Having earned three nationwide championship rings taking part in volleyball for UCLA, 6-foot-8 Tom Stillwell is aware of a little bit bit about competitors and dedication to sports activities excellence.
Nothing, although, compares to his pleasure being a Woman Dad.
“That’s a full-time job, and being a volleyball dad is the best,” mentioned Stillwell, an All-American at UCLA.
It was by no means deliberate that his two daughters, Maya, a 6-4 senior, and Lucy, a 6-0 sophomore, would grow to be volleyball gamers at Harvard-Westlake. Stillwell and his spouse, Julie, met at UCLA. She’s 5-6 and neither was pondering how tall their children is likely to be. But it surely occurred. They had been elevating giants.
“We felt they needed to be involved in something and as they started to get really tall, I started to talk to friends who had tall females and their recommendation was get them involved in sports because it’s going to turn their tall from being awkward to cool,” Stillwell mentioned. “For them, whether it was tennis, swimming, basketball or volleyball, it didn’t really matter to us. It was whatever they became connected with. They both had journeys.”
Maya had little curiosity in sports activities rising up.
“I was not athletic,” Maya mentioned. “It was originally a way to get my body moving. I was into art and music. I started in club when I was 12 and hated it. It wasn’t for me. When COVID happened, we were forced to move to another club and I loved my teammates and coaches and started to like it.”
She turned a prime center blocker, taking part in on a nationwide championship membership workforce and receiving a scholarship to Northwestern. She’s taken benefit of a mini-grass court docket within the household yard and her father’s expertise having switched from basketball to volleyball throughout his highschool days at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
Lucy adopted her sister into volleyball after making an attempt different sports activities. She’s a backup at Harvard-Westlake, which began the season 7-0 till working into Marymount. The workforce is 10-2. Each have grade-point averages above 4.0.
Besides for his or her mother, the Stillwells share a standard expertise — receiving stares due to their top.
Stated Maya: “People at school are used to it, but walking outside, it’s like, ‘Oh you’re so tall. Do you play basketball?’ I never get, ‘Do you play volleyball?‘”
“It’s very funny,” Tom mentioned. “I think all tall people have a similar experience with people coming up to you and asking, ‘Do you play basketball?’ When you play sports it helps to have that community because of a lot of their club people are similar height.”
However who will get the additional leg room when flying?
“I’m older and taller,” Maya mentioned.
“She does,” Lucy mentioned.
“Let me tell you who gets the worst seat. Julie, my wife,” Tom mentioned. “She’s like, ‘I’m the mom. I birthed you. I get the worst seat?’”
The daughters by no means received to satisfy their legendary grandmother, Liz Shapiro, who was at all times at Tom’s video games at Notre Dame and UCLA. Her generosity to each faculties by way of help won’t ever be forgotten. She died of most cancers after Tom’s volleyball profession had ended.
“She was a rabid fan,” Tom mentioned. “She would have been at every game, every tournament, club, high school, probably trying to watch practice.”
Tom, 51, has been useful providing suggestions at any time when his daughters ask, however he has tried to allow them to pay attention and study from their coaches and never impose his personal athletic beliefs on them.
“Volleyball just connected with them. It was fun to watch,” he mentioned. “I told them they’re not doing it for me or my wife. They have to enjoy it and if they don’t, they shouldn’t do it. This is their journey, not mine.”
As a Woman Dad, Tom has adopted a selected philosophy it doesn’t matter what he sees or hears.
“All I’m trying to be is their dad,” he mentioned. “That’s my No. 1 focus. Not their volleyball coach, not their mentor in volleyball. It’s hard enough for these teenage girls. They don’t need to hear their dad yelling.”
