The Started With A Dream Podcast w/ Jacolby Gilliam

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Leah Edmond, a University of Kentucky volleyball alum. Leah is a pro volleyball player at Athletes Unlimited (AU). Today, Leah shares her story of going from a young dreamer to a pro athlete while facing racial stigma when it came to others describing her game and injuries. Despite it all, Leah continues to be a strong force in the world of pro volleyball.

Leah begins by sharing her dream as a young athlete. She talks about wanting to play at the University of Kentucky and going for it. She shares with us the expectations required from her as a freshman and a black athlete. She also discusses the stigma black volleyball players face and why volleyball should be made accessible to different communities. The episode comes to a close with Leah giving valuable advice on how to love what you do but, at the same time, not play through the pain.

Key Points:

• Leah's dream as a young athlete
• Starting the college hunt
• Questions to ask colleges that reach out to you during recruiting
• Leah's expectations as a freshman
• Embracing your achievements
• Dismantling the stigma around black volleyball players
• Leah's game as a volleyball player
• Making volleyball accessible to black communities
• Leah's gameday playlist
• The decision to go pro
• A tearful process following an injury
• Leah's advice to her younger self
• Why you should love what you do

Quotes:

1. "My first goal was to play in college. I grew up around college athletics with my dad being a coach. "
2. "Recruiting is a two-way street."
3. "I knew what I could bring to the table. I knew who I was as a player and a person. And if someone wasn't going to be 100% full for me from the beginning, then I didn't want to be there."
4. "My mentality was if I'm shooting to be one of the best in the conference, or be one of the best in the country, then I have to hold myself to a certain level of playing every time I step on the court, and if I'm holding myself to such a high level, that will help everyone around me."
5. "With black athletes, it's a very small adjective pool for us, for some reason, no matter what we do."
6. "I'm very team-oriented."
7. "I spent almost four or five months literally rebuilding how to swing again. "
8. "And I took pride in pain through my injuries. And I took pride in playing through pain because it showed how good of a leader I was. And then when this happened, I was like, Wait a second. Why? Why did I take pride in playing through pain? Like why did I take pride in playing through being injured? Why do we take pride in that? "
9. "Why do we glorify playing through your body being injured? Why do we glorify playing when you're sick?"
10. "Sometimes it's frowned upon to be selfish."
11. "No one's more disappointed in me than black people when I tell them I don't play basketball."
12. "Volleyball to me is not a career. It is something that I love that I happen to get paid to do as well."

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In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Jaimeson Lee, a professional volleyball player, playing in Portugal and represented by Athletes Abroad. Jaimeson shares today her inspiring story of how she found her love for volleyball.

Growing up with athletic parents, Jaimeson has always been surrounded by sports. She shares that her dream as a younger athlete was to play in D1 and how that dream has evolved over time. She discusses how she decided to attend George Washington University and the struggles she faced while trying to balance volleyball, school, and social life. She talks about going pro and how she has found friendship and not just team bonding with her teammates. The episode comes to a close as Jaimeson offers advice to younger athletes on how to stop comparing themselves to others and to never give up. 

Key Points:

• Jaimeson’s dream when she was a younger athlete
• Growing up with athletic parents and how that influenced Jaimeson
• Transitioning into a setter
• Realizing her dream was possible
• Jaimeson’s goal as a player
• What makes a great setter?
• Building the friendship culture among teammates
• Navigating volleyball, school, and social life
• A defining moment; deciding to go pro
• Preparing for what’s to come

Quotes:

“My biggest thing is wanting to play. I didn't want to go to a big school and sit on the bench for two or three years behind another sitter.”

“If volleyball were to end for me, would I be happy here?”

“What commitment is that person willing to make to be the best setter and player that they can be in the future?”

“Stop comparing yourself to other people, and just work with what you've got because it's enough.”

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In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Julie Lengweiler, a professional volleyball player playing in Spain. Volleyball has been in Julie’s life for as long as she can remember. This propelled Julie to go pro at the young age of 16 in Switzerland. Julie is duly represented by Athletes Abroad Management and today, she shared with us the challenges and wins she has faced as a pro athlete and advises young athletes to dream big so they can live their dream.

Julie begins with her dream as a younger athlete: to play in the big leagues. She shares with us how that dream became a reality and how she began playing volleyball professionally at 16. This also came with struggles, having been the youngest on the team. However, she was determined never to quit. Her resilience carried her further as she later played in Finland and now in Spain. Julie’s story inspires us that we can achieve much if only we dare to dream.

Key Points:

• Julie’s dream when she was a younger athlete
• Making the dream a reality
• Julie talks about being a role model
• Falling in love with volleyball
• Playing pro at 16
• Why Julie refused to quit
• Figuring who you are outside of the sport you play
• Navigating agents when trying to go pro
• Playing in Finland
• Advice to younger athletes
• What’s next for Julie?

Quotes:

“I want to inspire more kids to dream big, because I also felt that with my dreams, I was very lonely.”

“It's a very weird feeling. It was something I worked for. And it was something I wanted. But when it happened, I did feel like wow, this is maybe a little bit too much.”

“It's so much more than being ready for that level. It's being ready for loads of practice and pressure and games and expectations.”

“Who am I without the sport?”

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Pursuing Your Passion at All Costs

In this episode of The 9INE POINT Started With A Dream Podcast, Jacolby Gilliam welcomes Charlotte Harris. Charlotte is the first female American licensed FIVB agent and founder of Athletes Abroad. After playing in college and pro volleyball in Sweden, Charlotte realized her passion for coaching and worked with an agency before founding Athletes Abroad, a company that helps athletes enrich their lives and succeed in their chosen sports. Today, Charlotte shares with us her dreams as a younger athlete, her determination, and how she continues to pursue her passion despite being faced with many odds.

Charlotte starts with how she began playing the sport of volleyball. She shares that her dream as a young athlete was to play in Division One. She also discusses how she had to learn to be a team player and work hard for her dream. Having survived an ACL tear, Charlotte became unstoppable, starting her pro career in Sweden and later working with an agency. She talks about founding her company, Athletes Abroad, and what makes this company different from other agencies. Charlotte reminds young athletes to continuously pursue their dreams at all costs because it’ll be worth it in the end.

Key Points:

• Charlotte’s goal when she was a younger athlete
• Becoming a better player
• Following the dream beyond doubts
• How Charlotte’s goal became a reality
• Working hard for what you want
• A tough time in Charlotte’s career
• Surviving an ACL tear and overcoming her fear
• Charlotte discusses starting a coaching career
• Playing pro in Sweden
• How Charlotte started her business
• What makes Athletes Abroad different?
• Advice to young athletes looking to become agents

Quotes:

“Anytime I was playing volleyball, I wanted to be on the court.”

“My parents sacrificed a lot to even get me there.”

“It's easy to give up on something when you think all of a sudden that you know that you're being wronged and that it's not fair what's happening to you, instead of looking at it as ‘what can I do better?’ ‘How can I work harder?’ How can I contribute to my team in other ways?’”

“I love the sport, I also love interacting with people and giving back to athletes and I love helping people believe in themselves and get to that next goal of theirs.”

“It's about getting a little bit better each day and challenging yourself within your own frame and within where you're at.”

“Keep going after what you love and working hard and good things will happen.”

“I want to be there to support the players every step of the way, and have a player-first mentality and prioritizing them and their needs kind of above everything else.”

“I want them to have this community within athletes abroad and have these strong, powerful professional athletes that are supporting each other and helping each other because that's so important when you are thousands of miles away from family and friends.”

“If you are pursuing what you love, then it'll be worth it in the end.”

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