Lisa joined the JVA Staff in December 2013. She has a solid volleyball background at all levels. After completing her volleyball career at Purdue University, she served as the Student Assistant Coach followed by three seasons as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at Samford University where her responsibilities included recruiting, aiding in day to day team training, managing community service functions, and coordination of camps. In 2011 she helped guide the program to its first NCAA appearance.
Message of the Week
Message of the Week
Accountability, resiliency, and just doing your job…
Yes, I know…I am going back to my Chicago sports teams. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a very loyal Chicago sports fan. Some might call it dedication, others might question my sanity. Either way, I’m passionately committed!
Our starting quarterback, Caleb Williams, has been out for a few weeks, and while we’ve had one tough loss to an unmentionable rival team (we don’t need to discuss that one), I’ve been impressed by something bigger than the wins and losses. Accountability and resiliency.
Two backup quarterbacks have stepped in, and neither expected the team to simply survive until our QB1 returned. They knew their plays. They understood their responsibilities. They prepared, stepped up, led, and executed. They didn’t make excuses or rely on someone else to carry the load.
They. Just. Did. Their. Job.
And not only did they do their job, they did it well!
That’s what accountability looks like. It’s knowing what’s expected of you, paying attention to the details, preparing properly, taking ownership of your responsibilities, and being prepared to step up when your team needs you. It’s also resiliency. Things don’t always go according to plan, but how you respond when they don’t says a lot about the strength of your team.
And you better believe those quarterbacks will continue preparing every week, even with Caleb being back. Because if he goes down again (for the sake of every Chicago fan’s health, let’s hope that doesn’t happen!), they need to be ready.
I think there’s a valuable lesson here for all of us in the volleyball community.
As Club Directors, you’re often the QB1 of your organization. You’re making the big decisions, managing parents, supporting coaches, handling operations, and putting out fires that nobody else even knows exist. But a successful organization cannot depend on one person to make every decision, solve every problem, or carry every responsibility.
For those of you with full staffs, are you empowering your team to take ownership of their roles? Do they understand the expectations? Are they paying attention to the small details that make a big difference? And perhaps most importantly, can you trust them to step up and lead?
For those of you running clubs without a full administrative staff, your coaches are your team. They are often the face of your organization and the people your athletes and families interact with most. Giving them clear expectations, the right tools, and the confidence to make decisions is just as important.
Accountability doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. It means everyone understanding their role and taking pride in doing it well. And resiliency doesn’t mean things will always go smoothly. It means having the people, prep, and trust in place to navigate challenges when they arise…because they always do.
As leaders, we also have to be willing to let our teams lead. That means communicating expectations clearly, providing support, and sometimes stepping aside so others have the opportunity to grow. If every decision has to run through the club director, we aren’t building a team…we are completely bottlenecking our organization.
The strongest organizations aren’t necessarily the ones with the largest staffs or the most resources. They’re the ones where people take ownership, communicate, support one another, and understand that their individual responsibilities contribute to something much bigger.
As we head into another busy season, think about your team. Are they prepared? Do they know what’s expected of them? If they do know what is expected of them, are they doing the proper work to perform at the level of expectation? And if you had to step away tomorrow, would your organization continue moving forward?
Because at the end of the day, great teams don’t just rely on their starters. They build a culture where everyone is ready when their number is called. Know your role. Own your responsibilities. Trust your team. And when it’s your turn to step up, be ready.
Have a great week!
With a lot of gratitude,
Lisa
Accountability, resiliency, and just doing your job…
Yes, I know…I am going back to my Chicago sports teams. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am a very loyal Chicago sports fan. Some might call it dedication, others might question my sanity. Either way, I’m passionately committed!
Our starting quarterback, Caleb Williams, has been out for a few weeks, and while we’ve had one tough loss to an unmentionable rival team (we don’t need to discuss that one), I’ve been impressed by something bigger than the wins and losses. Accountability and resiliency.
Two backup quarterbacks have stepped in, and neither expected the team to simply survive until our QB1 returned. They knew their plays. They understood their responsibilities. They prepared, stepped up, led, and executed. They didn’t make excuses or rely on someone else to carry the load.
They. Just. Did. Their. Job.
And not only did they do their job, they did it well!
That’s what accountability looks like. It’s knowing what’s expected of you, paying attention to the details, preparing properly, taking ownership of your responsibilities, and being prepared to step up when your team needs you. It’s also resiliency. Things don’t always go according to plan, but how you respond when they don’t says a lot about the strength of your team.
And you better believe those quarterbacks will continue preparing every week, even with Caleb being back. Because if he goes down again (for the sake of every Chicago fan’s health, let’s hope that doesn’t happen!), they need to be ready.
I think there’s a valuable lesson here for all of us in the volleyball community.
As Club Directors, you’re often the QB1 of your organization. You’re making the big decisions, managing parents, supporting coaches, handling operations, and putting out fires that nobody else even knows exist. But a successful organization cannot depend on one person to make every decision, solve every problem, or carry every responsibility.
For those of you with full staffs, are you empowering your team to take ownership of their roles? Do they understand the expectations? Are they paying attention to the small details that make a big difference? And perhaps most importantly, can you trust them to step up and lead?
For those of you running clubs without a full administrative staff, your coaches are your team. They are often the face of your organization and the people your athletes and families interact with most. Giving them clear expectations, the right tools, and the confidence to make decisions is just as important.
Accountability doesn’t mean doing everything yourself. It means everyone understanding their role and taking pride in doing it well. And resiliency doesn’t mean things will always go smoothly. It means having the people, prep, and trust in place to navigate challenges when they arise…because they always do.
As leaders, we also have to be willing to let our teams lead. That means communicating expectations clearly, providing support, and sometimes stepping aside so others have the opportunity to grow. If every decision has to run through the club director, we aren’t building a team…we are completely bottlenecking our organization.
The strongest organizations aren’t necessarily the ones with the largest staffs or the most resources. They’re the ones where people take ownership, communicate, support one another, and understand that their individual responsibilities contribute to something much bigger.
As we head into another busy season, think about your team. Are they prepared? Do they know what’s expected of them? If they do know what is expected of them, are they doing the proper work to perform at the level of expectation? And if you had to step away tomorrow, would your organization continue moving forward?
Because at the end of the day, great teams don’t just rely on their starters. They build a culture where everyone is ready when their number is called. Know your role. Own your responsibilities. Trust your team. And when it’s your turn to step up, be ready.
Have a great week!
With a lot of gratitude,
Lisa
