WEBVTT
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Welcome to this episode of the Life Work Podcast.
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Today we are blessed to welcome Coach Justin D.
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Welcome to the podcast, sir.
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Excited to be here.
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Glad to have you here.
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And as I have been doing this season, I want to lead off with a profoundly deep question.
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How in the world did you get to Williams Baptist University?
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Where were you, and how did you get here?
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Uh I probably would say it's the Alexander uh no good, very bad, not very good day.
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Uh I know that I know that masterpiece.
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Uh I was really good friends with uh Mitch Mathis, who was our athletic director before here, and I've known him for about 25 years.
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He used to referee our volleyball games back at when I was at Lion in 2004 to 2008, and I knew his daughter, coach his daughter over in Arkansas Juniors.
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And uh he sent me an email in November asking me if I knew anybody that would come over here and coach.
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And I was like, nope, I don't know anybody that would go to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and coach right now.
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And uh that was in November, and then just went about my day.
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I was at Weber International University in Babson Park, Florida, very similar uh area.
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Just like Walnut Ridge, I'm sure.
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Uh, but over there, and then uh we were on spring break and just had a a day where it just seemed like God was directing me elsewhere, I guess is the best way to say it.
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Um it was a day where I just didn't feel like I belonged.
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Um there's a secular song that says uh I'm a loser and I don't belong here.
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Um it's not I didn't feel like a loser, but I just felt like I didn't belong here, and it was just over and over that day.
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And I sent a text to my mom about something that had happened uh that day, and my mom put down oh Weber, and it wasn't necessarily me leaving Weber, but it was a just a thought process in my mind of this is not the place that God has for me.
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And I can remember this is in March.
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I can remember that email that I got from Coach Mathis back in November.
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It was always on my mind.
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And I went back in and I went to the website and uh and I saw that the job was still open.
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And so I uh literally 12:30 at night, that that day was a tough day.
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1230 at night, I sent an email over to Coach Mathis uh with all of my curriculum vita and all those other things in my resume.
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And I said, I don't know if the job's even still open or if you're looking for somebody, but here's my stuff.
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I think God's calling me here.
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And uh I got to call at 6 30 in the morning.
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I bet you did.
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And Mitch says, uh, you know, we got two Zoom interviews today.
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You want to be the third?
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And it was literally that day.
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And I was like, absolutely.
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And then uh I got to meet um Hope was on the Hope and Faith were both on the uh thing there, and Coach Nutt and Coach Mathis were all on the um the interview on the Zoom meeting, and just getting to meet them was just pretty amazing.
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Yeah.
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And then uh doing some more research.
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Obviously, it was uh I did a lot of research in those two hours while I was sitting there on the on the computer at midnight looking over Williams Baptist University and what could possibly be.
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And then uh, you know, I think it was less than a week later, I was on a plane to Memphis and drove over.
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And it was uh I remember it was St.
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Patrick's Day when I came over at 6 a.m.
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and worked the ladies out.
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We had a 6 a.m.
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workout.
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I remember it was St.
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Patrick's Day because Desiree Walker came over and pinched me.
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And she goes, I don't know, I don't know if you're gonna be our coach or not, but you're not wearing green.
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So that's just Desiree.
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Welcome.
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We're gonna bruise you your first day here.
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Yeah.
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And then getting a chance to talk to you and uh having a similar vision of, you know, we really want to be able to provide the opportunity for uh kids to come here and to have a debt-free education through the Williams Works program.
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That just that really was something that just hit me, and I was like, this is where I need to be.
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And I think that that afternoon, uh you sent me an email, and uh that night I just told my mom this is where I need to be.
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And it's literally less about less than a week from the time that I was all in at Weber to God calling me here.
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And uh, I mean, we haven't looked back, and what a blessing it has been being here these last whatever 16, 17 months that I've been here.
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And uh just to being able to grow in Christ, I think is a huge deal.
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Um, but also doing it a way where I believe that Williams values the individual and doesn't see them as a paycheck, they see them as it as God's, you know, God has planted them here for us to nurture them absolutely to send them out into the world.
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So where's mom, by the way?
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Mom is in Orlando, Florida.
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She was only an hour away from me before, which that was probably the biggest wow, that is a step of faith for you to do that.
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And you know, I don't have any family over in this area, so it was just your mom to move here.
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I we've talked about it.
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I think I mentioned that to Dr.
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Shaunickey at one time.
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I was like, you know, my mom's getting there.
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If she would like to move in with me, is that okay?
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And he was like, definitely.
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Well, my mom moved in with me.
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Yeah.
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So is she gonna do it?
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No, my sister moved in with her.
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Uh and uh so my sister's in Orlando.
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That's true.
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Well, it she is my sister is amazing, and my mom and her get along really, really well.
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And my sister is just such a servant and loves her mom with all of her heart.
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I do too.
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Yep.
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But my sister is has moved in there, and God has provided for her to have a um a business where she can do it uh remotely.
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So she's able to be there with my mom.
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And my mom's my mom's still spry, my mom's still working.
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She retired and she goes, This is boring.
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And she went back to work.
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Good for her.
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She's amazing.
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My mom is is my is my rock.
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So I've wanted to ask this.
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We may have got into it in the interview, and forgive me if we didn't.
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I just I'm old, I'm forgetful.
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How did you get into coaching volleyball?
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How how did the Lord orchestrate that?
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I always tell people it's I got into coaching volleyball for the money.
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Good game plan there.
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Well, I was I majored in um mathematics education uh at Liberty.
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Um, and then I dropped the education.
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I went straight mathematics, so it was going to be an actuary.
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You're one of those guys.
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And I that's not me.
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Yeah.
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I I wanted to go into actual work in 1998 when I was researching, it was the number one job in job ratings almanac.
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It was, you know, you get out, you take a couple couple of tests, and you're making$100,000.
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Um and then I was walking through DeMoss Hall at Liberty University, and they had an education fair.
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And I was just walking through and I was like, oh, whatever.
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And then they had this open door Christian school in Tuscaloose, Alabama, and I knew open door because uh Dr.
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Danny Lovett, who was my evangelism professor, and his son was our campus pastor, and uh, I played saxophone uh for with him, he was our music minister.
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And uh so I was like, I know open door, and I looked at it and they're like, We need a math teacher, and I was like, oh my goodness.
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And uh then I went over to Dr.
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Woolridge, uh, who was our math professor, he was the dean of our math department, and uh I was dating a girl for uh some time and uh I was like Dr.
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Woolridge, I I don't want my girlfriend or my wife to have to work, but I want her to work if she wants to.
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And I said, I don't think that education will do that for me.
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And he goes, Justin, I don't drive a Mercedes-Benz and I don't live in a mansion.
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And he goes, but everything I've needed, God has provided.
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And I still remember that meeting.
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I can remember, I can see him talking to me right now.
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And uh so I went over, I talked to talked to uh the people at Open Door Christian School.
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They had somebody there uh looking for a math teacher, and uh they said, We have a math teaching position where you have six different preps, um, which means you have six different classes you have to teach.
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And then they said uh we would you would also be our day camp coordinator.
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So the whole it would be a 12-month full contract.
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And uh they said we can pay you$17,500 a year.
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And I jumped in.
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I went down there and I visited, and uh it was a place where God called me, and uh, you know, it was the lowest salary that I had been offered in anything.
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Chick-fil-A had had offered me a job at about 50, and it was uh, but God had called me into education.
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And I went down there and I had six preps and I had the day camp coordinator and all these things.
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And I So volleyball's not on the radar yet.
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I played volleyball in college.
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Okay, yeah.
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I played club volleyball, they didn't have men's volleyball at liberty.
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Okay.
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I played in high school.
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Okay.
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Um that's in the background.
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That's in the background.
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Okay, okay.
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And then uh I got over there and they were like, Well, we see that you played volleyball.
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Is this, you know, we need a volleyball coach.
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Would you be like to be a volleyball coach?
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And I said, I don't know if I have any time.
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And they were like, Well, it's a$1,500 stipend per team.
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And I said, Sign me up.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Sign me up.
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And that's how I became a volleyball coach, is because of the money.
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There you go, fulfilled the prophecy.
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So you had not you had no formal training in coaching or in sports management or any of that.
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You just became a coach based upon your own personal experience as a volleyball player.
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Well, I I I'd always been a first base coach at baseball.
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My our team almost went to the Little League World Series whenever I was uh 12 years old.
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Um, I've always been somebody that had leadership qualities, uh, you know.
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So I think that leadership was one of the things, but I had never gone into sport management or anything like that.
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It was just something that I loved, the game of volleyball.
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Um, I loved encouraging people.
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I think my purpose in life is to add value to others.
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Um, so it was just something that came naturally.
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Um, but it was I I remember the first game we played in Millbrook, Alabama.
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I coached the junior high, the junior varsity, and the varsity.
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Again, I'm trying to get those those checks.
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Um but our first game we went, it was side out scoring, but the last game was rally point scoring, which is what you're used to now where every point is, and we won 15 to 13 in the third.
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And I'm sitting there in Millbrook, Alabama, after my very first game, and I said, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.
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So when was the pivot?
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When was the moment when you went from a classroom teacher, part-time coach, to a full-time coach, maybe some teaching, but when did that happen?
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Where were you?
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Um, I was a a classroom teacher.
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Um, my my father passed away.
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Uh, he's not a great guy, but uh he left me a life insurance um that gave it to me on my 21st birthday.
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And I was a I was pretty young.
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Um, I graduated in five years, uh, you know, one year at UCF and then four years at Liberty, but I still wasn't 21.
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And I got that check from my father, which allowed me to do a lot of different things.
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And I was there was a again, I realized that coaching volleyball is something that God would kind of call me into.
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Um, and an opportunity came available in California at Simpson College for me to do that in a more formal setting.
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So were you still at open door and you went from there to Simpson?
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Yes, I was at open door for two years.
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Uh we won the state championship both years.
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It was something where I felt like I was fairly talented at it.
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Um, we had a great group of women, uh, young ladies there.
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And then uh again, there was a coaching opportunity.
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I did, you know, not even a Zoom interview, it was a phone call interview.
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I was to go over there and it was a part-time position.
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It wasn't a full-time position, but it was a step in the direction of where I believe I was being called.
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And so uh the job became available at Simpson uh college.
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Okay, yeah.
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Simpson College in Reading, California.
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Uh they were a C and M A school, a Christian and Missionary Alliance school.
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Okay.
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And uh so it still aligned with what I wanted to do.
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And so I got to go out there.
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Uh, this was 2001, and about two weeks into my first coaching position at 25, um, my uh 9-11 happened and it kind of threw me into a thing where I'm 25 states away from my family, yeah, and I'm here with all these 21-year-olds, I'm a 25-year-old, and helping them manage uh 9-11 and the tragedy that happened and them being away from their family.
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And it was just it was uh kind of uh that thought process going through there.
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But that was my first job that I had as a college coach.
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That was my loan responsibility.
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Wow.
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How long were you at Simpson?
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I was at Simpson for two years after 9-11.
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Um, we had a really great second year, but um opportunities became available.
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I obviously missed my family.
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Um being out in California is a little bit different.
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Uh Simpson was a great place, and Reading is a great place.
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Um, but I got an opportunity to coach Division I um at Birmingham Southern, and my mom was uh working at in Birmingham with Regions Bank, so she would fly to Birmingham, and my sister at the time was a tenth grader in high school, and so my mom was married to a gentleman in Orlando, but she flew to uh to Birmingham and to make it work, my sister went with her, but my sister didn't want to fly back and forth and back and forth, so it worked out for me to move in.
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We had a great family of three, and I was able to help raise my sister um in that environment as well.
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So my mom could go back home to her husband on the weekends and I can hang out with sis.
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So is there a chance your mom will listen to this?
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Possibly.
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So I'm talking to you, mom.
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I'm talking to you right now.
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Do not take your boy away again.
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We need your boy here.
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We are grateful to have Coach D here.
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So encourage him that he is in God's will here for the foreseeable future.
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Okay, that's my mom loves Williams as well.
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Yeah, so that's my uh PSA to mama.
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There you go.
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Um, so you're here now.
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Uh you had a turnaround project when you got here.
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And uh first year probably was a bit of a test of sanctification a little bit.
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You're having a pretty good year this year.
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Now, I know it's not the year you want to have, but given our history of our program and some ups and downs we've had over that, things are looking really great.
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You're having, I think it's an incredible year.
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In two years, you have you have taken a program that was in a not so good place and have brought it along incredibly well.
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I think that uh I I told people that last year um I've never had a year like last year in two different ways, you know.
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In between the whistles, I've never had a record like that.
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Um, you know, we were two and thirty, you know.
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Um but after the whistles, the women that were in that program that were on that team, uh, specifically the twins, Hope and Faith Raymond, were just two amazing women, Tinley Ruman and Darcy Broglin.
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Just I could go down the line of what God was doing through me and just really solidifying my opportunity and and saying that I have you here.
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And I've had never had a team like that.
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Wow.
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I've never had women, especially two and thirty.
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You're looking at two and thirty, and these ladies are encouraging each other, they're joyful, they want to come to practice, they love each other.
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And John Maxwell says, When you're winning, nothing hurts.
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.200
When you're losing, everything hurts.
00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:05.440
Yeah.
00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:06.799
And it did hurt.
00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.600
But these ladies were helping me to focus in on what the real real mission of a coach is.
00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:17.600
It's not it, it is the wins and losses, but developing young women.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.039
And then we got to be honest with you, we got lucky.
00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:27.039
I I believe it's God, but we got really lucky with first off uh getting McKenzie um in here.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.320
She was our first recruit.
00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:28.559
Yeah.
00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:30.799
I remember I went down, it was the first week.
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:36.960
I uh Coach Lawson sent me the email because she sent her the email, and she goes, Well, this kid's gonna be down at Lone Star.
00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:47.759
And so I went down to Dallas to one of the biggest tournaments in in the United States, and literally she was the first court I went to that she had sent an email over, and I was like, This girl is amazing.
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:49.679
How in the world does this happen?
00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:58.240
And then uh so I went over to her and I was I I talked to her and I was like, you know, this is the this is an amazing woman.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:17.759
She's I mean, she checks all the boxes, she is just an amazing woman that's just straightforward, she's well, she's she talks very well, and then from that she uh decided to commit and then it kind of went down the line and we got Cassie Carlson and then we got 23 more and we had 23 freshmen this year.
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:18.559
Wow.
00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:19.039
Yeah.
00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:24.960
You have a couple of your uh athletes that are kind of leading the conference in some categories.
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:25.759
What are those?
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:32.159
Uh Casey uh Cassie I don't say Casey, Cassie Carlson is uh is our kills leader.
00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.799
She's leading the conference by I think 1.4 kills, which is about 25 percent.
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:45.840
So for our n uninformed listeners that think we're running a homicidal program here in volleyball, what is a kill?
00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.720
Well, we we do say choose violence because we won't be fine.
00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.840
Oh wow, wow.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:17:00.000
Well, what Williams is a wonderful place, but yes, uh a kill is when when a volleyball player goes up and the third contact is literally called an attack.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:00.240
Yeah.
00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:06.880
So you're supposed to attack the ball, trying to put it down on the other side of the court where nobody can get it and they can't get a good ball.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:16.480
So if you are able to accomplish that and put the ball down where it hits the court or it goes off somebody's body and they're not able to get a good second contact, the statistic is called the kill.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.119
Okay.
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:19.759
Well, that's comforting and assuring to us.
00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:20.079
Yes.
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.559
And then you have another athlete leading in a category.
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:22.960
Yes.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.519
McKenzie Griffin has been three times setter of the week.
00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:33.599
We've had four now five, five weeks, and she's been uh as a freshman, she's been the setter of the week for the conference three out of those five times.
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:36.720
Um and she's sixth in the nation in assists.
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:37.200
Wow.
00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:44.000
And she's uh leading in assist and assist per set by a large margin within the um AMC as well.
00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:52.400
So McKenzie is uh, like I said, I I I give her the nickname, she was the future of our program because when she committed, she kind of brought this down.
00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.400
It was really tough to come to get people to come to a two and thirty program.
00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:56.799
Yeah.
00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:03.359
Um, but people I think saw the vision of what Williams is and what we believe in and what we're doing.
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:08.319
And I think again, it comes down, I think Nat Natalie Collier is probably our best recruiter.
00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:14.720
Um, she is just an amazing person that when people come in, she just hugs them and makes them feel at home.
00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:19.200
And we have I have 15, 20 of those type of people.
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:28.799
Um and last year we had probably six or seven of those, and Natalie would be going six, seven, but anyway, uh I know I went down the wrong road there.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:29.920
You took us there.
00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:35.279
But uh no, she would Natalie's just one of those type of people that is just uh welcoming.
00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.279
And I think all of our ladies here are welcoming.
00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.559
That's the type of program that we want is people that feel included.
00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:40.880
Yeah.
00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:53.039
And uh we want to, we wanna, we wanna our saying is we want to know him and make him known, but we also want to make sure that everybody is feels included and feels loved and feels cherished and valued and within our program too.
00:18:53.359 --> 00:19:02.240
It says something for a a young woman who is willing to join a program where you're going more than where you are.
00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:16.480
And I think that speaks well of the team you have this year and somewhat last year in building a program and recruiting and casting the vision of we know we're not where we need to be, but we know where the Lord is wanting us wants us to be.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:21.920
And so if you come here, we're asking you to join us where we're going to be more than where we currently are.
00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:33.119
Yeah, I think that um we we want to uh I've said it to the ladies and I said it in our recruiting pitches that we're gonna be the best volleyball program in the state that's not division one in five years.
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:40.640
Um and if I can keep these ladies that we have in here um all four years, I think we could bring that up possibly two or three years.
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:50.960
But uh, it's often you hear a lot of times when you're playing against somebody in volleyball, they have a saying that she's a freshman when somebody gets a kill or somebody gets an ace or something like that.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:56.240
And I look over and I'm like, we're all freshmen, our whole team's freshmen, you know, with the exception of Tenley.
00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.759
Tinley is is really done really, really well this year as well.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:10.880
She had a 22-kill match against Lion uh a couple of weeks ago, and she was not feeling well during that match, but she's just she's turned around and Tenley is um our our we have two seniors.
00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.039
Uh Desiree is a third-year senior, she's gonna graduate early, so we have three seniors.
00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.720
Um, but Tenley, Darcy, and Desiree are great leaders.
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:25.680
Um, but I think that seeing the opportunity that we have, retention is a big deal that I have to re-recruit those players.
00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:26.319
Sure.
00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:35.119
But um, I think the where we see the vision of the program and the opportunities that we have through the great scholarships that we're able to give out, I think that that is a huge thing.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:42.000
Opening up our reserve program has been a huge thing as well to bring more people in here that we can develop those ladies.
00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:43.119
We don't have to go out and recruit them.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:49.680
We got some great players that are sitting on that reserve team that can come and add value to our varsity team really, really soon.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:54.480
And a lot of our listeners, probably very few, know that you're actually an author.
00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.519
You have written a book.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.640
Tell me a little bit about it.
00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.759
Well, uh, I was at Bellhaven University for 10 years.
00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:08.240
Um, and when I was there, uh we were sitting down and just chatting, I think it was 2016, and just talking about, you know, what makes a great teammate.
00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:10.319
And we just talked about it.
00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.160
And every Wednesday we have it here as well.
00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:21.599
We have had Worship Wednesday, where we would take a verse out of the Bible and we would talk about that verse and how it relates to our to our team and to our uh to volleyball as a whole.
00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:29.680
And uh one day I went into First Corinthians 13, and you know, we were talking about love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast.
00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.720
And I was like, those are great characteristics of teammates.
00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:34.720
For student athlete on the team, no doubt.
00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.440
Absolutely.
00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:43.920
And so each there's 16 of them, and so the next year we did our whole worship Wednesday, our whole every Wednesday, we broke down each one of those things.
00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:49.680
And then I was thinking about it, and I've gone to these college coaching clinics and I've presented and things like that.
00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:55.200
And and I was like, you know, colleges uh coaches are asking, you know, how can I be a better coach?
00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:58.400
You know, not just the X's and O's, but the U's.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:00.319
You know, I want to talk about the people.
00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:10.960
And I said, Well, I think that this relates to coaching as well, that these characteristics of a great coach is being patient with players, being kind to your players.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:19.279
And I think that even in the huge thing is that we are we are we boast, you know, we boast about our record, you know, we boast about this.
00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:27.119
And when I was at other schools, one over in Batesville, that's my whole thought process is I wanted to be a division one coach by the time I was 31.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:28.880
And when I won, man, I'm awesome.
00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.680
When we lost, man, those girls stink, you know.
00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:40.240
And in my my life, I had to get to a point where I realized that I don't just have to be a coach to them, I need to be something different.
00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:41.599
I need to be love to them.
00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:46.720
And I think love is a verb, it's a DC talk song, but it's real that we need to be love.
00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:47.519
And what is love?
00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:49.359
Well, love is patient, love is kind.
00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.400
Yeah, love does not love keeps no records of long, wrong.
00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:54.240
That's hard for a coach to do.
00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:54.799
Yes.
00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:57.039
It that's I think that's the toughest one.
00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:03.039
Um, you know, I used to be very easily angered, and God has kind of brought me and grown me up a little bit.
00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:03.359
Yeah.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:09.279
Um, but I think that there are all those things that it always perseveres, always hopes.
00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:12.799
These are things that are right along with what coaches need to be.
00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:14.720
And coaches never fail.
00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:19.200
But we have to understand that failing is not what the world sees failing as.
00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:23.519
Failing is, you know, failure is only failure if you fail to learn from it.
00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:25.119
These are opportunities in learning.
00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:29.839
I'm speaking a little John Maxwell to you from, you know, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:37.759
But um, but I think those are the times when we when we miss the mark, it's a great opportunity for to find us to be better people.
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:40.319
And I think that all those things come together.
00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:44.319
And it's, I mean, it's an 80-page book, it's a two-hour, three-hour read.
00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:51.599
Um, but it's just something, you know, I I started my own business and made a lot of money, and I really wanted to be an author.
00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:53.119
And so I self-published my book.
00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.000
And good for you.
00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.920
I had some time where I was able to, I went away for two weeks to Rome, Georgia.
00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:14.079
My buddy's a pastor over there, and uh hung out with him, got to sit with him through uh his sermons and just talk to him, and he added a little bit too and helped me through some of the things in the book, and just got to get out there and write it, and and now I can say I'm an author, and I I'm very proud of it as well.
00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:22.720
You're an author, you're an entrepreneur, businessman, you're a coach, and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:32.480
So as you were talking about your Bell Haven experience, I'm thinking, okay, my dream for you is to double that length of tenure that you were at Bell Haven.
00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:36.079
We need at least a good 20 years from Coach Justin D.
00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:37.200
Do you think we can get it?
00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:40.000
I'm planning on uh retiring at 72.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:40.559
Okay.
00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:41.440
Um here?
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:42.799
I believe here, yes.
00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:43.599
Okay, okay.
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:44.400
I'm gonna hold you too.
00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:45.759
I'm gonna believe with you in that.
00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:47.440
I'm not planning on going anywhere else.
00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:49.759
I always tell people that I believe in Isaiah 6 8.
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:52.240
Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people who will go?
00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:56.240
Here am I send me, but I believe God has sent me here for a time such as this.
00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:58.960
And I believe that uh there's great opportunities here.
00:24:59.039 --> 00:24:59.200
Yeah.
00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:02.480
Um, I love my time here and I love the opportunities here.
00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:07.279
I'm grateful God led you here, and I'm grateful that you were a guest today on the Life Work podcast.
00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:08.000
Thank you, coach.
00:25:08.160 --> 00:25:08.640
Appreciate it.
00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:09.200
God bless.
00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.799
Welcome to this episode of the Life Work Podcast.
00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:08.720
Today we are blessed to welcome Coach Justin D.
00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:10.880
Welcome to the podcast, sir.
00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:11.919
Excited to be here.
00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:13.119
Glad to have you here.
00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:18.480
And as I have been doing this season, I want to lead off with a profoundly deep question.
00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:23.519
How in the world did you get to Williams Baptist University?
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.320
Where were you, and how did you get here?
00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:32.240
Uh I probably would say it's the Alexander uh no good, very bad, not very good day.
00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:35.759
Uh I know that I know that masterpiece.
00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:42.640
Uh I was really good friends with uh Mitch Mathis, who was our athletic director before here, and I've known him for about 25 years.
00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:51.439
He used to referee our volleyball games back at when I was at Lion in 2004 to 2008, and I knew his daughter, coach his daughter over in Arkansas Juniors.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:58.640
And uh he sent me an email in November asking me if I knew anybody that would come over here and coach.
00:00:58.799 --> 00:01:04.560
And I was like, nope, I don't know anybody that would go to Walnut Ridge, Arkansas and coach right now.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:08.079
And uh that was in November, and then just went about my day.
00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:13.519
I was at Weber International University in Babson Park, Florida, very similar uh area.
00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.079
Just like Walnut Ridge, I'm sure.
00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:28.560
Uh, but over there, and then uh we were on spring break and just had a a day where it just seemed like God was directing me elsewhere, I guess is the best way to say it.
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.760
Um it was a day where I just didn't feel like I belonged.
00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:39.760
Um there's a secular song that says uh I'm a loser and I don't belong here.
00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:45.200
Um it's not I didn't feel like a loser, but I just felt like I didn't belong here, and it was just over and over that day.
00:01:45.280 --> 00:02:01.120
And I sent a text to my mom about something that had happened uh that day, and my mom put down oh Weber, and it wasn't necessarily me leaving Weber, but it was a just a thought process in my mind of this is not the place that God has for me.
00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.760
And I can remember this is in March.
00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.599
I can remember that email that I got from Coach Mathis back in November.
00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:09.120
It was always on my mind.
00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:15.759
And I went back in and I went to the website and uh and I saw that the job was still open.
00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:21.520
And so I uh literally 12:30 at night, that that day was a tough day.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:29.360
1230 at night, I sent an email over to Coach Mathis uh with all of my curriculum vita and all those other things in my resume.
00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.360
And I said, I don't know if the job's even still open or if you're looking for somebody, but here's my stuff.
00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.039
I think God's calling me here.
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:37.919
And uh I got to call at 6 30 in the morning.
00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:38.879
I bet you did.
00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:43.120
And Mitch says, uh, you know, we got two Zoom interviews today.
00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:44.319
You want to be the third?
00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:46.159
And it was literally that day.
00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:47.840
And I was like, absolutely.
00:02:48.000 --> 00:03:01.680
And then uh I got to meet um Hope was on the Hope and Faith were both on the uh thing there, and Coach Nutt and Coach Mathis were all on the um the interview on the Zoom meeting, and just getting to meet them was just pretty amazing.
00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:02.000
Yeah.
00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.159
And then uh doing some more research.
00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:14.159
Obviously, it was uh I did a lot of research in those two hours while I was sitting there on the on the computer at midnight looking over Williams Baptist University and what could possibly be.
00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:20.240
And then uh, you know, I think it was less than a week later, I was on a plane to Memphis and drove over.
00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:23.280
And it was uh I remember it was St.
00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:25.439
Patrick's Day when I came over at 6 a.m.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:26.560
and worked the ladies out.
00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:27.680
We had a 6 a.m.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:28.400
workout.
00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:29.360
I remember it was St.
00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.319
Patrick's Day because Desiree Walker came over and pinched me.
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:36.719
And she goes, I don't know, I don't know if you're gonna be our coach or not, but you're not wearing green.
00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:38.240
So that's just Desiree.
00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:39.120
Welcome.
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.439
We're gonna bruise you your first day here.
00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:41.840
Yeah.
00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:56.159
And then getting a chance to talk to you and uh having a similar vision of, you know, we really want to be able to provide the opportunity for uh kids to come here and to have a debt-free education through the Williams Works program.
00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:01.280
That just that really was something that just hit me, and I was like, this is where I need to be.
00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:08.000
And I think that that afternoon, uh you sent me an email, and uh that night I just told my mom this is where I need to be.
00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:14.879
And it's literally less about less than a week from the time that I was all in at Weber to God calling me here.
00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:22.319
And uh, I mean, we haven't looked back, and what a blessing it has been being here these last whatever 16, 17 months that I've been here.
00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.319
And uh just to being able to grow in Christ, I think is a huge deal.
00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:43.199
Um, but also doing it a way where I believe that Williams values the individual and doesn't see them as a paycheck, they see them as it as God's, you know, God has planted them here for us to nurture them absolutely to send them out into the world.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:44.959
So where's mom, by the way?
00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:46.560
Mom is in Orlando, Florida.
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:51.839
She was only an hour away from me before, which that was probably the biggest wow, that is a step of faith for you to do that.
00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:57.439
And you know, I don't have any family over in this area, so it was just your mom to move here.
00:04:57.680 --> 00:04:58.720
I we've talked about it.
00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:00.079
I think I mentioned that to Dr.
00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:01.199
Shaunickey at one time.
00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:03.279
I was like, you know, my mom's getting there.
00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:05.120
If she would like to move in with me, is that okay?
00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:06.079
And he was like, definitely.
00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:07.839
Well, my mom moved in with me.
00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:08.160
Yeah.
00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:09.600
So is she gonna do it?
00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:11.360
No, my sister moved in with her.
00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:13.519
Uh and uh so my sister's in Orlando.
00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:14.480
That's true.
00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:18.879
Well, it she is my sister is amazing, and my mom and her get along really, really well.
00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:22.879
And my sister is just such a servant and loves her mom with all of her heart.
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:23.519
I do too.
00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:23.839
Yep.
00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:32.000
But my sister is has moved in there, and God has provided for her to have a um a business where she can do it uh remotely.
00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:34.160
So she's able to be there with my mom.
00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:36.959
And my mom's my mom's still spry, my mom's still working.
00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.199
She retired and she goes, This is boring.
00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:40.240
And she went back to work.
00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:40.959
Good for her.
00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:41.839
She's amazing.
00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.160
My mom is is my is my rock.
00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.879
So I've wanted to ask this.
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:49.920
We may have got into it in the interview, and forgive me if we didn't.
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:51.839
I just I'm old, I'm forgetful.
00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:55.439
How did you get into coaching volleyball?
00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.519
How how did the Lord orchestrate that?
00:05:57.839 --> 00:06:01.519
I always tell people it's I got into coaching volleyball for the money.
00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:04.480
Good game plan there.
00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:09.519
Well, I was I majored in um mathematics education uh at Liberty.
00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:11.360
Um, and then I dropped the education.
00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.600
I went straight mathematics, so it was going to be an actuary.
00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:14.720
You're one of those guys.
00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:16.240
And I that's not me.
00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:16.639
Yeah.
00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:23.759
I I wanted to go into actual work in 1998 when I was researching, it was the number one job in job ratings almanac.
00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.839
It was, you know, you get out, you take a couple couple of tests, and you're making$100,000.
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:36.560
Um and then I was walking through DeMoss Hall at Liberty University, and they had an education fair.
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:39.680
And I was just walking through and I was like, oh, whatever.
00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:46.800
And then they had this open door Christian school in Tuscaloose, Alabama, and I knew open door because uh Dr.
00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:56.480
Danny Lovett, who was my evangelism professor, and his son was our campus pastor, and uh, I played saxophone uh for with him, he was our music minister.
00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:02.480
And uh so I was like, I know open door, and I looked at it and they're like, We need a math teacher, and I was like, oh my goodness.
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:04.319
And uh then I went over to Dr.
00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:14.240
Woolridge, uh, who was our math professor, he was the dean of our math department, and uh I was dating a girl for uh some time and uh I was like Dr.
00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:20.160
Woolridge, I I don't want my girlfriend or my wife to have to work, but I want her to work if she wants to.
00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:23.040
And I said, I don't think that education will do that for me.
00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:26.959
And he goes, Justin, I don't drive a Mercedes-Benz and I don't live in a mansion.
00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.519
And he goes, but everything I've needed, God has provided.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.120
And I still remember that meeting.
00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:33.839
I can remember, I can see him talking to me right now.
00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:39.600
And uh so I went over, I talked to talked to uh the people at Open Door Christian School.
00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:50.959
They had somebody there uh looking for a math teacher, and uh they said, We have a math teaching position where you have six different preps, um, which means you have six different classes you have to teach.
00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.079
And then they said uh we would you would also be our day camp coordinator.
00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:58.800
So the whole it would be a 12-month full contract.
00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:03.199
And uh they said we can pay you$17,500 a year.
00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:05.680
And I jumped in.
00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:13.920
I went down there and I visited, and uh it was a place where God called me, and uh, you know, it was the lowest salary that I had been offered in anything.
00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:20.399
Chick-fil-A had had offered me a job at about 50, and it was uh, but God had called me into education.
00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:24.560
And I went down there and I had six preps and I had the day camp coordinator and all these things.
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:26.720
And I So volleyball's not on the radar yet.
00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:28.399
I played volleyball in college.
00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:28.959
Okay, yeah.
00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:31.360
I played club volleyball, they didn't have men's volleyball at liberty.
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:31.680
Okay.
00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:32.720
I played in high school.
00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:33.120
Okay.
00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:34.799
Um that's in the background.
00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:35.600
That's in the background.
00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:36.159
Okay, okay.
00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:39.919
And then uh I got over there and they were like, Well, we see that you played volleyball.
00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:42.399
Is this, you know, we need a volleyball coach.
00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:43.919
Would you be like to be a volleyball coach?
00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:45.519
And I said, I don't know if I have any time.
00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:48.159
And they were like, Well, it's a$1,500 stipend per team.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:49.279
And I said, Sign me up.
00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:50.159
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:50.960
Sign me up.
00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:54.480
And that's how I became a volleyball coach, is because of the money.
00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:57.759
There you go, fulfilled the prophecy.
00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:06.559
So you had not you had no formal training in coaching or in sports management or any of that.
00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:10.559
You just became a coach based upon your own personal experience as a volleyball player.
00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:13.440
Well, I I I'd always been a first base coach at baseball.
00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:17.919
My our team almost went to the Little League World Series whenever I was uh 12 years old.
00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:22.240
Um, I've always been somebody that had leadership qualities, uh, you know.
00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:27.279
So I think that leadership was one of the things, but I had never gone into sport management or anything like that.
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:29.440
It was just something that I loved, the game of volleyball.
00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:31.600
Um, I loved encouraging people.
00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:34.639
I think my purpose in life is to add value to others.
00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.000
Um, so it was just something that came naturally.
00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:42.240
Um, but it was I I remember the first game we played in Millbrook, Alabama.
00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:45.759
I coached the junior high, the junior varsity, and the varsity.
00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:47.840
Again, I'm trying to get those those checks.
00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:58.639
Um but our first game we went, it was side out scoring, but the last game was rally point scoring, which is what you're used to now where every point is, and we won 15 to 13 in the third.
00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:04.960
And I'm sitting there in Millbrook, Alabama, after my very first game, and I said, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.
00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:06.480
So when was the pivot?
00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:16.320
When was the moment when you went from a classroom teacher, part-time coach, to a full-time coach, maybe some teaching, but when did that happen?
00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:17.360
Where were you?
00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:19.679
Um, I was a a classroom teacher.
00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:21.360
Um, my my father passed away.
00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:27.279
Uh, he's not a great guy, but uh he left me a life insurance um that gave it to me on my 21st birthday.
00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.120
And I was a I was pretty young.
00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:34.879
Um, I graduated in five years, uh, you know, one year at UCF and then four years at Liberty, but I still wasn't 21.
00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:38.879
And I got that check from my father, which allowed me to do a lot of different things.
00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:46.480
And I was there was a again, I realized that coaching volleyball is something that God would kind of call me into.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:53.279
Um, and an opportunity came available in California at Simpson College for me to do that in a more formal setting.
00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.320
So were you still at open door and you went from there to Simpson?
00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.000
Yes, I was at open door for two years.
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:00.159
Uh we won the state championship both years.
00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:03.279
It was something where I felt like I was fairly talented at it.
00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:06.799
Um, we had a great group of women, uh, young ladies there.
00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:10.000
And then uh again, there was a coaching opportunity.
00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:13.200
I did, you know, not even a Zoom interview, it was a phone call interview.
00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:15.440
I was to go over there and it was a part-time position.
00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:21.200
It wasn't a full-time position, but it was a step in the direction of where I believe I was being called.
00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:25.679
And so uh the job became available at Simpson uh college.
00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:27.120
Okay, yeah.
00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.360
Simpson College in Reading, California.
00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:32.639
Uh they were a C and M A school, a Christian and Missionary Alliance school.
00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:33.039
Okay.
00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.919
And uh so it still aligned with what I wanted to do.
00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:37.519
And so I got to go out there.
00:11:37.600 --> 00:12:01.279
Uh, this was 2001, and about two weeks into my first coaching position at 25, um, my uh 9-11 happened and it kind of threw me into a thing where I'm 25 states away from my family, yeah, and I'm here with all these 21-year-olds, I'm a 25-year-old, and helping them manage uh 9-11 and the tragedy that happened and them being away from their family.
00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:06.159
And it was just it was uh kind of uh that thought process going through there.
00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:09.600
But that was my first job that I had as a college coach.
00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.840
That was my loan responsibility.
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:12.480
Wow.
00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:13.919
How long were you at Simpson?
00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.399
I was at Simpson for two years after 9-11.
00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:21.120
Um, we had a really great second year, but um opportunities became available.
00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:22.879
I obviously missed my family.
00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:25.360
Um being out in California is a little bit different.
00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:28.399
Uh Simpson was a great place, and Reading is a great place.
00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:58.000
Um, but I got an opportunity to coach Division I um at Birmingham Southern, and my mom was uh working at in Birmingham with Regions Bank, so she would fly to Birmingham, and my sister at the time was a tenth grader in high school, and so my mom was married to a gentleman in Orlando, but she flew to uh to Birmingham and to make it work, my sister went with her, but my sister didn't want to fly back and forth and back and forth, so it worked out for me to move in.
00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:04.240
We had a great family of three, and I was able to help raise my sister um in that environment as well.
00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:08.399
So my mom could go back home to her husband on the weekends and I can hang out with sis.
00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:11.200
So is there a chance your mom will listen to this?
00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:11.840
Possibly.
00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:13.200
So I'm talking to you, mom.
00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:14.240
I'm talking to you right now.
00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:16.159
Do not take your boy away again.
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:17.519
We need your boy here.
00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:19.519
We are grateful to have Coach D here.
00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:25.360
So encourage him that he is in God's will here for the foreseeable future.
00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:27.519
Okay, that's my mom loves Williams as well.
00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:30.720
Yeah, so that's my uh PSA to mama.
00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:31.759
There you go.
00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.320
Um, so you're here now.
00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:38.399
Uh you had a turnaround project when you got here.
00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:44.080
And uh first year probably was a bit of a test of sanctification a little bit.
00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:45.679
You're having a pretty good year this year.
00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:57.600
Now, I know it's not the year you want to have, but given our history of our program and some ups and downs we've had over that, things are looking really great.
00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.159
You're having, I think it's an incredible year.
00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:08.000
In two years, you have you have taken a program that was in a not so good place and have brought it along incredibly well.
00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:15.039
I think that uh I I told people that last year um I've never had a year like last year in two different ways, you know.
00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:17.919
In between the whistles, I've never had a record like that.
00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:20.240
Um, you know, we were two and thirty, you know.
00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:34.240
Um but after the whistles, the women that were in that program that were on that team, uh, specifically the twins, Hope and Faith Raymond, were just two amazing women, Tinley Ruman and Darcy Broglin.
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:43.679
Just I could go down the line of what God was doing through me and just really solidifying my opportunity and and saying that I have you here.
00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.200
And I've had never had a team like that.
00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:47.840
Wow.
00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.960
I've never had women, especially two and thirty.
00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:58.799
You're looking at two and thirty, and these ladies are encouraging each other, they're joyful, they want to come to practice, they love each other.
00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:02.720
And John Maxwell says, When you're winning, nothing hurts.
00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:05.200
When you're losing, everything hurts.
00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:05.440
Yeah.
00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:06.799
And it did hurt.
00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:13.600
But these ladies were helping me to focus in on what the real real mission of a coach is.
00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:17.600
It's not it, it is the wins and losses, but developing young women.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:21.039
And then we got to be honest with you, we got lucky.
00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:27.039
I I believe it's God, but we got really lucky with first off uh getting McKenzie um in here.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.320
She was our first recruit.
00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:28.559
Yeah.
00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:30.799
I remember I went down, it was the first week.
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:36.960
I uh Coach Lawson sent me the email because she sent her the email, and she goes, Well, this kid's gonna be down at Lone Star.
00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:47.759
And so I went down to Dallas to one of the biggest tournaments in in the United States, and literally she was the first court I went to that she had sent an email over, and I was like, This girl is amazing.
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:49.679
How in the world does this happen?
00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:58.240
And then uh so I went over to her and I was I I talked to her and I was like, you know, this is the this is an amazing woman.
00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:17.759
She's I mean, she checks all the boxes, she is just an amazing woman that's just straightforward, she's well, she's she talks very well, and then from that she uh decided to commit and then it kind of went down the line and we got Cassie Carlson and then we got 23 more and we had 23 freshmen this year.
00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:18.559
Wow.
00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:19.039
Yeah.
00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:24.960
You have a couple of your uh athletes that are kind of leading the conference in some categories.
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:25.759
What are those?
00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:32.159
Uh Casey uh Cassie I don't say Casey, Cassie Carlson is uh is our kills leader.
00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:36.799
She's leading the conference by I think 1.4 kills, which is about 25 percent.
00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:45.840
So for our n uninformed listeners that think we're running a homicidal program here in volleyball, what is a kill?
00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:48.720
Well, we we do say choose violence because we won't be fine.
00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.840
Oh wow, wow.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:17:00.000
Well, what Williams is a wonderful place, but yes, uh a kill is when when a volleyball player goes up and the third contact is literally called an attack.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:00.240
Yeah.
00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:06.880
So you're supposed to attack the ball, trying to put it down on the other side of the court where nobody can get it and they can't get a good ball.
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:16.480
So if you are able to accomplish that and put the ball down where it hits the court or it goes off somebody's body and they're not able to get a good second contact, the statistic is called the kill.
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.119
Okay.
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:19.759
Well, that's comforting and assuring to us.
00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:20.079
Yes.
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:22.559
And then you have another athlete leading in a category.
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:22.960
Yes.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.519
McKenzie Griffin has been three times setter of the week.
00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:33.599
We've had four now five, five weeks, and she's been uh as a freshman, she's been the setter of the week for the conference three out of those five times.
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:36.720
Um and she's sixth in the nation in assists.
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:37.200
Wow.
00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:44.000
And she's uh leading in assist and assist per set by a large margin within the um AMC as well.
00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:52.400
So McKenzie is uh, like I said, I I I give her the nickname, she was the future of our program because when she committed, she kind of brought this down.
00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:56.400
It was really tough to come to get people to come to a two and thirty program.
00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:56.799
Yeah.
00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:03.359
Um, but people I think saw the vision of what Williams is and what we believe in and what we're doing.
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:08.319
And I think again, it comes down, I think Nat Natalie Collier is probably our best recruiter.
00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:14.720
Um, she is just an amazing person that when people come in, she just hugs them and makes them feel at home.
00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:19.200
And we have I have 15, 20 of those type of people.
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:28.799
Um and last year we had probably six or seven of those, and Natalie would be going six, seven, but anyway, uh I know I went down the wrong road there.
00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:29.920
You took us there.
00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:35.279
But uh no, she would Natalie's just one of those type of people that is just uh welcoming.
00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.279
And I think all of our ladies here are welcoming.
00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.559
That's the type of program that we want is people that feel included.
00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:40.880
Yeah.
00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:53.039
And uh we want to, we wanna, we wanna our saying is we want to know him and make him known, but we also want to make sure that everybody is feels included and feels loved and feels cherished and valued and within our program too.
00:18:53.359 --> 00:19:02.240
It says something for a a young woman who is willing to join a program where you're going more than where you are.
00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:16.480
And I think that speaks well of the team you have this year and somewhat last year in building a program and recruiting and casting the vision of we know we're not where we need to be, but we know where the Lord is wanting us wants us to be.
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:21.920
And so if you come here, we're asking you to join us where we're going to be more than where we currently are.
00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:33.119
Yeah, I think that um we we want to uh I've said it to the ladies and I said it in our recruiting pitches that we're gonna be the best volleyball program in the state that's not division one in five years.
00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:40.640
Um and if I can keep these ladies that we have in here um all four years, I think we could bring that up possibly two or three years.
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:50.960
But uh, it's often you hear a lot of times when you're playing against somebody in volleyball, they have a saying that she's a freshman when somebody gets a kill or somebody gets an ace or something like that.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:56.240
And I look over and I'm like, we're all freshmen, our whole team's freshmen, you know, with the exception of Tenley.
00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:59.759
Tinley is is really done really, really well this year as well.
00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:10.880
She had a 22-kill match against Lion uh a couple of weeks ago, and she was not feeling well during that match, but she's just she's turned around and Tenley is um our our we have two seniors.
00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.039
Uh Desiree is a third-year senior, she's gonna graduate early, so we have three seniors.
00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:18.720
Um, but Tenley, Darcy, and Desiree are great leaders.
00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:25.680
Um, but I think that seeing the opportunity that we have, retention is a big deal that I have to re-recruit those players.
00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:26.319
Sure.
00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:35.119
But um, I think the where we see the vision of the program and the opportunities that we have through the great scholarships that we're able to give out, I think that that is a huge thing.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:42.000
Opening up our reserve program has been a huge thing as well to bring more people in here that we can develop those ladies.
00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:43.119
We don't have to go out and recruit them.
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:49.680
We got some great players that are sitting on that reserve team that can come and add value to our varsity team really, really soon.
00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:54.480
And a lot of our listeners, probably very few, know that you're actually an author.
00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.519
You have written a book.
00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.640
Tell me a little bit about it.
00:20:56.960 --> 00:20:59.759
Well, uh, I was at Bellhaven University for 10 years.
00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:08.240
Um, and when I was there, uh we were sitting down and just chatting, I think it was 2016, and just talking about, you know, what makes a great teammate.
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And we just talked about it.
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And every Wednesday we have it here as well.
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We have had Worship Wednesday, where we would take a verse out of the Bible and we would talk about that verse and how it relates to our to our team and to our uh to volleyball as a whole.
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And uh one day I went into First Corinthians 13, and you know, we were talking about love is patient, love is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast.
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And I was like, those are great characteristics of teammates.
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For student athlete on the team, no doubt.
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Absolutely.
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And so each there's 16 of them, and so the next year we did our whole worship Wednesday, our whole every Wednesday, we broke down each one of those things.
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And then I was thinking about it, and I've gone to these college coaching clinics and I've presented and things like that.
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And and I was like, you know, colleges uh coaches are asking, you know, how can I be a better coach?
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You know, not just the X's and O's, but the U's.
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You know, I want to talk about the people.
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And I said, Well, I think that this relates to coaching as well, that these characteristics of a great coach is being patient with players, being kind to your players.
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And I think that even in the huge thing is that we are we are we boast, you know, we boast about our record, you know, we boast about this.
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And when I was at other schools, one over in Batesville, that's my whole thought process is I wanted to be a division one coach by the time I was 31.
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And when I won, man, I'm awesome.
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When we lost, man, those girls stink, you know.
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And in my my life, I had to get to a point where I realized that I don't just have to be a coach to them, I need to be something different.
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I need to be love to them.
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And I think love is a verb, it's a DC talk song, but it's real that we need to be love.
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And what is love?
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Well, love is patient, love is kind.
00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.400
Yeah, love does not love keeps no records of long, wrong.
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That's hard for a coach to do.
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Yes.
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It that's I think that's the toughest one.
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Um, you know, I used to be very easily angered, and God has kind of brought me and grown me up a little bit.
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Yeah.
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Um, but I think that there are all those things that it always perseveres, always hopes.
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These are things that are right along with what coaches need to be.
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And coaches never fail.
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But we have to understand that failing is not what the world sees failing as.
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Failing is, you know, failure is only failure if you fail to learn from it.
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These are opportunities in learning.
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I'm speaking a little John Maxwell to you from, you know, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:37.759
But um, but I think those are the times when we when we miss the mark, it's a great opportunity for to find us to be better people.
00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:40.319
And I think that all those things come together.
00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:44.319
And it's, I mean, it's an 80-page book, it's a two-hour, three-hour read.
00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:51.599
Um, but it's just something, you know, I I started my own business and made a lot of money, and I really wanted to be an author.
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And so I self-published my book.
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And good for you.
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I had some time where I was able to, I went away for two weeks to Rome, Georgia.
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My buddy's a pastor over there, and uh hung out with him, got to sit with him through uh his sermons and just talk to him, and he added a little bit too and helped me through some of the things in the book, and just got to get out there and write it, and and now I can say I'm an author, and I I'm very proud of it as well.
00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:22.720
You're an author, you're an entrepreneur, businessman, you're a coach, and you are a faithful follower of Jesus.
00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:32.480
So as you were talking about your Bell Haven experience, I'm thinking, okay, my dream for you is to double that length of tenure that you were at Bell Haven.
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We need at least a good 20 years from Coach Justin D.
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Do you think we can get it?
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I'm planning on uh retiring at 72.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:40.559
Okay.
00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:41.440
Um here?
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I believe here, yes.
00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:43.599
Okay, okay.
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I'm gonna hold you too.
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I'm gonna believe with you in that.
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I'm not planning on going anywhere else.
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I always tell people that I believe in Isaiah 6 8.
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Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people who will go?
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Here am I send me, but I believe God has sent me here for a time such as this.
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And I believe that uh there's great opportunities here.
00:24:59.039 --> 00:24:59.200
Yeah.
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Um, I love my time here and I love the opportunities here.
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I'm grateful God led you here, and I'm grateful that you were a guest today on the Life Work podcast.
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Thank you, coach.
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Appreciate it.
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God bless.
