"While we teach, we learn," - Seneca, a Roman philosopher.
More than a dozen women's volleyball players at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods have understood this through volunteering to coach youth volleyball.
On Friday night, the Pomeroys hope to welcome in some of those youth players on Youth Night, where all high school, middle and elementary students receive free admission as the Pomeroys seek their 14th straight victory. SMWC faces River States Conference newcomer IUPUC at 7 p.m.
While the SMWC roster is filled with players from Texas, New Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and as far as Serbia, some of those players are impacting the youth volleyball players here in the Wabash Valley. 
Zula DeJesus, a senior from Puerto Rico, was encouraged by associate head coach Ian Harris to give it a shot and "ended up loving it." 
"What motivates me to coach young children is having the ability to enable them to enjoy the sport through my own passion for it. By coaching I can ensure that each player has this ability without bad experiences that I, and so many other players, have gone through," DeJesus said, adding that it has helped her learn about her own game in the process. 
"Coaching has helped me as a player because it has given me the ability to see the court from the outside and understand what my own coaches say. It also reminds me of the fundamentals that I learned long before college. Coaching has also helped me understand my own mistakes and ways that I can improve." 
Seniors Hannah Zuege and Morgan Krause are among those who have also spent a lot of time coaching as well as junior captain Jocelyn Chavez.
Chavez, coming off a school-record 41 digs, echoed those sentiments.
"Coaching has helped me become a better player because coaching younger players I tend to focus more on basics and realize how much the little things matter and I see the game in a different perspective," Chavez said. "I tend to think in a different way and have to look at all the positions not just my own as if I was playing, which helps my volleyball IQ and court awareness." 
Junior Emma Booher, a junior and a Shakamak High School alumnae, agreed.
"As a coach, I realized that not everything is going to come at once and the only competition you have is yourself. Every practice and game is a new opportunity and it all starts with discipline," Booher said. "The girls also taught me how to be a better person and how to enjoy every moment on and off the court." 
Elise Lowe explained what makes it fun to help the next generation be passionate about volleyball. 
"I would describe my coaching experience to be fun, exciting, and a wonderful opportunity. It gave me the chance to share my love for the game with the youth and have a whole new perspective on the game," Lowe said. 
Amber Doyle has found that coaching the game helps her maintain a love for the sport she's been dedicated to for the last 10-plus years. 
"What motivated me to coach was being able to continue the love of volleyball with other girls. Being able to give my knowledge to younger girls brings me joy. And coaching has showed me that not everything is about winning, but being able to see the girls get better from when they started," Doyle said. 
Charlotte Goto took on the challenge for the first time. 
"It was kind of weird to be a part of the game from a new perspective, it was really fun though," Goto said. "The girls are always fun to be around and it's just a fun experience."