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PODCAST

The Leave It Better Podcast

The Side-Out Foundation

Explore how to Leave it Better: in life, through the sport of Volleyball. Nebraska Hall of Fame Coach Janice Kruger speaks with the world’s best Volleyball coaches and athletes about the lessons the sport of volleyball has taught them about how to “leave it better.” Are you looking for inspiration on your path of self-discovery? Do you want to build a life with meaning? This is the podcast for you. For more than 30 years Janice Kruger has taught and coached young women leading them to become the

sports volleyball

All Episodes

56:18

After Losing His Wife, Olympian Steve Grotowski...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2026/01/01

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

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01:00:14

Coaching is so much more than X's & O's, with AVCA...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/12/25

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

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41:37

Be Undeniably Inspirational, with Matt Althage &...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/12/11

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

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54:15

Physical Toughness is Nothing without Mental...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/12/04

You’ve toned your muscles, you’ve mastered your technique, but how are you going to perform when your confidence fails? How will you handle injuries? As a former professional player, and author of the sports psychology book, Headstrong, and founder of Headstrong Mindset Counseling, Dr. Brooke Rundle works with athletes to control their fears and master their doubts.Dr. Rundle explains the foundational mental skills that top athletes need to win on the court, and even more so in their lives after

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01:07:37

Don’t be the Last Coach Your Players have, with Kelly...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/11/27

Wisconsin Head Volleyball Coach Kelly Sheffield has developed some of the best players in the sport. His methods might be a bit different than a typical coach, but then again, you don't want typical players if you want to win championships. Coach Sheffield talks with Janice about the importance of losing games (yes, losing), and find out how his music selection during training and practice sessions plays a role in shaping some of the most skilled players in the league.Links mentioned: For more

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01:04:30

Passion to Profession, with Paco Labrador

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/11/20

Starting out as a sports psychologist, Paco Labrador was always looking for ways to help athletes and programs bring out the very best in themselves. However, once he saw our life as a head coach could be, he was set on changing paths. Now, as the Head Coach of Volleyball at the NavalAcademy, Paco is living his dream. He took the Naval Academy to their first NCAA Volleyball Tournament, and was voted the National Coach of the Year for Division 3. Paco has done great things, perhaps in part because he

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49:51

A Game Plan for Victory over Cancer, with Abby McCoy

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/11/13

AbbyMcCoy‘s Cancer diagnosis came as a total shock. This mother, athlete, and Penn State alum had always lived A healthy life. Hear how volleyball and Dig Pink put her on a path to recovery, and a permanent mission to help others. If you or someone you care about is battling cancer, you’ll find hope in both Abby’s story, and the advice she has for cancer patients.Links mentioned: For more information go to www.side-out.org. Follow the side-out organization on Instagram:

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54:22

The Road to 1,000 wins, with Trinity University Coach...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/11/06

What is the ideal personality for a coach to have? Who should be the most competitive person on the team? How do you manage a new team every year? Coach Julie Jenkins has spent the last 40 years figuring out the answers to these big questions. As the head coach at Trinity University in Texas, Coach Jenkins is the victory leader in Division 3, with 1,080 wins. She’s even been recognized as the national coach of the year twice by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).Janice and Coach

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52:14

Teaching the 'Little Ones' the Joy of Movement and...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/10/30

A love for volleyball that began as a little boy in Brazil has moved to the U.S.with big results. The Northern Virginia Volleyball Association'sRodrigo Gomes explains how growing up in poverty as a child shaped the way he provides accessibility for the young players in his club. Rodrigo also shares his unique training games he uses to get hesitant kids excited about the sport of volleyball. And hear why when Rodrigo is looking for help with his club, he turns to the moms first.Links mentioned: For

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52:03

Conquer Your Mind, and Your Body will Follow, with...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/10/23

Meet the woman whose power and bravery on the court led Team USA to their first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball. Jordan Larson is a four-time Olympian with two silver medals and a bronze to go with her gold. As the new Assistant Coach for the University of Nebraska, Jordan is bringing us some of her best Lessons she discovered while playing on the US Olympic team. Hear how she implements those lessons now as a coach herself, and how you can, too! Find out what separates the Gold medal

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59:15

The "IT" Factor: Tufts Volleyball's Cora Thompson on...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/10/16

When it come to the coaches you play against, do you see friends, or just competition?Tufts University Head Volleyball Cora Thompson explains how finding ways to partner and work with your fellow coaches raises everyone’s skills, and improves the sport. Cora tellsJanice how pushing players AND coaches out of their comfort zones builds trust and teamwork. Above all else, Cora lays out why being authentic and true to yourself is one of the most valuable lessons young coaches need to discover.Links

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46:41

A Champ on the Court and a Star in the Sand, with...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/10/09

The vast majority of volleyball players go their whole career without winning a national championship. Meet Molly Phillips. She's won three national championships! Two of those wins came back-to-back with the University of Texas. She then moved to the beach volleyball team at the University of SouthernCalifornia and won her third national championship.Molly tells Janice about her pre-game superstitions, training for the pros, and the importance of the smallest roles on the team.Links mentioned: For

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58:17

Train Your Mental Strength to Win Clutch Moments,...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/10/02

Being the biggest, fastest, strongest team in the league doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hold it all together mentally during nerve-racking moments. As one of the creators of the NeuroFuel training app, and the executive director of Badger Region Volleyball, Jen Armson-Dyer is training players to build-up their inner strength. Hear how Jen went from being a young player to a leader in the sport at Penn State, simply by accepting the opportunities she saw in front of her.Links mentioned: For more

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31:50

The Blessing and Curse of being a Dominant Team, with...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/09/25

Think about what it takes to win a state championship. Now imagine doing that 10 times! As the Head Volleyball coach at RHAM High School in Hebron, Connecticut, Tim Guernsey has made that astonishing Achievement. Before Tim began running the volleyball program at RHAM High school, it didn’t even exist. He built it from the ground up into a program now known for dominating the court. Hear why one of his biggest challenges today is teaching his new players that winning doesn’t come as easy as he and

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38:19

What Cancer Patients can Learn from Athletes, with...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/09/18

How do you fight for yourself? In your home, on the court, or in the hospital, sports geographer and keynote speaker Dr. Jen Fry shows us how to advocate for ourselves in any situation. As a former NCAA player and coach, a TEDx speaker, and now author of the book,I Said No, Dr. Fry knows the ways to navigate difficult situations and conversations. Whetheryou're battling sickness and need better care from your doctors, or working on rising in the ranks with your team; Dr. Fry explains to Janice how

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49:31

The Bright Side of Life and Sport, with Stephanie...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/09/11

Taking immature high school players and evolving them into formidable athletes takes more than just carefully planned training routines. CoachStephanie Noriega has found a way to grow her players her players into confident and caring young women, unafraid of new challenges. She’sthe Head Coach of Volleyball at West Springfield High School in Virginia. Just as important, Stephanie helped build and grow the Dig Pink charity tournaments with the Side-Out Foundation at their very beginning.Stephanie

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01:01:56

An Athletic Mentality as a Guide to Victory Against...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/09/04

She knew how to beat her opponents on the court, but beating breast cancer was a challenge Fatima Balza didn't know how to approach. For this former star Penn state volleyball player and current coach of Western Nebraska CommunityCollege, Fati took to treating her cancer like she was training for a tournament. In the process, it changed her outlook on everything. As Fati explains to Janice, she is a Venezuelan native who never says “no“ to a challenge. Her enthusiasm and positivity is absolutely

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42:27

Star Setter and Leader Going All in on Life, with...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/08/28

Talent comes at a young age — whether you’re playing or coaching. As someone in her mid-twenties,Katie Oleksak has quickly rose in the world of volleyball.This NCAA Woman of the Year nominee broke the career assist record (5,083) at Colorado State University, and earned All-American honors each of her four seasons. After graduating, Katie wasted no time going pro and competing in Switzerland. She took a chance during the pandemic From there, Katie made the transition from the court to the clipboard,

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01:11:05

You Want to be Head Coach? LSU Coach of the Year Fran...

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/08/21

There are great players to coach, there are tough players to coach, and then there are your own kids. Former Louisiana State University Coach Fran Flory coached her daughter on her NCAA volleyball team. It's just one of the hilarious stories this SEC Coach-of-the-Year shares with Janice. Her rise to Head Coach at LSU was a complicatedone, despite multiple FinalFour appearances --find out why. Recently, Coach Flory has been guiding the Vegas Thrill in the Pro Volleyball Federation. Find out the

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01:07:10

An Olympic Winning Mindset, with Hugh McCutcheon

The Leave It Better Podcast ·

2025/08/14

Team USA has only ever won four Olympic Gold medals in volleyball. One of those Golds belongs to coachHugh McCutcheon.He led the men’s team to Gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hugh then switched over to coach the U.S. Women’s National team to a Silver medal finish at the London Olympics in 2012. Now serving as the Assistant Athletics Director for the University of Minnesota, Hugh talks with Janice about his keys to success, andthe differences between winning on a national stage versus winning on a

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86 results

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