Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Miller.
Melissa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started at Momentum as a “volleyball mom,” watching two of my daughters play. I used to work in the corporate world, so I started helping the club with their website. In 2012, the club was in a financially challenging spot. My husband, as a member of the board, suggested that I take a more active role in the finances and administration of the club. I spent a lot of my time creating financial statements in order to get the club’s taxes filed for the first five years of its existence. It was a very laborious process, but we were able to get the club’s taxes caught up and the club’s Non-profit status reinstated. In 2013 the club director was replaced and I took on more responsibility. My main goal was to get the club in a better financial position, put processes and procedures into place and, within a couple of years, was able to get the club in a more stable position. I am now the Executive and Club Director of Momentum, one of the top clubs in the state. I am also on our region’s board of directors and I take an active role in helping shape policy for the region.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There really is nothing easy about running a volleyball club. I think the most consistent thing is the struggles that come with it. Finding the balance in being a competitive club while doing the right thing for the players, parents and coaches is always a struggle. One right decision for a hundred parents might be seen as the wrong decision for the other hundred. The state of Colorado is very competitive for club volleyball, with over 100 clubs in our region. Players tend to change clubs often and that makes it challenging for the club and coaches to remain competitive, as each individual player contributes to the team dynamic and its success.
Momentum Volleyball Club – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My job as Club Director involves every aspect of running a business, from sweeping the courts if they need it, to booking travel, to hiring coaches and staff and handling every aspect of the club’s financials. I am proud that Momentum is a non-profit entity. Momentum has a Grant Program for athletes to help them to be able to pay for the cost of being on a club team. Momentum helps anywhere from 5 to 15 athletes each year. I think that is one thing that sets us apart from other clubs. Our coaches and staff set us apart from other clubs, too. We have coaches that have been with the club from the very beginning, and those coaches remain dedicated to their teams every year, establishing life-long relationships. I am very proud to speak about Momentum and what we stand for. Momentum may teach the skills of volleyball, but we strive to do so much more. We teach our athletes how to be better humans. How to treat other people. We want them to learn life lessons as well. I proudly say that I will always strive to do the right and ethical thing. Even if that means we lose that player we really wanted.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My success on a personal level, first and foremost, is defined by my family. Before anything else in my life, I am a mom. I have three amazing daughters that make me proud each and every day. My oldest just graduated from NYU summa cum laude and has been a Presidential Honors Scholar every year, just to name a couple of her many accomplishments. She starts medical school at Washington University in St. Louis this fall and received a full-tuition scholarship. My 2nd daughter will be a Junior at the University of Iowa, finishing her Sophomore year with a 4.0 and a Dean’s Scholar. My youngest, 13, is my artistic one, she wants nothing to do with volleyball and that’s okay! She is thoughtful and kind and an amazing student. When COVID-19 hit, she didn’t need any help getting into the swing of online learning. She made a piece of artwork for her school. It has people standing in a circle with the world in the background. They all have masks on and are “holding hands” by way of rope between them and her caption was, “Just because we stay apart, does not mean we stand-alone”.
My success as a Club Director is so much harder to define. I think being a mom of girls that played club volleyball helps me to have a better perspective. I feel like I am successful when I can help a player, a coach, or even parent navigate the club volleyball world, I think successes come in the smaller things. Not the number of bids our club might get for the national tournament, but the number of players that had a great season, no matter what level of play that is. I feel a little more successful when the compliments outweigh the complaints. When a parent thanks me for something I have done that most others take for granted. When other club directors reach out to me to get advice and talk about best practices, when our players know who I am, and give me a hug each time they see me, this is my success.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7347 S Revere Pkwy B100
Centennial, CO 80112 - Website: www.momentumvbc.com
- Phone: 720-508-4333
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @momentumvolleyball
- Facebook: Colorado Momentum Volleyball Club
- Twitter: @momentumvbc
Image Credit:
Karen Brgoch Photography
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