Sondheimer: Tom Stillwell evolves from volleyball

Having earned three national championship rings enjoying volleyball for UCLA, 6-foot-8 Tom Stillwell is aware of a little bit about competitors and dedication to sports activities excellence.

Nothing, though, compares to his pleasure being a Girl Dad.

“That’s a full-time job, and being a volleyball dad is the best,” said Stillwell, an All-American at UCLA.

It was never deliberate that his two daughters, Maya, a 6-4 senior, and Lucy, a 6-0 sophomore, would turn into volleyball gamers at Harvard-Westlake. Stillwell and his spouse, Julie, met at UCLA. She’s 5-6 and neither was pondering how tall their youngsters may be. But it occurred. They had been raising 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 said. “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 growing up.

“I was not athletic,” Maya said. “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 top center blocker, enjoying on a national championship membership crew and receiving a scholarship to Northwestern. She’s taken benefit of a mini-grass court in the household yard and her father’s expertise having switched from basketball to volleyball during his high faculty days at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Lucy adopted her sister into volleyball after making an attempt other sports activities. She’s a backup at Harvard-Westlake, which began the season 7-0 until operating into Marymount. The crew is 10-2. Both have grade-point averages above 4.0.

Except for their mother, the Stillwells share a common expertise — receiving stares because of their peak.

Said 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 said. “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.”

But who will get the additional leg room when flying?

“I’m older and taller,” Maya said.

“She does,” Lucy said.

“Let me tell you who gets the worst seat. Julie, my wife,” Tom said. “She’s like, ‘I’m the mom. I birthed you. I get the worst seat?’”

The daughters never received to meet their legendary grandmother, Liz Shapiro, who was always at Tom’s video games at Notre Dame and UCLA. Her generosity to both colleges in phrases of assist will never be forgotten. She died of cancer after Tom’s volleyball profession had ended.

“She was a rabid fan,” Tom said. “She would have been at every game, every tournament, club, high school, probably trying to watch practice.”

Tom, 51, has been helpful offering ideas whenever his daughters ask, but he has tried to allow them to pay attention and study from their coaches and not impose his own athletic beliefs on them.

“Volleyball just connected with them. It was fun to watch,” he said. “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 Girl Dad, Tom has adopted a particular philosophy no matter what he sees or hears.

“All I’m trying to be is their dad,” he said. “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.”