Morgan Hentz, professional volleyball player, three-time NCAA champion, three-time Pac 12 Libero of the year, and VIS mentor, gives us insight into the world of professional volleyball. She has experienced both overseas play and play within the United States and shares with our audience how to go about deciding if playing overseas is for you. Morgan breaks down the new United States pro volleyball leagues, discussing structure, prize money, culture, and benefits. While diving into what professional volleyball entails, Morgan offers great advice to girls looking to pursue playing volleyball professionally. 

“My biggest hope is that the sport continues to grow… there’s just such talent” -Morgan Hentz

While dominating in the pool as a 3-time Olympic medalist, Paige Madden has also been quietly fighting a different kind of battle— at age 13, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid. Behind the scenes of her athletic success, she has faced extreme fatigue, emotional lows, and the mental strain of managing a condition that can be as unpredictable as it is exhausting. Paige opens up about the hidden toll Hashimoto’s has taken—on her body, her mindset, and her identity as an athlete. She shares her lowest moments, what it took to keep pushing forward, and how learning to embrace vulnerability became one of her greatest strengths. Her story is a powerful reminder that even at the highest levels of sport, athletes are not immune to struggle—and no one has to face it alone.

“It'll pull you back if you let it pull you back.”-PaigeMadden

Skylar Park, professional taekwondo athlete, Olympic bronze medalist for Team Canada, and VIS mentor, discusses how she managed to embrace her feminine side as an athlete in a combative, male-dominated sport. Skylar debunks common combative sport myths by sharing her experiences and describes the strides the sport of Taekwondo has made towards equity for men and women athletes. Skylar provides young women athletes with great advice for embracing their athletic selves in sport.  

“Be confident in who you are and … believe in yourself wholeheartedly” -Sklyar Park 

Morgan Hentz, professional volleyball player, three-time NCAA National Champion, three-time Pac-12 Libero of the Year, and VIS Mentor, shares her best performance mindset tips. Morgan breaks down how working with a sports psychologist helped her develop new skills to overcome game-day performance anxiety. Morgan discusses strategies like breathwork, visualization, and communication with teammates, which have helped her to perform at her peak. Having access to mental health resources at Stanford helped Morgan balance her identity in and out of sport. Morgan wraps this episode with game-changing dos and don'ts—what coaches, parents, and teammates should (and shouldn't) say to athletes on game day.

“Effort, attitude, focus, being a great teammate—those four items you can always control" -Morgan Hentz

Christine Monjer, the President of the Los Angeles Sparks, joins us to share her inspiring career journey, which includes leading brand strategies for the Las Vegas Aces and major shows at MGM Resorts International. She takes us through her dynamic career journey from marketing at Quaker Oats and MGM Resorts to shaping the brand identity of the Las Vegas Aces. Christine shares the power of being fearless in her professional life, emphasizing how important it is to speak up, take risks, and pursue what truly excites you. She also reflects on the lessons she’s learned from her career transitions and how transferable skills have played a pivotal role. Our personal and professional journeys are seldom linear or predictable. Christine speaks from personal experience about how the unpredictable can be a source of growth and strength. Christine opens up about the importance of giving herself emotional space, especially after facing significant personal challenges; this practice helped her grow into the successful leader she is today.

“Ask for the coffee, ask for the promotion, speak up in the meeting. If you see that something’s going left and it needs to go right, say it. Be less afraid of saying the wrong thing. Stay present and be fearless” - Christine Monjer

In this episode of the Becoming President series, President and COO of the Atlanta Dream, Morgan Shaw Parker walks us through her career journey from being an intern at the Kansas City Chiefs, to becoming the first female Vice President of Communications in the NFL, and eventually to the C-Suite of the Dream. Shaw Parker shares the importance of being intentional in curating a team ready to ‘roll up their sleeves and get in the mud together.’ Success comes from teams comprised of people with a shared mission, perseverance, and mutual respect. Ultimately, Morgan encourages us to embrace diverse perspectives and pave the path for other women. 

“Be open to taking on any challenge, especially things that scare you, especially things that are outside your comfort zone. Go in eyes wide open and figure it out because you wouldn't be there if you weren't smart enough to figure it out” -Morgan Shaw Parker 

In a new, exclusive Voice in Sport podcast series featuring women presidents, we dive into the stories of trailblazing leaders shaping the future of sport. This episode highlights Keia Clarke, the President & CEO of the New York Liberty, who shares her incredible journey to the top of one of the most iconic teams in the WNBA. Keia began her career at the NBA/WNBA League Office, prior to joining the New York franchise. Among her many awards, Keia was named to Adweek’s Most Powerful Women in Sports list, Sports Business Journal’s Game Changers Class of 2023, and most recently, CNBC’s Changemakers Inaugural Class of 2024. Clarke’s story is one of persistence, learning, and trust-building. Reflecting on her career growth, she discusses the challenges she overcame, the importance of mentorship and building trust, and encouraging innovative leadership. From Clarke's first chapter, “Sport Adjacent” where she stepped outside her comfort zone fresh out of college, to her current role in chapter, “Point Guards Lead From the Front” as the President & CEO, her journey is a remarkable trajectory of personal and professional growth. 

"You always want that feeling of we did this, not, I did this” - Keia Clarke.

In a new, exclusive Voice in Sport podcast series featuring WNBA presidents, we dive into the stories of trailblazing women shaping the future of basketball. This episode, Jennifer Rizzotti, a basketball legend and current President of the Connecticut Sun has had nothing short of a remarkable career. She is a former standout point guard at the University of Connecticut, national championship winner, WNBA professional athlete and two-time WNBA championship winner, and 2013 inductee in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. In this conversation, Rizzotti shares insights into her leadership journey, the lessons she’s learned from building teams, and her passion for developing the next generation of female leaders in sports. Reflecting on her 17 years of head coaching at the University of Hartford, her continued work with USA Basketball, and entry into the C-Suite at the Sun, this episode is packed with inspiration for aspiring athletes and leaders alike. 

“There’s no dream that's too big, right? If your goal is to be a president of an organization, put the work in, build the relationships, and just be somebody who wants to learn all the time" - Jen Rizzotti. 

Dr. Lennie Waite is a VIS Expert and Industrial-Organizational Sports Psychologist who specializes in team dynamics, motivation, and performance. In today's episode, Dr. Waite shares her expertise on the science behind eating disorders and disordered eating. She discusses how unhealthy habits can manifest in young athletes, what the warning signs are, how these habits can spread throughout teams, and the ways we can support athletes who struggle with these challenges. Dr. Waite also delves into the current culture surrounding eating disorders within the NCAA and running community with the goal of better informing coaches, athletes, teams, and parents on how to talk about these topics in healthy, supportive, and constructive ways. Overall, Dr. Waite encourages everyone to stand up and use our voices for positive change.

"You only have one body, and it has to last us our entire lives” - Dr. Lennie Waite, VIS Expert

Athing Mu, a professional track & field athlete and 2x Olympic gold medalist in the 800m and 4x400m relay in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, shares her journey of having success in running at an early age, and the transition to becoming a pro athlete. In this episode she takes us through growing up in a Sudanese family in New Jersey and the impact her seven siblings have had on her passion for running. Athing discusses her time as a high school and college athlete and what it was like turning pro, landing Nike as a sponsor and winning a gold medal all before the age of 20. After a disappointing result at Worlds in Budapest - she takes us through how she managed the pressure and disappointment and the steps she took to build a strong support system around her and climb back to the top of the 800m podium at the Diamond League Championship by setting a new World Record. While running is a huge part of Athing’s identity she emphasizes the importance of having hobbies and passions outside of sport and surrounding yourself with inspirational teammates that help keep the joy of sport front and center. 

““Pressure’s always going to be there. It’s about how to take that pressure and use it to fire you up for what you need to do and accomplish””. - Athing Mu