Convo with a Champion: Coach Candace Moats, IWU Volleyball (Ep. 69)

Rising Tide Leadership Podcast

Episode 69: A Conversation with a Champion

Special Guest: Candace Motes, Indiana Wesleyan University Women's Volleyball Head Coach

• Won the NAIA National Championship.
• Every person has a different philosophy and there's no two leadership philosophies that are exactly the same.

Background Information:

• When did you start coaching?
  • I got into volleyball and it took me to an opportunity to go play at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
  • That's where I became knowledgeable as a coach in a sense being a player around great coaches
  • I Wasn't thriving in that culture at all and it was becoming more of a heartache for me So I left and went to a Christian University.
• What made you want to be a coach?
  • Assistant Coach for the team I played on and enjoyed it
  • Was recommended to take over as my college coach left.
  • Coaching peers - “One of the hardest things that I did”
    • “When God calls you to something and you, even if fear, go towards it, it changes your life.”
  • Coached at Alma Mater for 10 years before coaching in Indiana.
• How long have you been in your current position at Indiana Wesleyan?
  • Coaching at Indiana Wesleyan for 22 years
  • There's been hardships, there's been growth, but overall it's been a great experience for me.

Team Background:

• How did you feel going into this season? Did you know that this was going to be the season?
  • No, I didn't.
  • There were lessons learned from each individual.
    • But for me personally, I did not have the trust that I needed.
    • Didn’t see this team for the potential that they had.
    • I was very critical, skill set wise,
  • The grind of continuing to have the vision of what it took to get to the highest level and going through that journey.
  • Chasing little goals

• What do you think contributed to this being the championship winning season?
  • Focused on Building Culture
  • Adjusted practices to reflect this priority
  • Brought in a mindset coach
  • Took an international trip
    • The value of being uncomfortable
    • Doing something together
    • Serving
  • Recruited great players

Facing Obstacles:

• Not always just players and their drama
• Coaches can bring in obstacles too
• Injuries
• Keep the mindset in a positive direction
• Helping our culture stay together
• Understanding roles

Who is someone who has really influenced your leadership?

• Debbie Brown from Notre Dame.
• John Dunning from Stanford.
• Ruth Nelson - Olympian coach
  • https://www.theartofcoachingvolleyball.com/profile-ruth-nelson/
  • Has really shown me to stay in it till you don't have a passion anymore, but don't leave because you're believing lies that tell you that you should be done and do something different.

BOOK: “Starts with Why”, by Simon Sinek.

Coach Candace’s Final Thoughts:

Don't be afraid to change your thoughts. Don't be afraid. First of all, for young coaches, don't try to be anybody else that you think you should be. I have to be who I am. And I have to be who God created me to be. And I have to be the person that he wants me to be influencing in the moment that I'm in. But then, as you continue to go, continue to stay grounded in, “I can change, and I can make changes.”

Amazon Book Link:

Start With Why, Simon Sinek - https://a.co/d/1SQnw4G

Special Thanks To:

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