’s really about who you meet along the way and just the relationships that you create.” 39:28

“God loves us and we’re worthy because of Him.” 42:57

“I feel like when your identity is in sport, there is no balance.” 51:44

“It’s weird what your mind will do to accomplish the goal.” 55:10

“Your hardest times turn into your greatest blessings.” 56:00

“It’s the balance of like ‘What do you want out of life?’” 59:36

“Don’t put your identity in volleyball, put it into God.” 1:01:52

“It benefits everyone in life, you know, to surround yourself with good people because great opportunities can come from that.” 1:02:42

Guest Bio - 

Sarah Sponcil grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and is now what you might call a South Bay local. She played indoor volleyball and beach volleyball through middle school, and high school, then took it to college where she competed at Loyola Marymount and finished up at UCLA. Sarah helped the UCLA beach volleyball program claim their first two titles and then she turned professional in 2019. Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Cheng partnered for the 2020 Olympics, and became the youngest duo to earn a bid to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Although volleyball is a big part of her life, it is not her whole life. Family and faith come first with Sarah!

Show Notes - 

0:00 - WIMTS Podcast Intro

0:32 - Introducing Sarah Sponcil

0:46 - Welcome to Sarah

1:25 - Family & Playing Volleyball at Age 4

5:55 - California Exposure, then Choosing Cali for College

8:03 - UCLA Beach to AVP (Domestic Pro Tour)

10:03 - Shoutout: PT Brian Micheletti & Coach Scott Davenport

13:08 - Beach Volleyball Gravitation, Growth, & Seriousness  

17:55 - 2021 Tokyo Olympic Qualification Ride

19:30 - What Did it Take to Get to the Olympics?

22:32 - Advice for Handling the Pressure of the Moment or Match

25:26 - Being An Old Soul: Making Choices for Goals vs. Missing Out on Parties

28:17 - Happiness Vs. Real Joy

30:19 - Be Better Commercial

30:28 - Sarah’s Favorite Simple Things

33:23 - Let’s Talk Coaching: Have You Ever Coached?

36:08 - Advice to High School Athletes: What to Look for in a College Program?

41:04 - Faith & Self Identity Outside of Volleyball 

46:33 - Perspective of Self & Being Better

50:56 - How Does Getting to Know Yourself Better Make You a Better Athlete?

54:14 - When You Didn’t Choose Volleyball, Did You Ever Feel Guilt?

57:21 - Sustainable High Performance

1:01:24 - One Piece of Advice to Your Younger Self

1:02:55 - Thank You

1:03:15 - Where Can People Find You?

1:03:48 - WIMTS Podcast Closing

Links & Where to Find Sarah - 

www.sarahsponcil.com

IG - @smsponcil