Shaun Newman Podcast - #14 - Chelsea Steinley

Episode Date: May 8, 2019

This week I am joined by Chelsea Steinley former volleyball player with the Lakeland Rustlers. Originally from Saskatoon SK she grew up playing volleyball, but it would not be until age 31 before she would make her collegiate sports debut. Chelsea played two years for the Lakeland Rustlers where she would not only dress, but be on the starting roster. They would go onto win conference both years with a Gold and a bronze at the national championships. Chelsea is happily married and mother of two wonderful kids. We will discuss all this and more.

Welcome to the podcast, folks. First off, a couple shoutouts. I want to thank all the guys who commented on Facebook. I threw out a post. I've been thinking about getting guests to sign something when they come in. And so just working on some ideas on what that might be. And I threw it out to everybody. And so I've had some pretty cool suggestions.

I'm just kind of waiting my through right now, trying to figure out exactly what I want to do with it. But at some point here, when I figure that out, I'll let all you guys know. but I appreciate all the feedback, the ideas. There was some cool ones for sure. I got to give a shout out to Brad Noble. We ended up on a tangent,

but he got talking about wanting some of the young guys in town. There's some good hockey players that are heading off, or just getting home, I should say, from the WHL, Division I, that kind of thing. And so he said it'd be cool to get some of those on. So I've reached out to a bunch of them now, and it looks like we're going to get a couple of them on here, probably in June, maybe in July, that kind of thing.

So excited once I have those names, I'll announce them, and away we go. We'll have some younger guys on talking about their experiences thus far. Always appreciate the feedback, guys. If you're on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, that kind of thing. Just look up Sean Newman, Sean Newman podcast. Throw me a shout out, Twitter, comment what you like, and I'll give you a shout-out on the podcast.

So I love doing this. You guys interacting with you guys and find out what you guys enjoy about it. If there's anything you want to see from it, if there's a guest you want, just let me know. And we'll see if we can't get them on. Finally, if you're trying to figure out how to follow this, you can go on iTunes or Apple podcast on your phone. You search Sean Newman podcast just like you would for spitting chicklets or Joe Rogan, anything like that. Same way you find those. just search Sean Newman podcast.

Boom, it's right there. And just hit subscribe. And then you're on it, and it comes up the same way as all those big ones, right? So same idea. Now, this week is Chelsea Steinley. She is married to Quentin Steinley. She has two kids, 13 and 12, I believe, now.

We're going to talk a little bit about her ACAC career. She went the, not the road most traveled, that's for sure. She didn't start until age 31. And then she bust onto the scene, was in the starting rotation as a walk-on. They win conference. They win the national championships. First time Lakeland College has ever won a national medal. And then her second season, they win conference championships again.

and then go on and place third in nationals and win a bronze. So her story is going to be really cool. I'm really excited for it. I hope you guys are too. So without further ado, welcome to Sean Newman podcast tonight in studios, Chelsea Stanley. I've already introduced you because I've been sitting here for 20 minutes mingling around, doing what I do.

I want to go right to freaking Game of Thrones because I know you're Game of Thrones. I've been waiting to talk to you about this for a little bit. Last night was a heartbreaker for Sunday night. What are we? Did you enjoy the episode? I did and then yeah the ending I just I said to what live in Kyle and we watched it over at my parents' house

and Quentin and I was like of all the characters I was waiting to die and preparing myself for Masandi was not one of them and I know she's not like a main like super important gal or anything but it was just like it was daggers I wasn't expecting. See I'm a complete opposite. I'm like I've worked

prepared myself for this season. I'm just waiting for five of them today. All in a wrong, just like boom, boom, boom. I kind of believe they all made it through. I mean, I know we lost a few, but nobody, like, I thought for sure one of the Stark girls would go in the big battle of the, against, in Winterfell, like against the Night King and all that. I thought we were losing us. Oh, and I should have prefaced this by spoiler alert, spoiler alert. Many spoiler alert. Sunday is now not with us. Yeah, but the Stark girls are, so there you go. Yeah, I don't know. I feel like this season is really predictable

like certain things like even Quentin who isn't always like he has some crazy theories sometimes but he's not usually on the right page and even he like the ending of the episode like he called who was going to kill the the Night Walker

really the Night King yeah the Night King yeah Spoiler area kills it I'm gonna have to preface this episode by like just skip 10 minutes and you get to the- Don't listen to this if you haven't watched yet. Yeah, no, he called that. He was like, no, it won't be John Snow.

You know, the first three episodes I was good with. I was good with them, I was good with them, I was good with them, I was good with them, I was good with them, and he disappears in one episode, right? I'm fine with it all. Yeah. But last episode, I'm a diehard, and I'm sitting there and I'm watching, I'm like, okay, so they just killed the dragon. And then they wipe out, like, her fleet.

But instead of, like, taking, I don't know, the hand of the queen, like Tyrion, who's laid up on an island, they take Missonde. Yeah. Right? I'm going, well, okay, sure. Oh, all right. We'll leave the rest stranded there. Yeah.

But then another buddy pointed out at work, he's like, yeah, well, that's fair and all. But he's like, she's on a dragon. Like, can't she, like, scout and, like, see that they're waiting there for him? Well, that's what, um, Quintner, Kyle, I don't remember who. One of them pointed out, too, like, why doesn't she just go up high, like, above the clouds visually? And, I mean, yeah, there's a lot of plot holes. for sure. They're just tying up loose ends, right? Just trying to ramp through it. I don't get it. Did you see the coffee cup?

Yeah, yeah, I saw the coffee cup. They left the Starbucks coffee cup. I think it was a local, they put out a statement that it was a local coffee, whatever, in Dublin, I think. But yeah. Right. It's just like how many millions of dollars go into this show and nobody in editing picked that up. Kind of made me laugh. And if you're wondering why I'm starting here, it's because this is like the best show television has ever seen. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I've never been like that. this into a show ever. We only got two episodes left and I just want to talk to the writers and be like, guys, you could have strung it out another two years.

I would have been totally cool with it. Yeah. I don't know why we're going to ram through it in a, yeah. What is it? Eight. No, six? Six. Six episodes?

And they're longer, but still. Yeah, but still like, damn it. Get it right. I know. Well, they could spend less money on some of the battle scenes and just do extra episodes, I think, because sometimes I feel like there's a lot of missing, I don't know. Did you read the books? I know. Oh, okay.

And I should point out, I'm a book reader. You should read the books. I had friends of mine. Then I was going to start, we're going to start watching the show. We didn't start watching the show until I want to say like season five. We were late to the game. Yeah, I was season three, I think. And then we, Quinn and I binged all the first three.

Or maybe we were halfway through season. I don't know. Yeah. And I should preface that by HBO is expensive. And at the time I was a college kid when it started and I was broke or however you want to slice it. We borrowed my parents DVDs, I think. That's right. That's how we said.

started. So I was going to read the books because I got the books gifted me for Christmas. So I started reading it and then one of my best friends, Colby, I'm giving you a shout out because he was like, dude, you can't read the books. You'll be ahead of us and you'll know what's going to happen. I'm like, you know what? For some odd reason, that makes sense to me. You know how many episodes that guy's watched? Zero. He hasn't watched a single episode. And we're also the show's way ahead of the books now. Well, yeah, for the last two seasons. They haven't even published a book now in how many years. Yeah, he has two more that will come out. So supposedly. There's rumors that that's never going to happen now yeah we'll see he might hold them back he's they said

that there's like three spin-off shows that they're already looking into yeah yeah yeah whether or not they happen but oh no they're gonna happen they're making way too much money yeah true right they're gonna do you think it'll be though do you think it'll be like young ned stark no i think i heard it's going to go back to the reign of um oh the before the mag king that family the targaryans oh okay way back yeah yeah yeah but i mean if you went to a year young Ned Stark. I guess you just know what's going to happen, but it'd be a lot of fun. True. Yeah. But I think a lot of people still like cry out for that character though, hey, like even though he was like he was only in one season and everyone's still. I mean, he's such a,

I guess because the kids always talk about him maybe. He was kick ass. That's why. Yeah. Old Ned Stark. Yeah. He's good stuff. So let's go to it. You originally grew up in Saskatoon. I did not realize that. Yeah. I mean, I guess I've been in, so long it doesn't really feel like that anymore. But yeah, we lived there till I think we moved here when I was in grade six, which is not a great age to move. P.S. But yeah, but once high school hit, it was whatever. What was tough about grade six? Well, I think for me the biggest change was that in Saskatoon, I was part of a, I started dance when I was two and my dance. You started dancing when you were two? Yeah, because the daycare that I went to,

had dance upstairs. It was like this old building and the dance studio was in the upper levels and the daycare was in the lower levels. So they had offered like to my mom like instead of nap time, these little two-year-olds can go up and do a little ballet class or whatever. And so yeah, so I started when I was two and they probably had you rolling a ball back and probably. I vividly remember this Mickey Mouse March song that we did a lot and it was just kind of follow the leader kind of stuff. So I mean, you call it dance but yeah. No, no, it's still awesome. I'm dealing with a three-year-old name. I seem to be two-year-old now.

Let me tell you. There's no dancing going on. There might be. They just might not be specific steps. But yeah, so I, when we moved here, I think I was dancing anywhere between 18 and 22 hours a week quite competitively. And really, really loved it and loved my group. And I had a couple dance teachers there who were pretty positive role models that I really enjoyed being around. And then we moved here.

and I joined a dance studio here and it was okay it was just really different and they were just focused on different things than my studio in Saskatoon so they were really exam focused and I had to do a lot of catch up because we hadn't been in Saskatoon so to be with the better groups I kind of had to do two exams a year to catch up and it just got frustrating for me and then by grade nine I had kind of started other sports in grade seven and eight and was like you know what I'm enjoying these more now so just yeah was kind of like move on but yeah the first few years we're just kind of shell shock like new school. A hard transition. Yeah new school you know kind of lose your main outlet and yeah and your group of friends and everything else. Yeah yeah so but yeah I adjusted once like I don't know if I mentioned it you come from a family of five girls five girls yeah five girls yeah yeah and poor father yeah yeah we always say that but we were lucky let but growing up he never said like he wished he had a boy or anything well I mean yeah no no I would never I would well and And when we were spread out enough, I think that nobody was really going through puberty at the same time, so it was okay.

What is the age span? They're my baby sister. I'm the oldest, and my baby sister's 17 years younger than me. So she's in high school still. Yeah. Holy man. She actually went to school with my kids, and it was really funny because only for a couple years, but they would walk down the hall and say, hi, auntie to her. And teachers are kind of like, what?

Sorry. So, yeah. Well, how old are you kids? Maddox is 13 and Shay's 12. I can take it right. Okay, yeah, yeah. So you're in a busy time. We were talking, you're bugging me on the way in here that I got a third on the way and I might be a different type of crazy.

Yeah, yeah. Well, we had ours, well, close to go. You know your first two are pretty close together too. Yeah, Irish twins. Yeah. Mine too, yeah. So Shay likes to say the days exactly because she was born 10 days before Maddox turned one. So she always says, we're 11 months and 20 days apart.

just to piss him off mostly. Oh, man, that is close. That's closer to our two. Our two are, I think it's 14 months. Yeah. Yeah, we were going to do like, no, we were going to do like three years between them and then it was like, yeah, three months.

Oh, crap. Maddox was three months. And we were like, oh, here we go again. All right. So, yeah. Yeah. But, yeah. Well, sorry.

So you grade nine then, right? Now you're getting into the volleyball then? Yeah, I played volleyball probably from grade 6 on, I guess. Just school volleyball. And like, so I don't know what that's. Well, I don't know. Now I watch my kids play and it's, yeah, it's good. It's a start.

Is volleyball the same way? I always defer to. I'm a hockey guy through and through. And I watch young kids now and how much hockey they play and how many different levels and how they can play summer hockey and be in camps and almost enough to make your head explode, right? Like, is it the same in volleyball, or is they starting to push it that way? Like, is it... Yeah, I think, I mean, I don't think it's quite at that level yet.

Like, you don't see volleyball academies, often not in Canada anyways. Maybe in Europe you would. But, like, when I was younger, there wasn't club volleyball. There was just school volleyball, and then you could play provincial volleyball in the summer. I'm a dummy. What is the difference between just regular volleyball and then club volleyball? Well, like schools will make a team. Typically, like, grade 5, 6, you'll see kids start in schools depending on the school programs and how many teachers want to volunteer to coach and whatnot.

So, and that season runs pretty short, like junior high and lower would be usually like a month, month and a half kind of thing. And then like seniorly. Yeah, yeah, they kind of do like a year-end wrap up and they just kind of play the other schools in town generally. Right. And then high school would run a little bit longer sometimes I think if they go as far as provincials at the end then they might go to November just before basketball kicks up basically and then your club volleyball depending on the program but some of them might start practicing as early as you know as soon as school volleyball season kind of ends so right when basketball kicks up they might be doing tryouts or if they are an invitational team then they'll already be so Lloyd so Lloyd didn't have it when you do

Now they do. Yeah. So is it like the comp has one? No, they're generally. Or is it just Lloyd? A lot of them will be college affiliated or university affiliated. And then others, parents who want to coach may just start a team and sponsor it and call it whatever. Yeah, but it's almost like a feeder system then for the college.

Yeah. Right? Yeah, exactly. That's. So then Lakeland has, I'm assuming in Lakeland has a club team now. Yeah, the wrestlers have been running club for. a few years now. It's definitely gotten stronger and stronger. Like, I think they used to only have kind of the older ages. And now I think they have, uh, you 14, so 14 and under kids. And then

anybody who doesn't kind of make that traveling team, they have a developmental program now that's pretty good. So they run like a big practice on Sunday and kind of all are welcome. Oh, that's cool. Yeah. So, yeah. That's different than, I mean, it's similar, but like hockey is just different beast, right? There's just so many avenues to go, right? Yeah. Well, both my kids play hockey, and yeah, that's just kind of year-round. It seems like we actually took spring hockey off this year for the first time in, I think, seven years, and it's been nice. What are the kids thinking of not playing spring hockey?

I thought they'd be itching for it, but they've actually been okay. Like, usually Maddox doesn't last very long before he's asking to go to the rink. But I think, like me being away with school this year, everybody was just ready like for some time yeah because i had this month and a half off too so it was like well we can do spring hockey and run around every weekend and not see each other or we can just chill out at home so yeah yeah we on the tvs and chill yeah i mean they're kind of at that age where this is probably the last year we can do that like if they're like she started club volleyball this year too so she continues on with that her season will get longer and longer this year was kind of just

a trial run for her. Me and a couple parents put a team together just for some fun, basically, and we went to three or four tournaments. I can't remember now. Four must have been. And yeah, and it was fun just to see the kids develop and get to experience volleyball a little bit and that. But yeah, if she stays in it, like, like, Janae plays, my youngest sister plays club volleyball,

and they're off to nationals right now. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah, they're off to Toronto, so. So club volleyball Do they have a league they play in? And then if you win league, you get to go to nationals? How does that work?

I think they changed it a few years ago just because it's expensive. So I think anybody can now register to go to nationals and compete. So it's just kind of, and I'm not sure if that's the same across all provinces, but I know that's how they run it in Saskatchewan now. So they did provincials two weeks ago, I believe, in Saskatchewan. one. And how do they do? They got bronze, I believe. It's not a bad story, Jane. Yeah, no, they, she's got a pretty good team. She plays out of Battleford now. And yeah, she's used 17 because she's in

grade 11. So I can see your brain work. I know. I'm like, I should know these things. It's been a whirlwind lately. I'm like, I don't know what's going on. But yeah, so they, they tear you. They tear you. based on your first few, they call them SAS Cups in Saskatchewan, so the club teams will go to those and there's like sometimes whatever 30 teams. So you kind of get, you do a round robin and get re-pooled and then you get tiered. Those are the, that's where you compete for your next tournaments kind of thing. So you really want to do well in your first tournaments and end up where you want to be. Otherwise you could sometimes if you're on that bubble, you'll end up lower and crushing everybody for your whole season, which is very good.

On a very simple sense, that's not that they do the same thing at like a slow pitch, but kind of like you can be in the top tier and get your ass kid. Yeah. Or you can drop down and win everybody. That's right. Yeah. Oh, cool. Yeah.

So you played high school volleyball then, right? Yeah, not even all my years because in grade 10 I switched to the comp and I happened to miss the first few days of school and miss out on tryouts. so I didn't get to be on the team that year. And what's that, your grade 10? Yeah. So your grade 10, you don't even play volleyball. No, well, I shouldn't say I didn't play, but I didn't play on the high school team.

So I didn't play, and then I knew some of the teachers who played in the rec leagues. And so that's the year I started playing Ladies League and Co-Ed, because at least I could go. That great tenure playing Co-ed even. Yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah, it was fun. So, yeah.

Actually, that's where I met Quentin, too. because I played with teachers. So I had this Jason Allman, this one teacher of mine at Holy Rosary, got me out to, on his team. My grade 12 year, I believe. Before that I would just mostly sub for people. I think I was on a sub list. How was it playing against a grown-ass man? I always liked it.

It's fun. Yeah, I don't know. You're competitive. Yeah. I just, it doesn't, I don't know. It doesn't intimidate me. Actually, my second year with the wrestlers, the team went on this Christmas trip to train down in San Diego. But it was just like it would have ate up my whole break with my kids.

So I opted out. And I trained with the men's team instead for the week that my team was gone. And how was that? It was fun. But you could see like the guys at first were kind of like, you know, they'd hit a ball at me. And they're like, oh, sorry, oh, sorry. And I'm like, oh, it's fine. If I was scared, I wouldn't come.

What's your worst injury? You remember? Like, because I've seen. Like, even women for that matter. I shouldn't just say men. Like, I just always, I went and watched Mel when she first started playing coin and Loan. I was like, holy crap, some of these guys can jump out of the gym.

And when they swing, well, Quentin's no slouch either, right? When they swing, they ain't being cute and friendly. They're trying to blow it right through the bottom of the floor. So have you had some bad injuries from volleyball? My worst injuries have been my ankle. I've sprayed my ankle a bazillion times. So my left ankles. You've never had a ball just shattered.

I've hit a, I've been hitting the head a few times. I've been domed, but I'm usually pretty good at tucking my chin so my nose doesn't get it. But Quentin did knock me over when we, before we were dating, when we were just competitors flirting through the nets. And yeah, he, he hit it at me, hit me in the chest. And he was pretty strong back then. So he's rocking the dad bod these days. But as he says, those are his words. So I'm allowed to use them.

Yeah. Well, the dad bodd's an in thing. It's in, yeah. So people try and tell me. I don't know if I believe it or not. Well, I mean, whatever. He's what? How tall is Quentin?

He's 6'4. His idea of the dad bought and my idea of the dad bought are two entirely different things. Yeah, he's doing up. As my listeners know, I am like 5'7 on good days. If I'm rocking the dad bot, nobody wants to see that. Well, yeah, I don't know if he does okay. He's getting. He's getting.

in shape again, he tells me. Are you guys still playing? Coet? Yeah. I guess you can't, right? Well, I couldn't during college, and then this year I was gone. Gone, yeah. It's been three years for me, so I miss my teams.

But I'll start up again this year, hopefully, if I can find someone to take me on, because our team kind of scattered to the winds there. Yeah. Wow. Hopefully Mel's ready to go by then. Well, she's due in October, so give her, I would say, one more year and then she'll be back. Perfect. Yeah.

Yeah. Perfect. So how... Rebuild the dream team. How in the heck then? Okay, so you don't even play your grade tenure. No. Then you play 11, 12.

Yeah. And in the meantime, you're playing a little bit of co-ed. You're playing women's league. Right? Yeah. There's no club team. Nope. Are you playing like summer volleyball?

No, I looked into trying out for Provincial a few times, but I, um, I looked into trying out for Provincial a few times, but I enjoyed track in high school, too, and I always went to the Legion track camps in the summer, so they conflicted with the provincial teams. So I had to choose one or the other. And I did track. I liked my summers, too. I played ball a little bit, too, so it was. Like, fastball? Like, yeah, softball. Like, yeah, softball. Like windmill pitch, sorry, called fastball, yeah. Yeah, I don't know. It's called softball when I played. Is it fastball now? The brothers were joking with me last episode but we all went around because we all grew up playing fastball at the time i was here i like when i was in my competitive years through i don't know what that is pee we banham those years

there was hardly a baseball program in lloyd no like it was hardly there so we all played fastball yeah win mel and whichever you want to call it and won western j my oldest brother won nationals right like yeah it was a pretty big thing here yeah for a long time now i mean baseball's everywhere right Yeah. There's still a team that plays fastball, though, isn't there? Men's? I thought there was. Maybe a few years back. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

I thought I knew. Doesn't, uh... Oh, now the name's slipped. I don't know. I don't know. I haven't heard... I know, like, the women's liners are still, like, big in town, right? But I don't know of any... All I ever hear is baseball. And they got that big, yeah, the vault right at Holesry now, the big in-field. Yeah, they do the...

Where they can do the training. Baseball Academy and I think softball academy too. I think you do one or the other. Yeah, yeah. I think you're right. Yeah. So you don't do anything volleyball, though. I mean, minus playing your grade 11, 12, some women, some rec.

Yeah. Then you go on and after you're done high school, you don't go play college, right? No, no, I didn't go to school. Well, there's nothing wrong with that. I went and played hockey for three years. I didn't really... Yeah. But, I mean, volleyball, once again, if you're not...

getting selected into an institute there isn't like well there's the ladies league or there's co-ed right like yeah and i shouldn't knock those no there's some good teams and think i'm knocking this there's some very talented volleyball players you mentioned one of them as one of the guys he played with was uh um principal of uh the comp erin canfield erin canfield yeah as i know and i've been on talked about on here several times actually is being yeah you and kenny talked about yeah right like he's a superstar yeah he's yeah he yeah he's yeah he's yeah he's yeah he's is phenomenal. So the first time I played with Aaron, Quentin and I were, we must have been engaged or married. I'm not sure. We were on the same team anyways for the first time and we needed a sub.

And Aaron wasn't playing in the league on a team. And I had never played against him. So he must not have played for a few years. Like I'm not sure if he had played any volleyball for quite a few years when he came out. And he, yeah, he showed up. And Aaron kind of looks more like a, like he looks like a hockey player to me. Like he's a big guy and he's tall, but he's like volleyball guys are like sky tall and lanky. And Aaron doesn't really look like that. You understand he is a phenomenal hockey player? Well, yeah, I understand that too.

I mean, I've heard he's just good at all he does. Well, that's true. There you go. That is very true. But yeah, he kind of showed up and Quentin had talked him up and like, like, Quentin's like taller than him. And I'm going like, really? This guy. guessing this guy well no like I did and I I didn't mean if like he looked like he had could was an

athlete for sure but it just like when you it wasn't what you picture when you see like volleyball guy in your mind and then yeah within five minutes of the game I was like well this guy is good yeah and he just understood the game on I mean I think I was whatever 20 or 21 at the time on a level I well it's still probably not on so yeah it was just like and it made it everything thing look easy. It's like, how did you get that ball, A, and why aren't you on the ground in some awkward position B? Like, it's just, yeah, just really good. He is a big man. He can move. Yeah. In hockey sense, I've seen, there's very few guys. I've seen him walk across the blue line, let a slap shot go top shelf. The goalie knows he come and everybody knows it's coming. He's done it three times in the game.

And it still goes in, right? Like, yeah, the guy was that good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I heard he's a good at ball, too, so there you go. Just we're just pumping his tires, eh? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, this show is about Aaron Canfield now. So you go, okay, so you go through high school, you come out, now you get married, you have two kids. Yeah. You're working. Yeah, I was home with them for until I think Shea was four. And I worked from home a bit, kind of odds and ends and started doing safety for my dad's company.

And then I had a little stint with a clothing store for a few. years so that kept me busy and then I can imagine yeah and then when that was done it was uh yeah we were just kind of like okay what next I kind of always need to have seems like I need to have six or seven balls in the air to be happy I don't know why I was antsy I guess and um so I kind of said to Quinn we were having a little bit of baby fever and I said either another baby or I'm going back to school and he kind of drug us feet a little bit and so yeah I ended up back in school and um got accepted into Lakeland because I decided I thought teaching would be a good fit because I really enjoyed coaching and being around the kids and their friends. I liked them when they were little too, but as they were getting older, I was like, geez, it's kind of neat to be around these kids that are like, you know, when the light bulbs go off and they figure stuff out, it's kind of neat. So, and then just coaching. I was just thinking it would be awesome to be at the school because then your boss is never going to be mad that you want to coach something. Like, they're always looking for teachers to step up. So, um, Yeah, we were looking at that, and Lakeland had the transfer to either U of S or U of A for me for my Bachelor of Education, and we knew it would be two years there, and then by then the kids should be okay if I had to be kind of commuting for a year, and we'd get through it.

So I'm really curious about this. So how old are you when you decided to go back to school? I would have just turned 30, I think, or just after 30. Okay. So just after 30. So I'm 33 now. Yeah. I'm just thinking like, okay, so what was the conversation like with you and Quentin when you're like, you know what?

I'm going back to school. I can get that. Actually, I can hear that conversation going on quite well. Yeah. That's great. Okay. Great. Okay.

Cool. And then for two, and out of the four years that I got to go to school, two of them, I'm going to live in Saskatoon. Yeah. Well, it's funny because he had always said, like, ever since we were first together, like, you'd make a great teacher and I'm like oh no like I had no interest when I was younger in teaching and like I'm like that's just hurting cats like no thanks and so it was kind of funny because I it kind of crossed my mind a few times in the years before I decided to go back but I was just kind of like I don't know and then it started kind of being a recurring idea and so then I kind of brought it up

and he's like kind of rolled his eyes at me because he's he's been saying I told you so like You know, of course, of course you want to do that. And so, yeah, we, we kind of looked into it together and researched it and saw, like, what would be available and what we'd have to do. And we just kind of, like I said, projected the timeline and the age the kids would be in there. They're pretty independent and they've grown up, you know, She's so close in Maddox's age that they're kind of at the same stage almost, even though she's a year younger. So, yeah, we just, they were at, we knew they'd be at an age where they could be alone for a little bit

the house and handle themselves and hopefully like not burn the place down and if he was working or whatever and we figured it would work and then he's actually the one that was like you should play volleyball and I laughed at him again I was like no like you're crazy that's not going to work that does not fit at all we're busy and yeah he kind of started dragging me to the games and trying to get me to get the itch because he played well he played one year of volleyball for the wrestlers too actually I actually found that out today. Yeah. Yeah, that's how he knows Kenny.

That's right. Yeah, so he played in, and back then they played out of Vermillion. But yeah, he played one year there and then decided he wanted to pursue baseball. So he got scholarship down to the States and played ball, but he loved his college sports. So he was like, you should experience this. Like, it's such a blast. Like, you got to do it. And I, at first again, I was like, absolutely not.

Like, there's not one part of me, like, that I didn't even, I didn't even look into college sports. when I was, you know, college sports age. Right. And I was like, I don't even know, is there a rule? Like, can you even play when you're over 30? Like, I had no idea. You have college eligibility. Yeah, I had no idea, but I was like, that sounds stupid.

Like, no. So, yeah, for the first month, it was just him. And then he got, like, Kyle and Liv on board. And Dez, a friend of ours who had played for the wrestlers and a few other teams to kind to kind of start picking at me because they were like, you should do it. I mean, the co-ed teams that you played on women's teams, you're surrounded by a lot of talented volleyball players. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And a lot of people who have played, like, yeah, Des and Mel, like, and a lot of the tournaments we would travel to, like, well, we took Mel to a tournament.

I think the first year she was up here. And, yeah, it's, it's, those tournaments are always, they're always a mixed bag. Like, you get some of the teams that are just kind of like, you know, people who like the sport, but don't necessarily, I don't. understand it or aren't necessarily gifted at it, but they go and they have fun. And those teams are still fun to play because you usually play like five games in a day. So like it's hard on the body. So you're almost thankful when you come across those teams and you can kind of just go easy and rest your knees a bit. But you always come up against a few teams that have like ex-national or ex-university girls on it. So it's always a fun challenge. Yeah, you were mentioning that, that you guys came up against an ex-national girl and you thought you were going to,

Yeah, we were trying to be, we were trying to be slick. We were strategizing. So generally in volleyball warmups, both teams, once they're kind of getting loose in limber, they'll do a hitting warm up and the setter just sets the ball up and hitters hit against no block. So generally, I mean, it looks really impressive because you don't have any defense playing against you. But this girl that we were watching who had to be six foot two, I'm thinking, and you could just tell she had played some level, and we didn't know what level at that point.

And she was warming up and hitting with her left arm quite well. And so we're like, okay, she's a lefty. How do we want to set up our lineup? And we're like, okay, well, if she's a lefty, let's put Des out on that side so she can block her because Des was our tallest, probably best blocker that weekend. And so we're like, perfect, we'll get Des on her. She's a lefty.

We'll cut that angle off. we'll make her have to hit a harder angle. That's not as easy for a lefty to hit. And we'll shift our defense this way and we'll pick it up. No problem. And then the first, we got served, we serve the ball. They pass it. Of course, set this girl, because who else are you going to set when she's in the front

row? And she just absolutely creams it. So T-line is the volleyball term, which is basically like one meter behind the net. Well, it's two meters, but she didn't even hit that. she was one meter behind the net. So with her right arm and we're like, she's not a lefty. She was messing with us. Did you ask her after why she was warming up with her left?

No. Did she at least take her for like a beer and be like, what the hell was that? Oh, no, we just shook around and we were like, great swings. Like, yep, you got us. Like, yeah, not much to say about it. But, yeah, both, well, my coach, Austin Dyer at wrestlers and then his friend Mark Dodds, who coaches the U of S. Huskies, they both have a saying.

And it's, you can't teach tall. And it's very true in volleyball. That's true. I like the, what I took out of that story when I sent off the questionnaire and you sent it back because you wrote a little comment in there, I've always preferred playing people above my skill level. The challenge is better. And that's always when you improve.

I thought that was very playing above your playing up instead of playing down. Yeah, I don't enjoy games when you crush teams. Like usually if I'm doing that on a team, I try to, we'll be like, okay, we'll play out a position. Like everybody play something they're not used to and, you know, or work on something else or only swing with your wrong arm or whatever because. We might as be improving ourselves and just kind of going through the motions. Yeah, but I do find like any time you play, I mean like playing that girl, like you had to give your all to even try to dig a ball or try to keep it alive.

And it just makes you better. I don't know. So at what point then, knowing that quote, when you're watching the lady wrestlers and going, I'm going to go to school here, Quentin's pushing me to try and play this. At what point did you go, all right, I can maybe give it a shot? I'm trying to think when the shift happened because, like I said, the first month, I was like, you're being, like, we're busy, our kids are in sports. I'm going to already be tackling school, which is going to be new.

I'm going to have homework. Like, that's way too much. Are you working? still at this point? Mm-hmm. Yeah, I've worked. So you're working, I mean, I'm still doing dad's safety. Yeah.

So I have flexibility of hours, which is nice. Yeah, but you're still working. Yeah. You got two kids, which from all accounts of what I've heard, as I complain about how young mine are and keep me busy, as they get older, they don't get easier. So. Well, they get easier in some ways because they're independent, but you're running, you're just as busy.

It's just a new kind of busy because they're, if you're a family who likes to be active, which we are. We keep them in as much stuff as we can to keep them out of trouble. So then you stack on a course load. Yeah. So when the heck does it become like, you know what? I think I could roll with some volleyball. I think it was, we were watching a game, and it was a good game,

and I was kind of tense and up with the plays, like following the plays, and maybe you do that when you watch hockey. Like, you know what's going to happen, and you kind of like, oh, I hope it ends up this way. And Quinn I yell at the TV. That's what I do. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, and I was probably doing that too. I'm a pretty analytical person when I watch other, anybody play anything that I understand even slightly or think I understand even slightly. So, um, but yeah, I think Quinn just looked at me and rolled his eyes and was like, why don't you just email the coach already? I was like, fine. I'll look into it. But I'm not saying that I'm in.

I'm just going to see what it's like and see if it could be feasible and if our schedule could handle it. because he was like, you're probably still going to have, like, days off and whatever else. So check it out. And, yeah, so then I. So then you email the coach? Yeah. As simple as that?

Well, so it wasn't at first because being the age I am and everything else, you know, I just, I guess it was in my own head because Austin didn't take it that way at all. But when I was sending the email at first, I, you know, was pretty like vague about like my whole. have mentioned that day. Did you talk to him today? Yeah, I did. Yeah. So my first email was kind of like, hey, not sure if you're still looking for players or anything, but I'm wondering when you do your recruiting and what that looks like and what, because at this point, I'm completely ignorant to the way college sports works because I've never looked into them, never had interest in playing them previously, and I've had friends who've played, but I never really asked them

about the, like, I guess the mechanics of it all, how it all comes together. Like, I knew they played and knew about their experience with the playing side, but not the rest. So I'm just super vague email, and he emails me back, and he's like, yeah, cool, send me some game footage. And that's when the rails kind of fell off because I was like, yeah, I don't exactly have a YouTube channel because apparently that's how the kids do it these days to get recruited as they all have. That doesn't surprise. You know, game footage channels and whatever else.

And so I was... You can actually, in hockey, you can actually pay to subscribe to a website where you just upload your footage and you actually get an actual, like, college recruitment site of your own. Yeah, it's crazy, that kind of thing. But obviously, I was not doing that. And, um... No, you're worried about two kids and work and everything else, right?

Well, and I mean, even, even co-ed, like, yeah, we had some competitive games, but, I mean, also probably like, at least half the time we were having... having beers before we were going. So it wasn't necessarily something I wanted to film and show anybody, you know? So it's just like, um, yeah, okay, I'm going to need to give some more information here. So, uh, yeah, the second email was a little longer and a little more explanation. And I actually think I'm pretty sure that I said something similar to him as what I said to you about that. Or I think it was more about I'd rather lose, but have played like an awesome. game, then win against a crappy team. Like, that's just, I, like, competition wakes me up. It

doesn't shut me down. And that's what I like. So, um, I was like, I'm up for the challenge. And if you'd be willing to, you know, just let me come in the gym and see what it's like. And then we can have a talk and see if it's a fit and whatever else. And so he's like, yeah, we actually are practicing next week. Do you want to come? And I was like, oh, God, okay. Like, that was fast. And so showed up to a practice. And how, how let's go over the first practice? Because I'm trying to, whenever I go anywhere new, whether, and it's in hockey, which I've been very successful at for the most part compared to some, I guess. No matter where I go, I get like butterflies like crazy, right? I get nervous.

Nervous just means I'm in it, right? I want to do good. And then when you get on the floor, it just kind of goes away and you're like, oh yeah, I remember this. I'm okay. Yeah. I can't imagine being 30, though. And I always put, I talk like 30 so old. 30 is not that old.

But 30 when we were 18. Yeah, right? Like in college sports, 30 is old. Yep. Right? You're like, I mean, I'm assuming you're playing with some 18 year olds. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Like, I mean, 18 to 23, 24, but there were fewer at the older age than the younger. Oh, there had been some just gem of conversations. And you're just like, uh-huh. Well, so it was kind of the same. Well, no, because I mean, I have four younger sisters and they're like a few of them are in that age too. And I don't know. I get a kick out of all of it.

It's just to me it was, it was easy to handle. And that was one thing Austin and I discussed when he was like, yeah, for sure, I want you if you want to play. But I want you to think about it and make sure like he's going to handle being around this group of young girls as much as you're going to be. And, you know, and I thought about it. And I was like, I've had a lot of practice walking away when I've had enough of young. younger girls, you know, so I'm like, I think I'll be all right. So what was going into the first practice like that? Um, I was, I was, I guess I was a little nervous, but not overly. I think because at that point, I still wasn't even sure if it was going to be a fit for me. So I wasn't really

overly worried about any rejection that may happen, I think. I was just kind of like, we'll see. Like, I don't know. I'm just checking this out, just trying it on, you know, and seeing how it is. But, um, no, it was good. And I mean, now that I know Austin's process, like, it was a hard practice. And I wasn't in the best shape I've ever been in at the time, just busy with kids and whatever. And the gym starts to slip. And I mean, I wasn't in terrible shape, but I wasn't in great shape. And he likes to do a lot of really hard drills when new people come into the gym, just to see kind of what they're made of. You know, yeah.

Push them to their limit. Yeah, yeah. So definitely any time after that, once I was on the team, I started to realize, oh, yeah, you do this when new recurrence gum, I see. And, uh, but yeah, no, it was, it was still, I had a blast. So that was fun. And I, I enjoyed the team. And it was, yeah, it was, it was good. And then we just chatted after he held me back and, and said, yeah, like, absolutely, like, let me know. And then we kind of miscommunicated because I thought I was waiting to hear from him and he was waiting to hear from me. And so like two weeks later, I think, Quentin was kind of like,

well, what did you decide? And at that point, I was like, well, I think I want to, but I, like, I haven't heard from him. So I don't know. Maybe he doesn't want me. But I had been at all the postseason practices because after the first night, he's like, yeah, here's our practice schedule for the next two weeks if he want to come. And so I think there was only two that I couldn't because I had alternative things with the kids. But, yeah, I had enjoyed it more and more, the more, the more I went. So, yeah.

And then all of a sudden I got a message from him. And he's like, so I need an answer, you know? And I was like, oh, sorry, I was waiting here from you. Like, yeah, sure, I'm in. Like, sounds good. So what did you do? Okay, so then you got the summer to kind of get ready to hop into college volleyball. Yeah, so I worked my tail off because there was no way I was going to come in there and be that old broad who couldn't keep up.

So, yeah, just hit the gym and had Quentin, you know, there to come. Whoop you in the shape. Yep. I convinced Liv and Kyle to come and do a few of the bike workouts with me by lying to them what they were. So you worked on cardio mainly then? Or did you work? Kind of circuit training. Like volleyball, you don't need to be able to do long bursts because your rallies are usually under a minute.

So you need to be able to go hard, go hard, go hard, and then recover. So a lot of circuit training for volleyball. A lot of jump training too, so you could jump higher. So a lot of box jumps. skipping that kind of thing. Yeah. So then you start. What's your first, like, because did you start your first game?

Yeah. So we did a month and a half of preseason, month and a half to two months of preseason training. And so we run lots of double practices and you pretty much go every day, which I wasn't really prepared for. I knew the schedule, but I didn't realize that preseason was going to be above and beyond as well. And so, yeah, mentally that was a tough month to address to just because of that. And I also was kind of under the impression that that's how the whole season would be. I didn't understand that it was just this is preseason, whip your butts into shape kind of thing.

So what did preseason include that was so tough then? Um, workouts were a little tougher and we didn't have very many Sundays off. So once league hit, then um, we had every Sunday off. Uh, and then if we had had like us particularly, um, you know, if Friday and Saturday both went to long, long games, because you could play best of five. Um, so if both days went to five, then usually whoever started had Monday practice off as well kind of thing to recover. So just, yeah, you know, I, you're the first woman. ever had on here and usually I commend all the wives because you know to put up with some of the stupid things we do and not this is stupid I don't mean that no I mean like yeah the things we put

our significant other through and I'm listening yeah I'm going man I don't want to give Quinn too much credit oh you can give him all the credit that's pretty cool of a guy to uh yeah I don't be at times almost single father in it right like yeah totally doing an awful lot yeah no he um he really stepped up and stepped into it and he really didn't complain once through the whole two years of it. And he's humble about it too. I talked to him today too. He goes, I didn't do anything.

Yeah. He didn't, I mean, he's always a hands-on dad, so he didn't do that much more. But like in his mind, he didn't. But in my mind, he did. And it's not something typical that any spouse can handle, you know. It's super freaking cool. It's what it is. Yeah.

We live in a world where it's like something stupid, like 50% of marriages and in divorce. Yeah. You see people all the time. They just first like five months of divorce. And you're like, you haven't even hit a bump yet, let alone frigging what you guys are doing. This is a bump. It's just a lot of time apart. It's a lot of like.

Yeah. Well, and it's not even, you know, it's not even, wasn't even something that I was like, hey, I have this idea and I want to do it. It was him who was like, you should do this. Yeah. You would really benefit from this. And it'd be a great experience for you. you. And for me, as a mom, and I'm sure a lot of moms feel this too, like we always never feel like enough of our time goes to our kids. So that was hard to wrap my head around too. And about

three months in, he had to say, like, everybody's fine. Like, you can just enjoy this now. Like, we're all fine. The kids are fine. And really, like, most of the nights when I was practicing, they were at practice too. So the only thing that was different was I wasn't at their practice watching them. Which thinking about that, I'm like, my parents never came in watched me practice. I don't know why this generation feels like they have to go watch their kids practice everything. It's kind of odd. And so as much as I, I mean, I still go now that volleyball's done. I go lots. And it's nice to be there. But sometimes, yeah, Quentin's like, well, your parents didn't go watch you practice. You were never mad about it. And I was like, oh, yeah, I guess you're right.

I can't remember if my parents came and watched me. I just remember early morning practices. Mom had to have been there for that. But dad worked all the time. Honestly, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if my parents came and watched it. Yeah. I mean, definitely not my practices. They were at a lot of my games and whatnot, but yeah. You think there's something different with the generations then? Uh, yeah, I do. Yeah. It's not necessarily worse. I don't know if you might get, you know, like, we're becoming pretty big on the old podcast, right? Like, you might get 20 angry emails. Well, I mean, they can bring them, I guess. I don't know. I'm kidding. I don't think you can get any angry.

Yeah, no. Everybody, every. I think that, like I said, I don't know if it's better or worse. Like, I think there's pros and cons, right? Like, but I do think, yeah, parents are pretty, and maybe because they can be, right? Like, life has changed. A lot of things are more convenient in our lives than they used to be. So maybe there's just more time.

People have less, and people have less children than they used to. I mean, my mom had five of us. Like, she couldn't come and watch my practice. I bet you if I did a tally on all the people I've had on, they've almost, all come from big families. I mean, there's been a couple exceptions. It seems like everybody comes from like families of five back in the day and now three is a big family. Yeah, like you, you're breaking the norm. Yeah, I'm feeling pretty nuts so right now except when I think about it, dad had five kids by now. Yeah. Then I just got to remind myself that. Yeah, like, you know, I'll be okay. I'll survive.

I'll survive. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, so. No, they, they did great. And, um, Maddox probably the first year like I well I think he was just like me like we just didn't know a lot about the college volleyball world so when we made nationals that year like he was like what like and and then he was like because he's ultra competitive so then he was the one that was like a baby of yours and Quintz is alter competitive I think if there's one thing I know about the Stanley's is that you're ultra competitive yeah yeah we don't take much lightly um but yeah after we won he was like the number one fan and was like he was actually the one that was like you got to play a second year like and he hadn't come and watched a lot the first year because quentin would be like do you want to come watch mom or do you want to and i didn't want them to have to come so i was kind of like whatever if they want to come they can come shay love to come because she loved to come in the dressing room with the girls and and kind of be part of the team that way and stuff too but maddox was a little shy to do that the first year but second year he was like all in he wanted to come and listen to you know coach

is game plan and whatever else. And every week it was like, what are you ranked? What are you ranked right now? Like, league hasn't started. We're still ranked first. We're still the champs. Like, I don't know. Well, let's go back a little bit here.

Do you remember then stepping on for your first, was it a big deal to step on to your first regular season game? My first game in league, I was still super uncomfortable with the middle position that I had been assigned. Oh, because you've been switched roles. Yeah. And I mean, I had played middle in high school and when we in ladies league, if I happened to be the tallest person I would play. But we didn't run a fast offense. So the ball was put like quite high. You have a lot of time to find it and whatever.

And not the fastest of players. And I'm a little bit uncoordinated too as athletes go. So as a lot of volleyball players happen to be. But yeah, especially being. And so, yeah, coming in, Austin Hood kind of said, well, what positions have you played? And I'm like, well, really, I've played a bit of everything. I'm like, you definitely don't want me setting. I've only set in co-ed when our setters end up pregnant and we're short a setter. And so I stepped into it just so we had somebody as a backup, but definitely not the nicest hands. So I'm like, you don't want me running your offense.

But I'm like, but I've been everywhere and I'm just excited for a chance to practice with the team and whatever. I don't care. Put me wherever. But then you go on. you start in middle. Yeah. Like, you go from playing in,

everybody just kind of glazes over this. This is what I like about your stories. You go from like, I don't mean nothing, but you're playing in a gym at probably nine o'clock at night having a couple suds in you. Right?

Everybody's having a grand old time. You got two fans there in the back talking about whatever and they're cheering the odd clap for cousin Bob because he hit one over the neck, right? I don't even know if there are fans. That's right. Maybe husbands.

Like you once in a while. Now you're traveling to, and I wasn't cheering. I was, I was, I don't know what I was doing. You were a couple beers in probably. That's right, that's right. But now you're, now you're traveling to what? Eminton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Grand Prairie. Yeah, Calgary and Lethbridge were in the south, so we didn't go there.

Right, right to divisions. But, yeah, Grand Prairie, Fort McMurray, Camrose, and, yeah, Edmonton area. You get my point. Now you're like, I'm just assume it feels like the bus. big time. For me, it seems like it's a big time. Now you're driving all over the place. Playing volleyball, playing in front of decent crowds, I assume. Yeah, there were some decent crowds. Definitely the, I think our best crowd was actually, um, for sure for conference. We hosted conference my first year. That crowd was unreal. It was so fun. And it was a home crowd, so it felt special.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that was unbelievable. Well, what was it like playing in front of like, I'm a crowd guy. Yeah. I love having fans in, in your corner, even against you. Even against you. I was just good to say that. It's cool. It's cool to have people there watching. Yes. Like some players, there were definitely players on our team who could be distracted by that and put off by it. But I think it's kind of that same thing of like I'd rather play somebody better.

So if somebody's like yelling like, you're going to miss your serve or whatever, I'm like, all right. Like here we go. You know, and yeah, it's funny. My mom knows I'm like that too. So she knows when the crowd gets rowdy. She's like, because middle players typically, well, in our team, they sub out of the back row. So you serve your ball. And then you have a back row defensive specialist who plays your back row position for you.

And you come back on the court in the front. So if I was ever off the court when something rowdy was happening, my mom was like, oh, I couldn't wait until you got back on because you would always be like fire in your eyes, like ready to go. Because, yeah, it's just kind of like I like to, there's nothing better than making people who are heckling you have to be quiet because there's nothing left to. a heckle right, right, yeah. So I don't know. But yeah. I don't know. Yeah, so starting like the first league game, because in preseason, my first year,

I had kind of played a little bit everywhere other than setting. But in the front row, yeah, I had played a little bit on the outside and a little bit in the middle. And I was definitely more comfortable on the outside. But Austin said, no, you're going to be middle. I was like, okay. And so then it was having to adjust to the fast offense. So instead of those high loopy sets that you have time to find and figure out,

you have to be in the air basically as your setters getting the ball. And if you're not, you're late and it's not going to work. So because, yeah, you have to beat the blocker on the other side, basically. So they speed everything up. Yeah. And so it took me a really long time to adjust to that. So I was pretty uncomfortable. and the first few games starting, I was still uncomfortable.

So it wasn't so much lack of confidence as just frustration. Did that frustration ever turn into like where you're like, I don't know if I can do this anymore? Not by that point. When we were still in preseason and I was getting my ass kicked, I think I had lost like 14 pounds or something in the first two weeks. And that's when I was like, wow, I need a carb load a little more than I am. So the bagels and the pasta got reintroduced into my diet, which I hadn't really eaten a lot of in a few years.

Yeah. Because I didn't eat them because it wasn't that active. But yeah, there was a point, I think about a month in before league started. And yeah, I just was kind of homework was piling up and it was just getting to be a lot. And that mom guilt was kind of getting it to me. And Quinn and I were in bed and I said, So when you, like, did your college thing, did you, like, love all of it? And he's like, what do you mean?

And I'm like, like, were the practice is hard? Like, did you ever feel overwhelmed or tired? Like, you just couldn't do it anymore? And he was, he thought for a minute. And he's like, no, I loved everything about it. He's like, and he's not a morning guy. And he's like, I get up at five and go do my workouts. And he was like, I was like, oh.

This was kind of like crap. Like I was, you know, because if he had said, like, yeah, sometimes it was hard. I think I could have been like, oh, okay, so this is normal. And I was like, hmm, maybe this was a mistake, you know? And yeah, I definitely had some doubt. And Austin could tell, like, for sure, because he, we had a team meeting and he kept me back. And he's like, how's it going? And I was like, ah, it's been a rough month.

But it was like the end of preseason. And he had just kind of explained, like, now league starts and now this is our schedule and it's going to be better. And so I was like, I'll be okay now. Like, I'm okay. And, yeah, when I kind of hit my low spot, there was actually. actually two other girls who quit that week. And like, I think maybe two days after I had had that talk with Quentin. So definitely there were some doubt in my mind and going like, uh, you know, I don't know,

this is maybe a lot. And it's just too much at once. And, um, but then those girls quit. So it left our team pretty small. And I was like, ooh, really like, I'm going to be leaving these guys high and dry if they lose one more body. So I better just stick around. Usually isn't that the, not the old saying.

I think the advice is when you think you're at your weakest, that's the time to push on or the time you don't want to go, that's when you go. Because if you can push through those moments, those are the big learning. Yeah. And I generally don't like making decisions when I feel that way. I also kind of make that a rule in the way I live my life, I guess, when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Like, that's not a good time to make a decision because that's when you let your emotion dictate it. So I definitely like I had talked to Quinn and he's like you have to give it till Christmas at least and then those girls Had decided that they weren't going to continue that year and then I just said to him I'm like well I guess I'm in for the year like I can't

You know cannot be whatever I'm glad you stayed for the year right like it was a good decision in the end I mean it ain't like okay so that you start playing like at what point do you think you're looking around okay you know You know getting I don't know if I keep up the offense okay now I get the offense all right now playing in front of crowds too, that's kind of cool. Yeah. And then all of a sudden you guys look around and you're actually a pretty good volleyball team. Yeah. Well, yeah, and I don't know if I ever completely caught up to the offense. I think they ran it a little slower for me, which was good. But we found a rhythm that worked.

And yeah, there were, so my first year, there would have been three other starters who were in their third year, who were all really good. Our setter, Ray, was amazing. and our two outside hitters. So when you have good outside hitters and a good setter, like you're already laughing. And then the other starting middle was in her fourth year. So she was a phenomenal person to learn from and play with as well. So we had a pretty strong core just with those four on the court.

And then Avery as well, who played right side, was in her second year. and she has a lot of interesting hits that are really hard to defend. I actually, like, when we played each other in practice always, I hated blocking her so much because she just, you'd like, okay, I got her. And then she'd do like a cut shot. And you're like, oh, how do you do that? So, yeah, it was a strong core. And then, yeah, things just clicked at the right time.

And still, even when we got to conference, I still wasn't like, I didn't have time to, like, look into all this stuff. I was just kind of rolling with, going with the flow, you know? And so it was like, oh, so if we win this, we can go on? Like what? If we win, we can go to a national championship? I guess that sounds fun, yeah? Just sign me up for that too.

Yeah. So it was, yeah, it was neat. But yeah. So then you win, but then, like, you win, right? And the crowd goes absolutely ballistic, right? Yeah, that was a cool moment. Like, everyone rushed off the bleachers at conference at home when we won. Yeah.

At any point, is this just like surreal? And you're just like sitting there going like, what did I? Like, this is kind of cool. Yeah. Yeah, that was probably the moment. And it was like, oh, okay. And two more weeks. And then we're going to be in Victoria playing for nationals.

And Austin had always said like when you get an older team, that's when you have a chance of doing that. So he had kind of been saying since the beginning of the year that when that core group were in their fifth year, that that year, he, he, had kind of said like if you guys stick around for five years like we can go you know and so even he said like this wasn't supposed to happen yet this year um yeah and then we go to nationals and i think we were kind of like this unexpected group that uh everybody kind of underestimated there which was to our advantage but still like so so then you go to nationals who are you playing in nationals um we beat commosin in their gym they they hosted uh where's commosin uh on In Victoria.

Victoria. Oh, sorry, yeah, duh. Victoria. But what other teams would have been there that you're playing? So we played VIU in our semifinal, and they're the team that knocked us out the second year in the semifinal. So I apologize. I don't know all the teams.

So that's Victoria University. Yeah. And so they're a big school. But that's the thing, too, is a lot of these colleges, like you look at their population of their campuses, and some of them are like, you know, 26,000 people. So they're pooling from that many students and Lakelands like just over 2000, I think. So David versus Goliath.

Yeah, it was good. It was fun. So how many teams go to national? 10, I believe. Yeah. Yeah. So the, and then they seed based on who medals. So like Alberta has a really strong league and BC has a really strong league.

so they typically have two representatives and then they'll be like Ontario and Quebec and the East Coast kind of thing so yeah so you guys win that all yeah

first time Lakelands ever done that yeah they had hosted a few years before that and they meddled silver Des played with that team actually does when they hosted yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah so they had a silver so now they've all three colors. I think I'm more excited about this than you are. How is that possible? Well, I've had a few

years to sit in it. My household got a little sick of it because everything we played for the next year, you know, until we lost our title. But, you know, we could be playing like cribbage and Maddox would beat me and I'm like, yeah, but are you a national champion? No, no, no, you're not. And then Quentin, after about six months of it was like, okay, like, yeah, you can lay off any time now. We got it. It's like, all right, all right. Right. Still, though, like, to go from, that's what I loved about the story when I first talked about you, right?

Like, when I approached you, I was like, okay, so you go from playing ladies in co-ed volleyball to, I just love how you didn't even understand what was, you know, like, it doesn't, like, it's like Dwayne Perlitt last, the other week, right? He was this goalie, this big goalie who didn't know about the Bannum draft. Yeah. All of a sudden, he's drafted to the dub and he's like, oh, yeah, sure, I'll show up. And I'm like, like, what? Like, what are you guys doing?

Like, this is so cool. So you just, you know, you go and you work hard. But I think that's one of the things that you kind of underlined in the cliff notes of this has been that when you went, you put in the extra effort. You made sure you didn't show up like, I'm just going to kind of see how it goes. And if I'm a bench player, I'm a bench player, but I get to ride along, right? Yeah. And I think for me, like I wasn't sure if I'd be a starter, but I, like I said, in practices

and in workouts, I was not going to be the weakling. Like, that's not my style. So I was like, I was going to be one of the fastest. I was going to be one of the highest jumpers. I was going to do all that. We never, I was saying to Austin, actually, when I talked to him, right? Like in college for hockey, we had guys walk on. Never anyone your age.

We always had, we always had like 18-year-olds, that kind of thing. But it would have been cool to have had some. somebody come on and because I mean like life experience that you would have had up until that point compared to an 18 year old walking in like it's just yeah different worlds colliding right and then to see how hard you're working at it and your mentality yeah would be would probably feed on on the other girls I would assume I don't know maybe hopefully hopefully it did yeah so then you win the national championship you glowed about it for a while with your family you know you rub it in a couple of coverage games.

Yep. That's the only likely thing to do. Yeah. You were saying the next year you guys actually only lost two games? Yeah, in our regular season or in our league season and including conference. And so we repeated at conference, kept our gold because gold and silver from Alberta get to move on. Move on.

But we grabbed the gold and we had only one or lost one league game that season. up until that point. And then at nationals, we lost our semi. So that was our second loss of the whole year. So that was, that was a fun season. Oh, man. Like that's, that's like a crazy career you've had for two years. Yeah, it was pretty good. But you still should have two years left, yes? I'm going to have three if I wanted. Three, correct, right? Sorry, sorry. Yeah. I don't suppose you're going back to defend your title if they ever host. Oh, I don't know. I don't know if these knees could do another That was not a no. That was not a no.

But let me tell you, jumpers knee is real, and I had never had knee problems until after about a year and a little bit of this. And then it was a lot. So we'll see. I'd need a knee brace or maybe a surgery or something. But Austin always jokes. He says that he's going to try to get me back

when Jeney finishes school and have her there too so we can play together. Play together. Hey, that'd be cool. But I said, yeah, no thanks. I don't want my baby sister to show me up. I'll retire before then. Well, it's been really cool hearing your story. Thanks.

I mean, I got to sit afar from it because I remember watching you play with Mel. And then when you decided to go, I was like, oh, that's kind of cool. You don't hear that. And I wasn't sure how you're going to do, to be completely honest. Like, I was like, going back at that age, competing against those young girls. Like, there's going to be some talented volleyball players. And then we came and watched you. And, like, you guys were really good.

Like it was, I always, I always, uh, I always enjoy women's volleyball and all the guys always joke. Oh, it's because of the shorts. I laugh. I say, the women's volleyball is intense. Like, it's back and forth. It's so quick. Longer rallies, usually. But it's just so quick. The fans get into it. It's easy as a fan to get into it because there's lots of scoring, right? Like you go to a soccer match. Yeah. And it just takes forever hell of a hockey game. It takes forever half the time, right?

Yeah. And so any volleyball game you go to, it's just like, there's so much like there's a good atmosphere. You got to pay attention to it. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Because it happens. I see it to me.

But like it happens quick that way. Yeah. So now, now you're going to school in U ofS., right? Yeah, I spent this year there starting, I did spring session last May June. Yeah. So I did two months. It's gotten long.

Yeah. Yeah. We did pretty good. And every time it seems to get where we're all at our wits end with it, I think probably me more than the rest of them, as per usual. But, and Quinton, again, has done awesome. But yeah, we, it was definitely, I think after doing volleyball for two years, I was under the impression that this year wouldn't be.

bad because I was used to being busy, but not being home every night because with volleyball, I really was. Like, there was only the odd time when I wasn't home at night for that kind of bedtime routine and, like, say good night and have a chat with my kids and maybe play a game of cards or whatever as a family and still eat supper together. And it was like, yeah, I was really hard, especially my first term this year. I was going in Sunday night because I would have to leave so early with daylight savings. Monday morning to make it for class, so it just wasn't really feasible.

So I'd go in Sunday nights and I wouldn't be home until later Thursday nights. And it was just, yeah, it was just weird to like have to wait until everyone was done running around to talk on the phone. And then by then it was usually close to bed and it was like a quick five minute talk. And yeah. And some nights you're tired and you don't want to talk on the phone. No, and kids aren't, well, my kids anyways, don't seem to be great about talking on the phone. Nobody is any. No.

Right? Unless you got time to actually, like, to assign to it where you know you're going to sit and chat and it's going to be nice, whatever. Yeah. Like to sit and talk on the phone for some reason feels like work. It does sometimes. Yeah. And they definitely, well, and I mean, if there was things going on, like sometimes I'd be talking to Maddox. And I'm like, are you watching the hockey game with your dad?

And he's like, oh, yeah. And I'm like, okay, just pass me to Shay. Like, what are we doing here? But, yeah, so it was definitely more trying than I. I knew it would be hard, but I think, like I said, because of doing the volleyball thing for two years, I thought it'd be an easier transition than it was. Yeah. But yeah, we're making it through, though.

I go again next week. Yeah, go again next week, and we have 23 days of me in Saskatoon, and then I'm done there. Well, the thing is, is, like, how many weeks do you see you get left? I have 23 days. 23 days left? Yeah. And you're done in Saskatoon. Yeah, so then I do my practicum in the fall.

And because I did the two spring sessions, I won't have to go back. for my final session. And you're going to look back on it, right? Yeah. It's just going to, you know, just like your college career, right? Like how quickly did two years? Oh, I know. I mean, as hard as it was, it's just, oh, it's gone.

I know, yeah. But you put the hard work in. Now you've got a gold and a bronze and two, a couple of conference championships to go along with it. Are you, you mentioned your coaching now, too, or helping coach? Yeah, so that was, yeah, I would call it shadowing more. Mark, I think, was pretty gracious to assign me the title of assistant coach but I

Mark Dodds the head coach at U of S is good friends with Austin and so we had done some training and exhibition against the U of S Huskies a couple times and so I kind of got to know him through that and then he was at Nationals last year and we got to visiting and he knew I was coming to Saskatoon and he said so like what are you going to be busy with

and I'm like well you know I'm going to be busy with missing my kids and Quentin so I'm like I'd like I'd love love to just come in the gym like I'll shake balls or whatever you need like I wasn't trying to be on the team or anything because I knew I need to come home on the weekends and also I don't think I'm University Galliver and also my knee and also I'm getting old but we I just wanted to be in the gym like I like the atmosphere and I thought like I can't run kids in Saskatoon so I need something to keep me busy and so I went and and because I'm interested in learning and coaching more too so I thought if he was willing to

have me in the gym great um so yeah him and uh other coaching staff his wife shelly dodds and uh myron and ben jackson they all have a wealth of volleyball knowledge and they were willing to let me tag along but i again i was thinking i'd just come in and they'd be like this is chelsea and i kind of show up day one and mark's like this is our other assistant coach and i was like oh okay so it's kind of like everything in my life i just kind of got thrown into it and rolled with it and yeah it was a really good experience and i learned a lot and it definitely helped pass the week for me. No kidding. Well, now you're watching CIS volleyball, which is just another step up, right? Yeah. And that's interesting because it is definitely a,

a different game because the level I played, you're smaller people typically. So just the way the game flows is a little bit differently because people use their bodies in different ways, right? And so this was like all girls above six. Like I don't often feel short and I felt short in that gym. Really? Oh yeah. Yeah. Like they're the only two girls that were shorter than me were their Liberos,

their defensive specialists. So everybody else was six feet. They get a pretty good crowd, especially they do like a Friday afternoon crowd. And so a lot of the schools go, which is so cool. Because yeah, it's nice for the university to kind of get that. local support too and get young kids thinking about something like that, right? You'd mentioned, I can forget how you phrased it, but when you first started playing and then now coaching with the U of S team, that you were kind of like just taking it all in and like watching

what they do so you could use it for yourself when you began coaching. Yeah. Like that's really cool. Most people, especially when they're getting like, I can just like, I just think of myself sometimes. Sometimes my brain just turns it off, right? Yeah. And I just seem like, I'm drudging through this, right, or it gets boring or whatever it is, and my brain goes up.

What did you notice about the different coaches? And, like, what have you taken from that? Like, what have you, like, was there some aspects that you're just like, oh, man, like, that is so cool. I would have never. Yeah. Well, it's been really cool because Austin and Mark have really different coaching styles. Actually, really all the coaches I've learned from do.

So it's been really cool because I can kind of see, like, oh, I love the way they did that and I see how that works for like that kind of athlete and then how this works here. And yeah, I mean, the amount of drills that I have gotten to steal is awesome. But yeah. And like, honestly, like even like Austin changed a lot through the two years as well. And I think that comes with like getting an older team as not older me old, but like players who have stuck around. He always had to clarify that. his first year because he'd talk about his old players and he meant like not me because the first few times I was like, hey, come on, go easy here. But no, like how long they've stuck with the program.

So you're not really working on, I guess, the aspects of like creating that hard work ethic in people anymore because once they've stuck around there and they've set that culture, it's already in place. So he kind of got to relax, especially in our second year, like now, it was a whole new thing, like, okay, this is what we did last year. What do we want to do this year? And how are we going to keep pushing to the next level and maintain this kind of, you know, at that point now that's what you expect, right? And that was our first team meeting.

It was like, what do we want to do? And everyone was kind of quiet. And I was like, uh, repeat. Like that's why I came back. I'm like, is that not our goal? And he's like, yeah, that's a goal. But like, what are the steps before that? Because we can't, that can't be the only thing, right?

or else it's just about not losing all year and that can't be the focus. So it was, yeah, okay, let's build some things under it too. But I was like, that's why I came back. Like, I'm not going to lie. Like, one year wasn't enough after we won. Like, it was just such an awesome experience. So because even before our first year was even done, he started bugging me. Like, what are you thinking of next year?

And I was like, I don't know. Like, it's a lot for the family. It's a lot because the time I give up to be on the team is time I could be working and making money so financially. you know, like we're fine, but it's, we could be more comfortable or we could go on another family holiday or whatever if I were working instead of, you know, going to the gym and going to practice all the time. But, you know, and then I think when we, when we had our kind of celebratory thing after nationals, and then I was a few drinks in and it was like, Alyssa, the other middle

who had played four years at that point, it was like, are you? you coming back for a fifth and she's like yeah I got to come back for a fifth and I'm like I'm coming back too and then the next day awesome it's like were you serious last night I was like sure why not it's hard not to come back that winning that winning taste well and when you knew the like the main core was all coming back too it was like oh we could be good again you know like it's yeah once you get a taste of it for sure so yeah and at first he's like you know I don't really like signing people who are just going to do one year but you're a unique circumstance and I was like yeah I can't promise promise you more than one year for sure like it'll have to be a fit but i'll i'll i'll stick one year out

for you and then we'll go from there so so do you uh like do you foresee yourself after you're done you get your your uh um teacher's degree right you do your practice come you're all done that do you plan on going back and coaching now are you gonna get uh or are you already doing that you kind of mentioned that well probably not at the higher level um that's something i keep in mind for down the road maybe when my kids are gone. But like I really want to coach their sports and in the high school and whatnot and possibly with club programs and help with developmental. That's kind of where I feel my abilities would be right now.

I wouldn't say no to hopping in and assisting once in a while with this or that. Yeah. No, cool. Well, you got a very unique perspective. You've taken a very interesting career path that, I really enjoy it. It's just a very cool, cool way of going about it, right? That not many people get the opportunity to just go back, walk on, no matter how hard they work and get your chance. And then land in a team that, you know, I sit here in the way I talk about it makes it seem like,

if they didn't have you, they wouldn't have been a good team. Oh, no, they would have been a good team. But at the same time, you were a missing link they had in there, a missing piece, and you walk in and you compliment because you're starting. It's not like you're not playing. It's not like you're playing. It's not like you're just a cheerleader from the bench making sure everybody feels good, right? Yeah. But, like, that's something as a coach, and you soaked up so many different avenues. I'm, yeah, it'd be, I bet you girls or boys for that matter of volleyball would gain a lot from your knowledge. Hopefully, I mean, yeah, I was really fortunate.

If anything else, they would hate losing. Yeah. Not as much as me, but they would hate it. Yeah. Cool. Well, I want to thank you again for. coming in. I'm the first one I've ever had, so.

Perfect. Yeah, like, it's been really cool. I've really enjoyed this. If anything else, I was really excited about your national championship. Thanks. Because it's the first time other than from afar that I've actually heard the story. Cool. Yeah.

I've never actually sat down and have a long-winded conversation with you about this. So I hope you enjoyed this because I really have. I did. Yeah, thanks for having me. Yeah, absolutely. Well, cool. Thanks again. Hey, guys.

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. and it was a lot of fun sitting down with Chelsea. Next week is Merv Man. He's in studios, possibly Morgan. I'm not sure if we're having the two together or just Merv by himself. But if it is just Merv, Merv is Captain Border King from the Lloyd Minster Border Kings. He went to, I believe it's four Allen Cups with him, and they won two of those of the national championship.

So I look forward to talking to Merv. He is a guy I grew up idolizing. He is a big, strong defenseman. who played the game the right way in my opinion, and I look forward to getting his thoughts and some funny stories, I'm sure, from him. So next week is Merv Man. Until then.