Episode Summary: What a gift to be able to bookend the joy of taking in boys and men’s volleyball through Luke’s career with Pace Bootlegger Volleyball Club and Pepperdine Alum and Stanford Assistant Men’s Volleyball Coach Spencer Wickens, one of the great up and coming coaches in the Collegiate game. Grateful to capture his joy of coaching and wisdom on how to rise through the challenges of when your game isn’t going exactly how you planned. If you are an up and coming player, you won’t want to miss his insight about becoming a leader on and off the court.

Key Points & Memorable Quotes -

“Be ready to jump on any opportunity you can to help out or impact your team in a positive way.” 4:07

“Team leadership is such a component to winning.” -Wendy @ 6:25

“If you’re a parent out there, the ability to really read your kid’s desire and let them lead that charge, rather than having it be a goal that you have.” -Wendy @ 19:50

“What does the athlete want out of their journey, and how can you support that?” -Wendy @ 20:55

“You have to try to find a way to remove yourself from the issue.” 23:33

“Persistency gets people a lot of places.” 24:38

“Don’t let the experiences of others shape the way you make your own decisions.” 33:40

“Understanding that failure is an opportunity for growth and learning.” 34:59

Guest Bio - Al Roderigues Assistant Men's Volleyball Coach

USA Volleyball National Training Development Program (NTDP) Coach

Graduate Assistant - University of Nebraska Lincoln

Student Athlete - Pepperdine Men's Volleyball

Rochester Pacebootlegger Volleyball Club - McQuaid Jesuit High School

Show Notes -

0:00 - Welcome to What I Meant to Say with Guest, Spencer Wickens

1:14 - The Joy of Coaching

3:42 - Libero to Outside Hitter at Pepperdine

6:30 - Building Team Leadership in the New NIL Driven Era

12:57 - Do You See A Regional Difference in Athletes?

16:16 - Pain Point Between Parents & Coaches

23:02 - Advice to Players Struggling with Playing Time

26:43 - Balancing Competition with Authenticity

33:06 - One Piece of Advice to Your Younger Self

36:14 - What Are Your Coaching Goals?

37:34 - Thank You & Closing

Links & Where to Find Spencer -

IG - @swickens7