The 29/1
Official Podcast of the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program. 29 Sports, One Team. The show that brings you into the lives of student athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther Sports Community. Bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join Rodney Vellinga and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as they dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better.
The 29/1
It Takes A Village: Kaitlyn Lawton, Magaly Lemus and Varsity Girls Volleyball
Download and hit play on the 29/1 Podcast as we sit down with Varsity Girls Volleyball Head Coach Kaitlyn Lawton and senior middle blocker Magaly Lemus. Our conversation with Coach Lawton brings out her dedication to continuous learning and her passion for volleyball and Magaly shares her experiences as a multi-sport athlete who has taken on volleyball, basketball, and even pickleball.
Kaitlyn's insights into nurturing young athletes and fostering a positive, growth-oriented mindset make this episode an inspiring listen for coaches and sports enthusiasts alike. The ability to learn from mistakes and use failure for good is also discussed.
Magaly shares a deeply personal and touching narrative of her family's immigrant journey and the realization of the American Dream. Highlighting the sacrifices made by her mother and grandmother, leading to the opportunity of volleyball and education at Cleveland State University. Magaly's story is a testament to her ability to persevere and to the love of those around her to build her up and provide support.
This episode was recorded in August 2024.
Podcasts drop weekly at 6 AM every Monday morning just in time for that morning commute or workout. Please like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review. Even share with someone who might like to listen. Thanks for taking the time to get to know each other a little bit better. The people who make West Ottawa Athletics what it is. Go WO!
I still got to like grow up in like the farms and like the trailer parks and stuff like that, but like I stayed here in Holland, so like seeing that it's like I really did see like people having to work hard for what they've like had, and like my mom being a single mom as well, it's like nothing has ever really come easy for our family. So it's like I just kind of always wanted to make sure I made everything that they did worth it, like my grandma, my mom.
Speaker 2:It's like I can't just let that go to waste. Hey everybody, this is Rodney Valinga with the West Ottawa High School Athletic Program and you're listening to the 29.1 Podcast 29 sports, one team, the show that brings you into the lives of student-athletes, coaches and other faces in the Panther sports community, bringing you the stories you might otherwise never hear. Join myself and Athletic Director Bill Kennedy as we dive in with you to get to know each other a little bit better. Hey everybody, it's so great to be doing this podcast with you.
Speaker 3:Hey everybody, it's so great to be doing this podcast with you and sharing these stories. I'm your host, rodney Valinga, and I'm here with Panthers Athletic Director, bill Kennedy. We just want to say thanks to everybody out there for taking the time to listen, for making it a part of your day, your drive, your workout, wherever you are. We really appreciate it and we hope just for you. Getting to know these student-athletes a little bit more is enriching your sporting experience. Here at West Ottawa High School Today we spend time with Varsity Girls Volleyball Head Coach Caitlin Lawton, who enters her fifth season leading the Panthers, and senior middle blocker, magali Lemus, who enters the season as only one of three seniors on a young team looking to make their mark. Kaitlin Lawton, magali Lemus, coming up next on the 29.1. Let's go. Hey everybody, welcome back to the 29.1 podcast. We're here at West Ottawa High School and I'm your host, rodney Valinga, and I'm sitting here with Panthers Athletic Director, bill Kennedy. We have two really good guests in today, in my personal opinion. Who is it?
Speaker 1:Coach Caitlin Lawton, senior Magali Lemus.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we're doing girls varsity volleyball today. Bill, this is going to be nice to get into this.
Speaker 4:It's going to be a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:So, caitlin, you've been head coach, now with varsity for, I believe, is it five years now.
Speaker 5:This will be my fifth season.
Speaker 3:And before that you did.
Speaker 5:JV for eight years.
Speaker 3:Wow, so you are a very seasoned veteran around here. Yes, you kind of bleed the black and white huh.
Speaker 5:Very much.
Speaker 3:And Magali. You are a senior going into your senior season. What position do you play in volleyball?
Speaker 1:I play middle blocker, but my sophomore season I played right side. Oh, you did play right side. Mm-hmm, for a little bit.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right. Now we're back here Getting into this. Magali, you're a multi-sport athlete. You've played volleyball and basketball at the varsity level since you were a sophomore.
Speaker 1:A little bit of track my freshman year.
Speaker 3:Oh, a little bit of track. What did you do in track in your freshman?
Speaker 1:year I did hurdles and long jump.
Speaker 3:Okay, nice, all right. With that being said, I heard you picked up another sport this summer, though, so although you are.
Speaker 5:She has a big smile on her face, although she's playing basketball and volleyball.
Speaker 3:I've heard that you have gotten to the world of pickleball. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Speaker 1:That world is awful. That world is hard and takes a lot of patience, but it's hard when the people around you are so competitive.
Speaker 3:And yeah, because they just put me down a lot. Who do you play with?
Speaker 1:Who are you playing with right now? You know a couple of fellow Panthers Elijah Reynolds and Chris Broncourse. They are really competitive.
Speaker 3:I don't like playing against them or with them but I do all the time Playing pickleball with younger people. So pickleball, when you're like you're playing, usually it's seniors that are out there. Right, you're a high school senior, but I mean now I'm talking senior seniors and then you have, uh, used to be athletes like me who think there's a an ounce of athleticism still left and we head on out to the pickleball court to play. But it's a fun, fun sport, right?
Speaker 1:no, it's fun to do. I mean like definitely, like I'll like get out of, like volleyball and then I'll go do something. But then around 7.30-ish, 8, we gather a whole bunch of friends and we go to the pickleball courts. It's so much fun. It's fun when you're bad at something, sometimes like golf. Golf, I'm just swinging away because I'm just hoping to hit the ball. That's basically how it is for pickleball too. If I hit the ball, it's a success.
Speaker 3:I'm happy with that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and pickleball is like one of the most social games around, because you were like, do you?
Speaker 3:play any pickleball, caitlin? I have not, you have not. All right, well, we have a foursome in here, so I don't know what this will turn into down the road but it's so social because every like you know this, we got everybody's in on that net right you're really close. And the crazy shots, they're just happening all the time.
Speaker 1:They're just boom, boom.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and somebody makes a dumb mistake or gets hit in the head or whatever it may be, so it's really really fun. Yes, you also do links though, like that's a big part of your life, right, I was able to like just kind of look at some stuff you put out in line and you got some really nice stuff that you're doing with links over the past few years.
Speaker 1:that so actually this was like my first year getting into it. I've requested it every single year. I just for some reason have never got put into it until, um, like last year I got to like I kind of okay, I kind of like it was like exam times. I didn't have an exam in the class, so I just asked if I could leave the class and go to that class.
Speaker 3:So I didn't skip it, but like sure I left that you're not gonna get in trouble.
Speaker 1:I don't know how to say that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But so I spent some time in that classroom and I talked to Ploos and I was like hey, like I'd really like to be like involved in this. So then this past year I got to be in their fifth hour, which is a work study. And basically Mondays, wednesdays and Fridays.
Speaker 1:I think we are at a location where you get to like, get real-world experience and like the working force and my placement was always family fair, so I would get to like be with some other classmates and like get to, just like get some work experience, like bagging stuff, facing shelves. And then, like on the other days when we weren't on our placements, we'd get to like do some things in the classroom or do stuff for other teachers, like refill paper for the what are they called?
Speaker 4:Copy machines.
Speaker 1:Yes, print makers yeah.
Speaker 2:Print makers. We're changing the name. Yes, copy machines.
Speaker 3:It's been changed.
Speaker 1:But it was so much fun getting to be in Lynx this year and I'm going to be in it again this year.
Speaker 3:It's always so much fun to be around everybody and it just always puts a smile on my face and I just like being able to help others. Yeah, it's really nice to be around that. Caitlin, I know we have a bit of a connection Because when my daughter Madeline played JV, you coached her. What year Do you remember how far ago that?
Speaker 5:was gonna sound terrible.
Speaker 3:I don't I don't maybe my ears get so mixed up right, so probably 2017, 2018 at least. So we know each other a little bit from there. There's always a Westada connection as we talk to each other. I talked to Ryan Burke yesterday, who is your assistant coach, and I said, hey, I know Caitlin a little bit, but is there a few things you can tell me, like what does she like to do? And he's like what is what does she like to do? He goes watch more volleyball. That's true, is?
Speaker 3:that like a really one of your things that you just like to do. You're a big fan, right?
Speaker 5:I do. I love volleyball in general, but I love getting to learn more. I just I'm like a sponge when it comes to volleyball.
Speaker 1:I will.
Speaker 5:I read books, I go to classes, I contact coaches. I just want to gather as much information that I can at all times and I've told the girls this a ton If you watch volleyball, you'll learn so much just by watching. So I'm very Big Ten oriented in college volleyball.
Speaker 3:And the Big Ten in college volleyball is the best it's the best in the country.
Speaker 5:So if there's a Big Ten game on, it is recorded. I watch it in my free time, which you would think I don't have much of that with three children and coaching volleyball, but I find time to still watch those and super exciting with the Olympics, I haven't missed a game beach or indoor. So yeah, love watching volleyball.
Speaker 4:And not only are you juggling the schedule of a varsity volleyball coach, three children at home, your husband is an athletic director and a coach yes so there's a lot of juggling going on in the lawton household correct organization is a big thing in our household.
Speaker 5:I always have to have june through the end of november planned are you kidding me in? March. Nope, I need to know where everyone is at all times, who's going to watch who and yeah, our calendars are very, very organized between those those months.
Speaker 3:So that is something. Well, your your obsession with volleyball. I'm going to put it in the healthy obsession category. I appreciate that.
Speaker 5:Sometimes my husband would call it an addiction.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 5:I would call it a healthy addiction. I guess there's worse things.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's a healthy obsession. It's like being addicted to yogurt, I mean okay, right, that's kind of odd oh that's kind of odd.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is kind of odd. I kind of made that up on the spot. Coming up now, miguel, you've had a busy summer. You have a lot going on outside of pickleball, which is the majority of the time that you do things in the summer. You also work during the summer, but you're spending a lot of time with friends going to the beach. All that all the while still playing on the Rise team, right?
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, I am. I am playing on that team this upcoming winter season. So when is the season for the Rise. It kind of starts like same time as basketball season, like that november-ish time.
Speaker 3:That's when they start okay, so you don't play in the summer for that um, I just I wasn't on their 17s team this year.
Speaker 1:So, like usually, you would be because they train up until like almost july, because of nationals, sure, but I wasn't. I was on their 18th team this year and since everybody's like already committed and going somewhere, they want to have at least a week or two of summer.
Speaker 3:I saw those uniforms online. Those unis were pretty sweet for that team.
Speaker 1:They are. We had three different jerseys. One was navy and red, One was white and navy and another one was red and navy.
Speaker 3:Just different colors if that makes sense, one color was bigger than the other. What has that experience been like for you to play with, uh, people from other teams, right, other schools? What's that been like for you just helping you grow your volleyball? Or?
Speaker 1:I feel like club and school are very different, like as in like atmosphere, wise, and just like I mean you always meet another and like a whole new group of people. I mean, unless your team has been like since together, since like 12s, I've always been on a different team, I think, like I don't think I've ever stayed on the team, and so it's always fun getting to meet new girls. But I mean there's always times where, like meeting new people, sometimes people aren't the sweetest or the great, not like the sweetest, but aren't just like the nicest. So like I would say that club does bring out sometimes like the ugly side of like competitiveness or like I don't know people in a way which kind of makes it a little bit hard. But sometimes you just have to like work through that and, like you know, make yourself better with the people.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bill, bill and I were talking about that a little bit earlier today. When you do these sports and you try and do all these things, it's not always smooth, you know. There's a lot of conflict, a lot of areas which we'll talk about, but uh, keep moving on.
Speaker 4:bills go ahead yeah, coach, you kind of spoke a little bit about, uh your healthy obsession with the game of volleyball and your love for big 10 volleyball in particular. One of the things you've done over the last number of years is, uh get our girls to those big 10 volleyball camps. Maybe talk a little bit about kind of the reasons for wanting to do that and what you've seen kind of come out of that. And then maybe, mags, you could talk a little bit about what that experience has been like getting into some of those big gyms.
Speaker 5:Well, with being on the west side of the state, we don't really have any super large colleges around us. We've got some great volleyball schools and great volleyball to watch and a lot of the girls have kind of grown up going to those games. So I wanted to give them just a different feel and different opportunity to see a bigger school and kind of how they do things. So we have actually gone to Purdue a couple of times and it's a heck of a drive, not I mean not too far, but how far is that?
Speaker 5:Like three and a half hours yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 5:And so not too bad. But the girls might disagree with the 6 am wake up call that we have to go. Though this year the ride there everyone was like completely awake and talked the whole time.
Speaker 3:I love the car rides Like the old days.
Speaker 5:I loved having the experience of the car rides and having a group together. I loved having the experience of the car rides and having a group together and I specifically put girls in certain cars and I want to mix it up and I don't want little.
Speaker 3:Did you plan that out three months prior to your schedule?
Speaker 5:I do, I do, she does, she's a planner.
Speaker 1:I am pretty much a planner. She has like this big calendar like next to her fridge. It's like full of things and I think it's like two months ahead. It is it. It's like full of things and I think it's like two months ahead.
Speaker 3:It is, it is always two months ahead. Well, I'm reevaluating my life right now. I'm not going to lie, but yeah.
Speaker 5:Then we get there and Purdue is basically three days. You wake up, you go eat breakfast you play volleyball. You go to lunch you play volleyball. You eat dinner you play volleyball. And they get to meet. Some of the college players become kind of like your coach. They hang around with you.
Speaker 5:Just fun and it was amazing. And then it's cool for the girls to have that experience of getting to talk to them. And I understand that going D1, especially Power 5, big 10, is the percentage of athletes that do that is extremely small is extremely small. But to have someone that's at least gone through the high school thing and recruiting and college life whether or not it's big or little schools of volleyball, they all have an experience and for them to be able to share it comes differently than it would from a coach and me trying to talk to them about any of it. So it's cool that they get to make those connections and I know Mags made connections with a couple of the Purdue Purdue athletes from a couple of years ago where they like actually talk and communicate through social media. So that's been a really cool thing to see that my athletes have actually had a chance to nurture relationships outside of just West Ottawa volleyball and just West Michigan volleyball and just West Michigan volleyball, but kind of in a broader, broader idea. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think like also like, just as in like, we get to see like the life or not the life, but like all that volleyball and like all about like getting coached from different people, I think that it's also just a great team bonding experience. I feel like after that trip, the group of girls that go, we always come back a lot closer than we were before and we have stories, like funny stories, from those trips that are just like so heartwarming to think about and it's just so much fun.
Speaker 5:Inside jokes, yeah, inside jokes we did a lot of those.
Speaker 1:It's rough and then also like you're sleep deprived, so they just become 10 times better.
Speaker 3:Yeah, way funnier.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yes, sir, we laughed at that oh yeah, and then also we were talking about the car rides. The car rides are always so much fun and there's always different stories to tell from the different cars, Like my first year, I think, I was in Coach Caitlin's car and then this past time we went I was in Burke's car, and it's just two different experiences.
Speaker 3:What's the difference?
Speaker 1:Music, oh music, there we go.
Speaker 3:Playing the adult playlist? No, not. The older set is really guilty of this at times.
Speaker 4:Mags. Maybe talk to us a little bit about that. You've been around coach Lawton and coach Burke now for the duration of your high school career. What is kind of your? I have always seen that you and coach Lawton have had a really great relationship. Maybe talk a little bit about what that relationship is like, even with Burke as well.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's just having like a steady, reliable person or people in my life. I feel like it's just having like a steady, reliable person or people in my life. I feel like since they, like you said, they've been there like for me my high school career, basically through all volleyball. I think it's just the relationship is past, volleyball like I don't want to say it's just like coach and kid related. I think it's like I generally obviously I care for these people a lot, but, um, I think it's just like I said, them being there for me in tough moments. I think they are people that I go to like when I'm struggling with things, and I mean just things out of volleyball but volleyball related, like Coach Kaelin, like she's always been there, like my first time going to Nationals was very rough and just know I was in the bathroom, like I think.
Speaker 5:In Florida.
Speaker 1:In Florida. Yes, and I was calling her like every single, like after, like every match. I would call her like crying, and she would just always be there for me during those rough times. So I would just say that our relationship goes pretty deep.
Speaker 3:What was rough when you were playing those games Like what brought that out of you?
Speaker 1:It was probably just like I think I put a lot of pressure on myself as in like I kind of want myself to be perfect and when I'm not executing that, I feel like that's the only thing I see. So I just like sometimes need reminders that it's like it's not always going to be good, and I think coach Kaelin does a great job at like. Like not like putting those expectations down, but it's like like keeping me in check, that it's like I've had one bad I did I had one bad ball, or like, because something like it's like it will be like one thing that will flip the switch for me. So it's like sometimes I just need a reminder that it's like the next one you can make it better, and like it's not the end of the world if you had one bad game right.
Speaker 3:accepting like imperfection is really important as an athlete to get that mindset off. I mean, sometimes Bill's beard is not even I'm like Bill, it's it's fine, like you can accept the imperfection, it's quite okay. And he's like yeah, you're right.
Speaker 4:And then he doesn't fix it. And, coach, I think over the time and the more time that you're around the sports and you're around kids and you're coaching kids up, it's getting them to realize that what is what's done is done right. We can't go, we can't hit the rewind button, but we've got to look forward and I know that's something that you've always talked to your teams about, and it's about let's move forward. How, how do we get better from here?
Speaker 5:Yes, we always talk about not when, not if you're going to make a mistake, it's when you're going to because, you're going to make mistakes.
Speaker 5:There are very few sports that, no matter what you do, no matter what happens, a point is given to somebody. So we have to learn how to rebound from that. So it's not what you did, it's how you respond the next point. So you can be sad about it. You can keep worrying about what happened and then let that snowball. Or we can say what's done is done. I can't fix it, but I can look forward to the next point and do better or learn from that mistake and move on. So we really we talk about it's okay to fail, and there's this idea that's kind of been a big pushing point in the summer that failure has turned into such a word that we're scared of and that it's not okay and that it's just this heavy word, that failure is something that we should be terrified of. And in volleyball you fail all the time.
Speaker 3:All the time.
Speaker 5:All the time and again, it's not a bad thing to fail. Failing is what pushes you, failing is what makes you better and it helps you learn. So we got to look at failure as almost a positive thing and stop looking at it as a negative, and one point is like the game's over.
Speaker 4:Especially in a sport like volleyball. We get into the league and we're playing five games. There are so many points won and lost. It needs to be about what's going to happen in this next point.
Speaker 1:How can you better the next play? Or when we talk about it, it's like if it was a bad pass. It's like how can the next person that touches it better the ball? It's just bettering the next play. Or like when we talk about it like it's like if it was a bad pass, it's like how can the next person that touches it better the ball and like it's just bettering the next play?
Speaker 3:that's what I always try to think about there's a lot of things in sports where it's reactionary and also we go into this emotional roller coaster where everything just falls apart and the more we talk to more athletes and stuff it's like well, no, we're gonna have a planned when that happens. So what's our planned response when things don't go our way? This is what we're doing, and then when you start doing that, when those situations come up, you're ready for them. Yeah, we're not going to snowball and lose everything here. We're going to. This is what our plan is, and let's refocus. So it's nice to hear that some I mean a lot of that is what you're doing, which is really great, right it's the goal?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it really is. It's really nice, caitlin, as a coach. You've coached for a while already and I assume you're going to be coaching for a long time yet with the love that you have for the game. In the big picture, in the long run, what do you want these kids to think about their seasons 15, 20 years from now? That's something I think about. Think about their seasons 15, 20 years from now. That's something I think about. It's like well, do we focus in on the wins and losses all the time which we have to be competitive?
Speaker 4:We're all competitive athletes for goodness sakes right. We wouldn't be doing it if we weren't. We weren't.
Speaker 5:Right. I've always said and not, I guess, necessarily towards what the girls think of it after season, but I've always come across as what after we're done playing?
Speaker 3:what do I?
Speaker 5:want to leave our opponents feeling and that's been more of competitive, relentless but at the end of the day that they're good people. I don't. I would rather my girls be great people that go into the world and contribute in a great way than be great volleyball players that people don't really like.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So I try as hard and getting both is really nice Getting both is phenomenal.
Speaker 5:I mean, that's what we've got in mags right here Great human being on top of being a great volleyball player. And again, you hope that for everybody, but I guess for athletes when they're done, I would. I would hope that they learned something and it wasn't just about volleyball, and that they take something, even if it's just one thing that they've taken from me just for life, to help them out, yeah, and that they felt like they grew again, not just as a volleyball player, but just as a person, and they learned a couple of things that they can apply to their life once they're done with volleyball. Because for a lot of athletes in high school, once high school sports are done, they're done, it's done. So I want them to realize that sports is just something that they do. It's not who they are and that there's so much more to who they are and that we've just added something to help them in their futures.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I've heard. I've heard coaches ask before coach, what do you think about your season? And I've, then I've heard the coach's response I won't know for 15 years, because that's where the real proof is. Right, like what kind of mothers, fathers, are they as part of society?
Speaker 5:right, you know down the road, that's where the real value in our work as coaches and leadership positions dealing with high school kids that's where it pays off when I love to have relationships with the girls past volleyball season in high school, like if I even if it's just once in a while that I can kind of keep up with them on social media and see I've got players who, matt, just got married and they're having kids and it's really cool to see them just kind of grow as as people. And if I can have a relationship with them past volleyball, I think that I'm kind of doing it right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I, I'm very fortunate. I, you know, grew up in Maryland, but I get back home, you know, once twice a year. Uh, I still go and have breakfast with my high school football coach Every time I, every time I go back home. I still talk to my high school football coach every time I go back home.
Speaker 5:Oh, that's nice, I still talk to my high school volleyball coach pretty regularly, well, there you go, guys.
Speaker 3:You guys turned out okay. We're trying, speaking of moving forward a little bit. Magali, you had a really Nice thing happened to you in April you got a full ride scholarship to Cleveland State University. Congratulations, thank you. Massive accomplishment to actually pull that off.
Speaker 4:Yet maybe you know. Mags, as we're sitting here, talk to us a little bit about what that recruiting process is like. It's changed dramatically since I went through it back in the late 90s. Um, it's changed dramatically since I went through it back in the late nineties. Um, what is that like for a high school kid? You know going through that process, having to stay on top of things, posting to social media, reaching out to coaches what is that like for you?
Speaker 1:So I'd say it's very stressful and then, like you said, things have changed since then. I mean, obviously I don't really know we didn't have media.
Speaker 1:yeah, and my dad and I cut my highlight tape together on a VHS cassette yeah, so like with like obviously there's so many great athletes out in the world, like in the world, let alone the United States like it's like some people like go from like a different country and come to the United States to play college volleyball or college anything. So it's like there's so many good athletes out there. So it's like it's so competitive, which I mean everything's like is competitive, so it's not like it really changes anything, but it's like the constant, like like after every tournament I know I'd be watching film like in class, like I literally all I did in class was just watch film, make my highlights so I can send it out to more coaches, because I was always so worried that I like if I wasn't keeping up with emailing coaches that they would just kind of forget about me. So that's like I'd be like hey, here's my film from this tournament this weekend, like like if you could take some time to watch it and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:I just say it's very stressful and it gives you lots of anxieties because you're like worried that you're not as good as the other people and that's where like becoming such a perfect, like worried that like trying to be perfect really comes into play, like as in. It's like you start to compare yourself to what you see on social media a lot and like that you're not as good as them, and that's where it's just like it really builds a really bad mindset, because it's like what you see on social media is their highlights as well, like you don't see their mistakes, what they need to work on all this stuff. So it's like social media has such a big part, as in, like comparing yourself to others and like thinking you're not good enough to play at these schools or stuff like that.
Speaker 3:You ended up going to Cleveland, ohio, with your family. Can you tell us a little bit about that for the recruiting visit?
Speaker 1:Oh, the recruiting visit was so much fun. I loved it there. When I was looking into schools, like, I feel like a big part for me was that I wanted to like go a little bit far, but I didn't want to be too far from my family and Cleveland State is only it's like four and a half, like five-ish hours, so it's like a good distance where I'm not too far, but I can also drive home whenever I mean whenever I have time or like whenever I can. So it's like the perfect distance. And then also like living in Holland. We have a pretty nice place, but it's not like a city and I was like what if we just change it up for college? Like you know, try something different just for fun.
Speaker 1:So I really loved it there. So it was definitely different and I mean it's in the city so it's like it's very pretty and it was so fun. I got to spend so much time with the girls. I think the first night I was there it was literally just me and all the team and it was so much fun. The girls were all so sweet and it was just full of laughs and Fortnite. We played Fortnite in the dorms so that was really fun. And the head coach at Cleveland he was so good about making sure that my mom was included throughout the whole thing. I think our first phone call he made sure my mom was there, which is one thing that none of the other coaches I talked to had done.
Speaker 3:He made sure my mom was there for our first phone call. Nobody else had done that before. No, all the other coaches, so that makes a mark on you.
Speaker 1:Not that they didn't really care, not that they didn't care, but none of the coaches were like, hey, make sure your mom's with you on the phone call, which was like a big, just like it's my first time. So it's like for her to feel comfortable knowing that, like he wants her involved and like also the fact that he's taking time to make sure she feels comfortable sending sending me off to cleveland. Like you know that's really far and like it's a city too. So it's like it's a bit different I have to share with you.
Speaker 3:I talked with your mom about it and spending time on the phone with your mom was, I mean, it was pretty impactful for me. I mean, give me a second here, oh boy. So I talked with your mom on the phone and it's like she left an impression on me. I was, I didn't see it coming, but basically what she said was when you guys went out to Cleveland state right.
Speaker 3:It was you, brianna, which is your younger sister, and then your brother, which is Kai. So the four of you went out to Cleveland State and she goes. I have to tell you something. I go okay, go ahead. What is it? She goes. We're an immigrant family. She goes.
Speaker 3:When I was younger and I was a little girl, eight years old we bounced around from state to state all the time and I don't know if she told you this or whatever, but she said all I heard when I was younger is yeah, we moved here for a better life, the better life. And she said where is it? I don't know where it is. It certainly isn't my life. And she said I always wondered well, where's this better life, where is it going to be? And she said, when you guys got to cleveland state and you were there, she goes. For the first time in my life, I'm now seeing what that means. Here it is, and it wasn't for me, but it was for my daughter, it was for my other kids. And she said I am now. I know that what I did as a mom mattered and it was like a really special moment. But that's your mom talking about that.
Speaker 4:And it's really dusty in here all of a sudden. Yes, it is.
Speaker 1:I think there's onions around here. It was cutting onions, I can feel it.
Speaker 3:But I was I mean, I was taken aback. I had never heard that from someone before Like it was almost an American dream, yeah. But then she was like, yeah, I finally saw it. Like I'm so encouraged by that as a human being.
Speaker 1:I just think that sometimes people like, when it comes to the whole, like people coming to the United States for like a better life, I think people don't truly understand what they're coming here for and the opportunity that is given here in the United States that are not given in other countries, let alone like education, like even coming to high school here, is such a big opportunity for like me and my family, like my mom I don't honestly don't know if she even has a high school diploma. So I mean I know she came to West Ottawa actually fun fact but um, yeah, so like I mean I like my grandma was around for a bit. She passed away when I was like nine ish. So like I've got to see her and like, even when she was still like what's it called, like growing up, I would still watch her, like I'd go to the bluebird, like she still went, like she still migrated around to like um, like catch the seasons, like in different states.
Speaker 1:So it's like I still got to, like I still got to like grow up in like the farms and like the trailer parks and stuff like that. But like I stayed here in Holland, so like seeing that it's like I really did see like people having to work hard for what they've like had, and like my mom being a single mom as well. It's like nothing has ever really come easy for our family. So it's like I just kind of always wanted to make sure I made everything that they did worth it. Like my grandma, my mom. It's like I can't just let that go to waste.
Speaker 3:Well, she made it a point to let me know what that meant to her that you're going to Cleveland State.
Speaker 3:I think it's just beautiful. One of your friends, Brooke Pedersen, wrote a really nice article about you about a little more than a year ago. If anyone's listening, you want to go find just Google behind the smile. It's a nice little article for the West Ottawa in that that Brooke wrote and it's a little bit of background. It helped me understand your situation a little bit more too, so it was really nice to read that. So, yeah, wonderful thing for your family. I'm so excited for you to do that. We'll always be tough to leave your family because your family is so close, but we all go to school eventually.
Speaker 3:So eventually that's going to happen.
Speaker 4:But yeah, just really nice and one of the things Magsit, I don't know if you know this or not, but you're kind of one of those kids that Panther Pathways and the existence of Panther Pathways and, for those of you who might not know, that's our after school programming for our younger student athletes Right, it's fourth, fifth grade kids, but you're one of the kids that when we first started talking about that, you were the one where people were like you know, my golly didn't play sports until seventh grade.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was my first time. I was very pressured into volleyball. Actually I did not want to play. Yeah, mrs Bush up. Thank Amy Bush, thank God for her. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have played. I think I came to Trout's the last day and it's because she was my gym teacher and she was like you show up, just bring a physical and you'll be on the team. And I was like, okay, I guess.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but it's, and pathways exist to get people or kids introduced to athletics at a younger age so that we start to get them into our pipeline and we start to, I guess, really help our students understand the opportunities that do exist here at West Ottawa. And that's, you know, just I don't know if you knew that or not, but you're kind of one of those shining examples of this is why we do some of the things that we do at West Ottawa, because we really are about breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for all students. Right, and kudos to you for being that like shining light for so many.
Speaker 1:We haven't been down.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry I'm getting emotional and kudos to you for being that like shining light for so many Thanks.
Speaker 4:We haven't been down this path very often. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm getting emotional. We have not been here yet.
Speaker 3:But you know, sometimes it's meant to be. You're going to probably go into the teaching career, right? That's something you're thinking about.
Speaker 1:Yes, I want to go into like elementary education.
Speaker 3:That's fantastic. You got the personality for it, that's for sure.
Speaker 1:Thanks. I don't know. Growing up I wanted to go into more social work fostering, but I have some people in my life that are in that career and I kind of see how it impacts them. I feel like for me I don't think that would be the right way, Because I feel like I'd be the type to not leave work at work.
Speaker 1:And I feel like I'd take work home with me and I just feel like that would really impact me and my mental health. So I just I was thinking, I was like what's another way I can still impact kids' life and like get to be with them all the time. I was like teaching.
Speaker 3:So that's good for you. I'm excited for you. It'll be, you'll be a spectacular teacher when the moment comes. We are going to move back to volleyball. Yeah. We're going to actually get into some actual volleyball stuff. Let's talk about the upcoming season a little bit, Coach. Okay, we had a number of players leave. Bill, that graduated.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we had a big senior class last year, including some folks that Mags. You got to play with multiple sports Chelsea Overbeak, brooke Patterson. Big personalities, big leaders. Where's that leadership void? Who's going to step into that as we go into this season?
Speaker 5:Well, as of now, from what I've seen, it's hard to say Because again we have. Last time I checked we have 15 juniors and seniors trying out.
Speaker 3:You can have a young team, for sure.
Speaker 5:So numbers are really big and I think as of now we have 60-plus trying out for the entire program.
Speaker 3:Well, that's so healthy it is.
Speaker 5:The last two years. I think we had 70-plus last year. So, it's great to see numbers and it's amazing.
Speaker 5:But our seniors we have three so far and they have done an amazing job this summer of showing up and being a good example at everything and positive on the court. There's not been any issues with people like gelling and getting along. They're always one to like keep everybody included. With such a big group it can be hard to do that they kind of don't branch off into their own little spaces, but we've we've stayed a pretty good group the entire summer, so it'll be tough in volleyball.
Speaker 3:It is of all the sports like we watch, whatever there's six spots on there.
Speaker 5:Yes, right.
Speaker 3:I mean, it is it's competitive Parents get in on that too, right, everybody wants a spot my daughter should be playing instead of yours.
Speaker 5:It's not easy, well, and it's hard because there are some sports where it's more objective.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 5:When it comes to skill and capabilities and starting spots, and sometimes it comes down to volleyball of chemistry versus skill. There's just a little bit more subjective, and to try to make that clear can be very difficult. Just for whatever reason, this works better and I don't always have a great answer as to why that works better, but yeah, it can be kind of difficult. So the seniors have done a great job, but yeah, well, it's kind of up in the air when it comes to what the team's going to look like.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it is Come tryouts. Well, Burke told me that hope springs eternal.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that was one of his lines. I'm like, well it always does right.
Speaker 3:It's the beginning of a season. Anything can happen.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 3:What I'm really happy about is the healthiness of the program. You have that many young people coming out to play. You're going to have your years where you get. Hey, we got three really great athletes this year and yours you don't.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 3:But we wish you guys all the best with your upcoming season. I'm super excited about it and we will be watching you guys. We'll be out on the court and hopefully get some fans out. If you haven't watched much volleyball here at West Ottawa, or if you get bored during the fall, come on out to the gym. It's great to watch Great environment. It's a great to watch great environment and get out there. It's great. This has been really fun to sit down with you guys. It's been really nice to get to know you a little bit better. Magali looks like she wants to play some pickleball, so she probably just wants to get out of here Today. You're playing today. You think what do you?
Speaker 1:think I'm trying to think what? Oh, probably actually.
Speaker 3:Get back out there, all right. Then maybe someday, who knows? Maybe the four of us?
Speaker 5:will get out there.
Speaker 1:Shoot a little stupid video of these people crying and playing pickleball at the same time, All right.
Speaker 3:Well, thanks for coming on. Head coach of the girls' varsity, Kate Lawton and Magali Lemus, senior middle blocker. Thanks for coming on. We really appreciate it. Thanks for being here.
Speaker 1:Thank middle blocker. Thanks for coming on. We really appreciate it. Thanks for being here, thank you, thanks, guys. Peace out, bye, asmr. I saw opportunity and had to take it. I respect that you can now get this podcast on spotify, apple music and wherever you get your podcasts.
