Having earned three nationwide championship rings enjoying volleyball for UCLA, 6-foot-8 Tom Stillwell is aware of somewhat bit about competitors and dedication to sports activities excellence.
Nothing, although, compares to his pleasure being a Lady Dad.
“That’s a full-time job, and being a volleyball dad is the very best,” stated 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 turn out to be volleyball gamers at Harvard-Westlake. Stillwell and his spouse, Julie, met at UCLA. She’s 5-6 and neither was considering how tall their children is likely to be. Nevertheless it occurred. They have been elevating giants.
“We felt they wanted to be concerned in one thing and as they began to get actually tall, I began to speak to associates who had tall females and their suggestion was get them concerned in sports activities as a result of it’s going to show their tall from being awkward to chill,” Stillwell stated. “For them, whether or not it was tennis, swimming, basketball or volleyball, it didn’t actually matter to us. It was no matter they grew to become linked with. They each had journeys.”
Maya had little curiosity in sports activities rising up.
“I used to be not athletic,” Maya stated. “It was initially a approach to get my physique shifting. I used to be into artwork and music. I began in membership after I was 12 and hated it. It wasn’t for me. When COVID occurred, we have been compelled to maneuver to a different membership and I liked my teammates and coaches and began to love it.”
She grew to become a high center blocker, enjoying on a nationwide championship membership staff and receiving a scholarship to Northwestern. She’s taken benefit of a mini-grass courtroom 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 attempting different sports activities. She’s a backup at Harvard-Westlake, which began the season 7-0 till working into Marymount. The staff is 10-2. Each have grade-point averages above 4.0.
Besides for his or her mother, the Stillwells share a typical expertise — receiving stares due to their top.
Stated Maya: “Individuals at college are used to it, however strolling exterior, it’s like, ‘Oh you’re so tall. Do you play basketball?’ I by no means get, ‘Do you play volleyball?‘”
“It’s very humorous,” Tom stated. “I feel all tall folks have an identical expertise with folks coming as much as you and asking, ‘Do you play basketball?’ While you play sports activities it helps to have that group due to loads of their membership persons are comparable top.”
However who will get the additional leg room when flying?
“I’m older and taller,” Maya stated.
“She does,” Lucy stated.
“Let me inform you who will get the worst seat. Julie, my spouse,” Tom stated. “She’s like, ‘I’m the mother. I birthed you. I get the worst seat?’”
The daughters by no means bought to satisfy their legendary grandmother, Liz Shapiro, who was all the time at Tom’s video games at Notre Dame and UCLA. Her generosity to each colleges when it comes to assist won’t ever be forgotten. She died of most cancers after Tom’s volleyball profession had ended.
“She was a rabid fan,” Tom stated. “She would have been at each sport, each match, membership, highschool, in all probability attempting to look at observe.”
Tom, 51, has been useful providing ideas every time his daughters ask, however he has tried to allow them to hear and be taught from their coaches and never impose his personal athletic beliefs on them.
“Volleyball simply linked with them. It was enjoyable to look at,” he stated. “I instructed them they’re not doing it for me or my spouse. They need to take pleasure in it and in the event that they don’t, they shouldn’t do it. That is their journey, not mine.”
As a Lady Dad, Tom has adopted a selected philosophy it doesn’t matter what he sees or hears.
“All I’m attempting to be is their dad,” he stated. “That’s my No. 1 focus. Not their volleyball coach, not their mentor in volleyball. It’s laborious sufficient for these teenage women. They don’t want to listen to their dad yelling.”
