The Leave It Better Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Winning Wisdom & Fun Stories with 2x Olympic Medalist and NCAA Champ Haleigh Washington Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

Hot off the court from the 2025 Paris Olympics with her Silver medal, Team USA’s Haleigh Washington shares the heart-pounding moments, the skills that carried the team, and how American volleyball can change its messaging.

Also, get Haleigh’s take on who the best players in the world are right now.

Links mentioned:

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

From the Volleyball Court to the Lab – Our Fight Against Cancer, with Dr. Emanuel Petricoin Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

A special episode with a unique message of hope. The sport of volleyball is the carrier for the Side-Out Foundation’s mission to end breast cancer. On the frontlines of that mission is Dr. Emanuel Petricoin. He’s a pioneering researcher in personalized medicine, and Co-Director of the Center of Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine at George Mason University. Hear how his work with the Side-Out Foundation is helping transform how we treat breast cancer.

Links mentioned:

For more information go to www.side-out.org.
Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digpink
Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

Handling the Pressure of Winning and Keeping the Streak Going, with Candace Moats Jan 09, 2025

Show notes

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

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

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

Links mentioned:

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

Empowering Lives Through Sport - Lori Okimura's Passion Jan 02, 2025

Show notes

Everyone should have a chance to play the sports they love. As the President of ParaVolley, Lori Okimura helps players with various physical disabilities come together to compete on the volleyball court. Whether it’s using coconut trees for net posts, communicating through cultural barriers, or playing at the age of 92, as Lori tells Janice, if there’s a will, there’s a hundred ways.

Links mentioned:

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

Growth Requires Discomfort, with Juniata Head Coach Heather Pavlik Dec 26, 2024

Show notes

Whether you’re training professional athletes to reach their peak, or raising kids to deal with everyday pressures, Juniata Head Coach Heather Pavlik has the experience everyone can benefit from. With a family in sports, Heather knows how to move past failures in a positive way to reach success.

She tells Janice how straightforward honesty helped her gain the respect of her players and fellow coaches

After coming off her second National Volleyball Championship victory, losing only a single match in two full seasons, Heather shares her recipe for winning on the court and off.

Links mentioned:

Juniata Volleyball website: https://www.juniatasports.net/sports/wvball/index
For more information go to www.side-out.org.
Follow the side-out organization on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sideoutfndn/
Have suggestions for the podcast? Email Janice: leaveitbetter@side-out.org

The Perfect Team Demands this Essential Environment, with Coach Dan Fisher Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

As a coach, would you choose a player with a small role on a winning team, or take a player with a big role on a losing team? University of Pittsburgh Head Volleyball Coach Dan Fisher has built a VERY successful career out of recruiting players from all types of backgrounds. He tells Janice about his methods and philosophies when it comes to standing out in an extremely competitive field.

Also, discover the superstitious habit Coach Fisher got hooked on after leading his team on an incredible win streak.

Links mentioned:

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

After Losing His Wife, Olympian Steve Grotowski Continues His Battle Against Cancer Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Steve Grotowski and his wife Capri were taking beach volleyball to the next level. Steve was competing in the Olympics in Beach Volleyball, and Capri was the Head Coach of Florida Atlantic University, with Steve as her Assistant Coach. Then Capri was diagnosed with breast Cancer. She fought on for almost a decade, while still coaching with Steve nearly the entire time. Capri died in 2022. Hear how Steve keeps her memory alive as he works to defeat the terrible disease that killed her.

Links mentioned:

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

Coaching is so much more than X's & O's, with AVCA CEO Jaime Gordon Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

On the path to become an influential architect, a detour into the world of coaching volleyball wasn’t what the CEO of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Dr. Jaime Gordon would have ever imagined. Now he can’t imagine doing anything else. Hear how coaching his players off the court through some of their most difficult life moments shaped the way Dr. Gordon sees the role of coaches in every sport. Sometimes there were calls to the police. Sometimes there were shoulders to cry on. Every time there were young players and people to lead.

Links mentioned:

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

Be Undeniably Inspirational, with Matt Althage & Claudia Garcia Nov 28, 2024

Show notes

Sometimes terrible things can lead to wonderful good. Athletic Director Matt Althage introduced his school to the Dig Pink charity volleyball tournament in 2008 when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, Matt and Head Volleyball Coach Claudia Garcia continue to inspire their players and grow their own tournaments at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, Florida. Hear how Matt and Claudia's ambition and creativity lead to numerous partnerships with other schools who followed their mission.

Links mentioned:

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

Physical Toughness is Nothing without Mental Toughness, with Dr. Brooke Rundle Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

You’ve toned your muscles, you’ve mastered your technique, but how are you going to perform when your confidence fails? How will you handle injuries? As a former professional player, and author of the sports psychology book, Headstrong, and founder of Headstrong Mindset Counseling, Dr. Brooke Rundle works with athletes to control their fears and master their doubts.

Dr. Rundle explains the foundational mental skills that top athletes need to win on the court, and even more so in their lives after they’re done.

Be sure to check out the end of the interview for a special “Progressive Muscle Relaxation” session; something coaches can start doing with their players right now.

Links mentioned:

To learn more about Dr. Rundle’s Headstrong Mindset program, please visit her website: https://headstrongmindset.com/brooke-rundle/

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

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