The DISD will be sharing some Q&A interviews with female head coaches at John W. Bate Middle School and Danville High School during Women's History Month. Here, we're spotlighting Kayleigh Hunstad.

Kayleigh Hunstad is the head volleyball coach for both the John W. Bate Middle School and Danville High School teams. The Danville Independent School District asked her about what it’s like to work with each age group, what she hopes to help her student athletes learn, and more. 

Tell me a bit about your past experience as a coach, and as an athlete. 

I have been coaching volleyball since 2017. I have coached high school, middle school, and a travel volleyball club. I am a Danville alum, class of 2011, and also played volleyball while in high school. 

Since you work with both middle and high school volleyball teams, what's it like working with each age group?

Being able to work with both age groups is both challenging and rewarding. With the middle school program, we are building the foundational skills of volleyball and teaching what it means to be a great teammate. My main focus with my middle school players is to not only teach them the general idea of volleyball, but also how to be responsible for their grades and their actions.  As far as high school goes, I am able to focus on higher-level volleyball skills, while also helping them prepare for college and life after high school. My job as their coach is not only to help them become better athletes, but to also help them become all-around better young women, on and off the court. 

What about your teams makes you most proud? 

I am most proud of their willingness to learn, improve and overcome different types of adversity throughout their seasons.

What qualities or values do you hope to instill in your players? 

There are many qualities and values I hope to instill in my players, but my main goal is to teach them to persevere and never give up. I tell them every day, you get what you put in on the court and in life. On my court, my players have to earn their spot; it isn't just given to them. I think this is important to teach from an early age because it directly translates to life outside of athletics.