Testimonials

Tiffany Firebaugh, age 13
Hi. My name is Tiffany Firebaugh, and I am 13 years old. I currently play on the victory 14 national club team, and I owe it all to Ruth Nelson. She is an amazing trainer. She taught me discipline. When I first went to her, I was concentrating on just my serve...that's all I expected from her. I got much, much more!! She explained things in such a way I could understand and be able to put it into practice. If I didn't understand something, she didn't just drop it, and try something else, she would explain it in a different way using drills. In one lesson, I would learn so much. It was very fast paced-which prepared me for anything I could ever face on the court during a game. She pushed me to success in all areas of the game, including the mental areas...and I am so grateful for her doing that, although I might not have been at the time... :) It made me a stronger, better-prepared player. Before I met Ruth, I thought volleyball was just a fun game, skills...passing, setting, serving...but I learned it was a tough, mental game as well. She is unlike any coach I have ever had, or any coach I will have in the future. She taught me if I worked hard, and never gave up, I could succeed. She always kept me accountable, too. No excuses with Ruth. This helped me so much to have to be responsible. When I went to Ruth, all I wanted to learn how to do was serve. She told me about upper-body strength, and told me I should take physical training as well. Now, I can successfully serve an overhand serve over the net 10 out of 10 serves. On top of this, she taught me how to do a jump float serve, and I can serve that successfully over the net 9 out of 10 times. On top of teaching me how to serve, she taught me how to play defense, be a successful hitter, and learn how to set. As a hitter, my jump before Ruth Nelson was 19". Now, after she has pushed me through physical training, and learning from her for about 7 months, my jump is now 25.5". She taught me so much in the short time I was with her. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the one and only Ruth Nelson.  If you have the chance to take lessons from her, I'd grab the opportunity!

Sally Firebaugh
Ruth Nelson and her abilities to teach volleyball can be summed up in one word - amazing.  My daughter, Tiffany, was thirteen years old when I asked Ruth for help. Tiffany had already finished one season in club volleyball at the regional level. However, Tiffany did not get to play a lot and her serves barely made it over the net (if they went over at all).  Tiffany and I were both a little worried that she would not make it back on the regional club team so we asked Ruth Nelson to help her.  Tiffany is a self-driven, self-motivated child and she had spent hours and hours in the driveway serving her volleyball onto the garage trying to strengthen and improve her serve.  She really tried hard but it wasn't really helping much.

The first lesson with Ruth was amazing.  She worked with Tiffany on her timing, her toss, her foot positions, everything.  I was so happy because my daughter was improving right before my eyes.  Ruth also worked with Tiffany in all other areas like passing, blocking, and hitting.  Ruth did much more than drills.  She taught Tiffany the proper way to move; she taught her how to watch the opponent to know where the ball would be going, she taught her how to have a winning emotional outlook.  Ruth is so detail oriented that she noticed Tiffany’s pinkie finger was causing her to mess up on blocking!  She gave her special exercises to do on her own time also.  One of the things that Tiffany enjoyed most during her lessons with Ruth was her “talks”.  Tiffany respects Ruth so much, and she absorbed everything Ruth would say. Tiffany worked with Ruth for about seven months.  The time came for club tryouts again, and Tiffany felt prepared and that made her feel confident.  She felt like she now had a great chance of making her club regional team.  We were both surprised and elated when the results of the tryouts were posted.  Tiffany had made the National team!  Tiffany is now enjoying club volleyball on the national level, and we both know we owe it to Ruth!  By the way, the weak little serve Tiffany once had is now gone and has been replaced by a strong serve that rarely misses.  Ruth is a very special, one-of-a-kind lady!

My name is Shannon, and I am 17 years old. I met Ruth Nelson three years ago when I joined my first club volleyball team.  It is with Ruth’s training that I have been fortunate enough to go from a beginner to a Division I player in that short period of time. It did not come without hard work, but it was under Ruth’s watchful eye that my progress began. She knows when and how hard to push to get your game to the next level, or in my case several levels from where I started.  Ruth possesses tremendous discipline that comes through in her training and gets the most out of each training session. It was her energy and positive message that allowed me to learn as much as possible in the time I had. I could not wait to take what I learned during practice and apply it in a real match. It was there that I began to see the real improvement and belief in myself that I could reach my goal of playing Division I volleyball. Ruth allowed me to set the bar at the level I wanted to achieve and then provided me the structure to achieve it. Even now, if I am at a club tournament and need just a refresher, I can call her and after just a few minutes on the phone rekindle the confidence she and her training instilled in me.  It would seem that from what I have described that it was all volleyball.  There were many discussions about hard work, setting goals, time management, respect, teammates and the importance of an education – all qualities that you can apply to everyday life.  Last fall, I helped my team win the 2004 Texas 4A state championship and it was my jump floater serve (taught to me by Ruth) that made a difference in the matches, not to mention my defense. What an inspiration and difference she has made in my life!! 

Randy and Karen Walker
It is not too often that you meet someone who can change your life forever.  My wife and I met Ruth Nelson three years ago when our daughter began playing volleyball at the club level.  It was at that time that Ruth began her training experience with Shannon. Ruth not only provides volleyball expertise, but also showed unending support when it came to life in general, school, family etc.  Ruth, my wife, my daughter and I have spent countless hours not only on the court honing the skills of volleyball but also in conversation (generally on the phone) learning about each other and things that matter most in life. Shannon (17 years old now) has grown tremendously as a young woman, both on and off the court. From a volleyball perspective, her many years of volleyball experience allow her to share her knowledge at the level necessary to help the student learn the skill. It does not matter whether you are 8 or 18; she is always willing to share everything she knows.

Ruth has played a major role in taking Shannon’s game in just three years from a beginner to a Division I volleyball player. Shannon’s game has improved tremendously but two areas standout – her jump floater serve and her defense. Shannon has learned not only the skill of the game, but also the mental toughness necessary to push herself and get the most out of her God-given ability. It was through all her hard work and training that she helped lead her high school team to the 2004 Texas 4A state championship. Shannon’s successful season did not end there as she has been provided the opportunity to play Division I volleyball for the University of Texas at San Antonio. All the abilities I have described can be provided in any given setting whether there are 10 kids on the court or just one. Strangely enough, all that Ruth has taught her (and us) can be used in every day life, not just on the court. And last but not least – the recruiting process for my daughter. I have learned everything I know about recruiting from Ruth. The process, how to communicate, when to communicate, what questions to ask and her unending list of contacts in the volleyball world. She has shared her encyclopedia of knowledge regarding what coaches look for and how they recruit played an instrumental role in Shannon fulfilling a dream of receiving a scholarship to play volleyball at the Division I level.

I have trained with Ms Ruth for the past 4½ years. Best improvement I have made is in the skill of passing. I learned how to focus on the ball to get it to the target. My strong spiking and over hand serving allowed me to make a volleyball club team this past season.

I’m glad Ms Ruth was so caring about me and teaching me the skills and the game of volleyball. I plan on becoming the best volleyball player I can be. 

Joyce Newell (Ebony Nwanebu’s mother)

Ebony was 10 years of age on June 5, 2005. She has been training with Ms Ruth Nelson for the past 4½ years. Ms Ruth started training volleyball skills to Ebony when she was in Kindergarten at the age of 5. With each passing year, Ebony gained strength and Ms Ruth was able to provide more technical training for each skill of the game.

Ebony’s strongest strength skill is spiking. Ms Ruth started her out with the proper techniques for down ball spiking due to Ebony’s coordination and strength. Ebony now has the 3-step approach down to follow through and spike the ball with authority.

With Ms Ruth’s training and Ebony’s improvement, Ebony was named co-receiver in her age group of the Flo Hyman Award in 2003 while attending a club volleyball academy. Ebony attended a local summer volleyball camp in the summer of 2004. She was named camper of the day for one of the days.

This past volleyball club season, Ebony at the age of 9, played on a TAV Metro 12’s Team. Playing on a team with older girls, Ebony improved her skills, learned teamwork and built up her confidence.

Ebony was not only trained in volleyball skills by Ms Ruth, but also at a young age. Ms Ruth made sure Ebony knew the positions on the court by name and number, size of the court, height of the net, and the number assigned to each spiking location on the court.

Ruth takes a personal interest in each of the girls she trains, and Julia has learned so much more than volleyball from her. It was an experience she'll never forget, and has given her a love of the game that she'll never outgrow.

My name is Ainsley Campbell, and I am 11 years old. I have trained with Ruth for a little more than 2 years. I came to Ruth with little experience, but she taught me how to do the fundamentals in the correct form, so I could then learn more challenging skills with little difficulty. She taught me how to do an overhand serve, and the basic passing, setting and hitting. She also taught me the formations and rules of the game that most of the kids my age hadn’t been exposed to yet. Because of her training, I have been able to play on a 12‚s club team at Victory Volleyball Club, even though I am still a year younger than the rest of the players. My coach has been able to play me as setter, outside hitter, and defensive specialist because of Ruth teaching me all those skills at a young age. I have served out games at both Lone Star Classic and Cross Court Classic, and have been able to understand and run more complicated plays and formations. Ruth gave me the chance to play in many demonstrations, including one for the AVCA coaches, an experience I’ll never forget.  If I hadn’t had the opportunity to train with Ruth, I would never be where I am now.

Sydney Campbell, age 14

My name is Sydney Campbell, and I am now 14 years old. I have trained with Ruth for about 3 years. When I started training with Ruth, I could barely even get an underhand serve over the net, but with her help I learned to do my overhand serve. I am currently working on my jump floater serve. Ruth taught me correct technique so that I can be more consistent in my game. After training with Ruth, I was able to play on Victory 12 Regional, and I was then able to make my 7th grade team. I was then able to go on to make my school’s 8th grade team as a setter. With her help, I played setter this past year for Victory 14 National, the first time that I have ever been able to play on a national team within the club. She has helped my setting so much because she started working with me on more advanced sets when I was only playing 12s, so now that we are actually running them really I understand what is going on. Because of the time that she has spent with me on passing, I have been told that if I wasn’t a setter I could be playing libero. I had the privilege of participating in a demonstration for the AVCA coaches with my sister, which is the coolest thing that I’ve ever done. I recently made the High Performance Camp for the North Texas region as a setter, and my partner, who also trained with Ruth, and I qualified for the Junior Olympics in beach volleyball. But being able to play volleyball well is not the best thing that you can learn from Ruth. Ruth taught me about hard work, respect, and discipline, three things that I can carry with me in my life after volleyball. I honestly think that if Ruth hadn’t stayed at the gym with me until 10:00 on! those Tuesday nights in those first years, I never would have been able to accomplish what I have done so far.  

Rachel and Dana Campbell

Our daughters, Sydney and Ainsley, now ages 14 and 11, began working with Ruth at the ages of 11 and 8, respectively.  Over three years, both girls worked with Ruth in both private lessons and in group settings.

While both girls have yet to play their first high school match, the growth and success we have seen over the past three years have been truly remarkable.  First and foremost, each has developed a passion, focus and work ethic that are uncommon among athletes their age.  That has translated into success on the court.

In three years, our oldest has gone from being a solid second team club player to a major contributor on a team consistently finishing in the top of the open division in national qualifiers.  She was one of approximately 50 14-15 year old players in the region recently selected to participate in the High Performance Camp by USA Volleyball.

Our youngest began playing club volleyball at age 10, and had a great first year.  Having had the benefit of training with Ruth, she has solid mechanics, as demonstrated when she served the last 10 points of several matches, including the championship match in bracket play in a major tournament.

But the lessons learned have not been limited to volleyball skills.  By exposing our daughters to older players that were solid role models, from high school players to a three-time Olympian, Ruth has taught our daughters a sense or responsibility to teammates and the sport of volleyball. Rather than being self-focused, as are many athletes of all ages, our daughters are focused on supporting their teammates and promoting the sport.  Indeed, we have never been more proud of our oldest than in a time of adversity - when she got benched during a crucial match, for just the second time all year.  Rather than leave the court with a pout, she screamed encouragement to her teammates throughout the remainder of the match, to the point that she was actually light headed.  While she is only 14, one of our oldest daughter's greatest joys is now assisting with training younger players, just like the older players did for her when she was just starting out training with Ruth.

In sum, the many hours training with Ruth have made our daughters better volleyball players and better people. Whatever paths our daughters may choose, we know that the foundation laid in the last three years will serve them well.

I first met Ruth when I was 12 years old and just beginning my experience in club volleyball.  Ruth helped me gain skills that I needed to know and that I have used ever since I began training with her.  While training with Ruth for 2 years, I learned many valuable volleyball lessons, and I will always remember how she pushed me to be the best volleyball player I could be.

Rebecca Jones

My daughter, Madie Jones, age 14, trained with Ruth Nelson several times a week during club season and summer months, and she also had the privilege of getting to know Ruth and learning from her the game and fundamentals of playing volleyball over the span of several years. Madie learned so many things from Ruth including discipline and working hard towards being the best you can be at your game. Ruth taught Madie how to approach her hits and worked with her on improving the power of her hitting and also her accuracy. At age 14 Madie was awarded MVP for her club team and also selected for a USAV High Performance Development Camp and also selected for the North Texas Region High Performance Youth Team. She continues to build on the basics and fundamentals that Ruth taught her, which has brought her success and recognition at a game she loves to play.

Our daughter, Becky Wallander, is 13 years old.  Becky took private lessons from Ruth Nelson during the summer and fall of 2004.  Becky improved in all areas of play, with dramatic improvement in her hitting.  Becky has advanced her play enough to be the starting outside hitter for the VICTORY 13N team.  She has played a major role on the team this year, and her team earned their bid to participate in the 2005 USA Junior Olympics to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Ruth is a terrific teacher for those athletes who have a passion to learn, train and play.  As a parent who also coaches middle school varsity volleyball, I can attest to Ruth's knowledge, teaching skills, and genuine compassion and caring for the athletes she teaches.  It has made a real and lasting difference for Becky not only in her play, but also in her attitude about her off court training and overall passion for the sport of volleyball.

Cat Mundy, age 18

I have worked with Ruth since I was 14 years old. I was actually one of the two girls who got her back into training again! I'm glad that we convinced her to because she has changed my life. When I started training with Ruth, I was a scrawny and uncoordinated girl who, with the help of Ruth, grew to be a scholarship player. She helped me in every aspect of the game and helped me in my spiritual growth. She really got me motivated to keep playing volleyball and to never give up on myself. I was my own worst critic, but she made me a mentally tough player and ready to take on the world! Well...at least the volleyball world! I trained with her every year for four years.

My junior year in high school and 3rd year playing club Ruth decided she would head our club team and train us like a college team. We used high intensity training (HIT TEAM) to improve our skills and be the best that we can be. She worked her hardest to expose us to college coaches and devoted so much time to making sure we were getting noticed so we could continue our volleyball growth through college. Playing on the HIT Team was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and it taught me how to be strong both on and off the court. I improved in all aspects of the game. My hitting and blocking became stronger, and I have never played such great defense in my whole life. The hours we put in for the team really had you in the mindset of what college would be like. With both the physical and volleyball training, I realized I had never been in such great shape in all of my life. Because of Ruth's great coaching, she has helped me to receive a varsity spot for 3 years, 1st and 2nd team All-District honors, 2 MVP awards, a Texas All Star Game appearance, and a college scholarship. Ruth is more than just a coach to me; She is a friend, who I confide in and who takes care of me. Sometimes I even called her my fun Aunt Ruth!

Through the time that I have spent with Ruth, I have been able to plan my future and make the best decision that I could possibly make. Ruth is my mentor, and I love her to death. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend time with her and receive her wisdom and coaching. She took me under her wing and led me down a path to opportunity and success. I have earned a volleyball scholarship to play for Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and am very excited. Ruth has made a huge difference in my life and is truly the best coach I have ever had.

Ruth Nelson has conducted our team camp at Hebron High School for the past two years.  The camp itself involved one week of serious training, 2-3 hours each day, but Ruth’s strategic input benefited us throughout the season. The athletes ranged in ages 14-18 or freshman through seniors.  Her camp gave us a great jump-start into our season. Some of our biggest improvements came in solid ball control as a result of the fun and effective ball handling drills Ruth incorporated.  Ruth uses progression drills better than anyone in the business; she insists that ALL athletes develop ALL skills.

As a result of her approach, for example, even my “middles” are challenged to jump set and back set.  Ruth pays attention to the whole athlete and the whole team.  This includes attitude and how body language affects everyone on the court.  Her positive and demanding style gets results!  She has personally trained two of my key players who because of this were instrumental in leading us to a 4A Texas State Championship in 2004.  My program, my athletes and I are better because of Ruth’s influence and training.

This is a testimonial for Ruth Nelson.  Ruth has been my volleyball trainer for 4 years.  When Ruth started training me I was an athlete who loved volleyball, but no matter how athletic I was, I had very incorrect form. Ruth taught me everything about correct form and the fundamental skills in volleyball.  She really changed almost everything I was doing.  My game went from good to my best.  Because of Ruth I am now a college volleyball athlete.  In fact I am playing as a freshman, and so far I have played in almost every match. It’s a dream come true.

But that's not all.  Since working with Ruth I made my high school varsity team, became captain, and twice helped lead my team to the state playoffs for the first time in the history of the school.  For another first time, my team beat our rival Allen high school.  I was twice chosen as the Defensive MVP and twice earned district and state honors.  I twice earned the Most Inspirational Award. I was named female athlete of the week for the Dallas area by the Dallas Morning News and honorable mention once.  I was selected for the USA volleyball High Performance camp in Colorado Springs, and had the privilege of competing for the North Texas Junior Women's High Performance team, which placed 4th at the national championship.

Ruth is a phenomenal trainer.  She knows just how to help each person reach her highest potential.  She really pushes hard but she builds your confidence at the same time.  Ruth accepts nothing but your best, but she's right there beside you the whole way, helping you improve every step of the way.

Not only is Ruth a wonderful trainer, she is a mentor too.  She helps you in the good times and the tough and rough times.  If you have a problem with your game, she'll help.  If you have a disappointment during recruiting, she'll help.  If you need someone to trust and talk to, she is there for you.  She celebrates all of your successes too.  Ruth becomes as proud as an athlete’s parents.

 Ruth is an advocate for the game of volleyball.  During the years she trained me, Ruth invited me to many events where Olympic and National team athletes, college coaches, and college athletes spoke or held clinics.  As a young player, it was so exciting to meet these other volleyball mentors.  And now, as a freshman playing volleyball in college, I got to sign my first autograph for a fan!  I feel like things have come full circle.

 I am honored that Ruth trained me.  She made a difference in my game and in my life.  She still keeps up with me, watching my college volleyball career.  In fact she keeps up with many of her athletes.  She has trained numerous college, national, international, and Olympic players.  I am very proud and blessed that one of them was me.

Mike and Nancy Evans

My daughter trained and worked with Ruth Nelson for 4 years.  Truly, she changed her life.  Ruth helped her understand the difference between athletic ability and athletic skill.  Because Ruth focused on the fundamentals of volleyball, and demanded excellence, my daughter’s skill improved dramatically.  The amazing thing about Ruth’s demand for excellence was the way she was able to individualize her approach while perfecting every tiny bit of my daughter’s volleyball skill.

Ruth not only changed my daughter’s volleyball skills, she demanded hard work.  Now you might think a teenaged girl would dread lessons that demanded hard work, but it wasn’t that way at all.  She looked forward to the lessons, and would often ask for additional lessons any time she felt something about her game “wasn’t quite right.” Ruth earned my daughter’s respect, but also showed her respect.  There still is a special bond between them because of Ruth’s approach.  Her demand for hard work carried over into the classroom and into my daughter’s family and social life too. 

Ruth is a motivator and she believes in her athletes!  She has very high expectations, and her athletes meet those expectations!  But she always starts right at the beginning, right at the athlete’s level, and pushes just a little more every day (some days it seems like a lot more!)  Then one day I was amazed at the progress!  People were noticing the change in her skills.  Coaches were noticing!  My daughter’s confidence soared!

Without Ruth’s guidance, the college recruiting process would have been very difficult to navigate.  She understands every bit of the process, from both sides: the athlete’s perspective and the coach’s perspective.  Her knowledge and assistance were invaluable every step of the way. 

Ruth cares about every aspect of her athletes’ lives.  She is incredibly loyal and giving.  And she cares about her athletes for the rest of their lives.  In an era when children have a hard time finding heroes worth looking up to, my daughter is fortunate to count Ruth Nelson as one of her heroes.  She is not only the finest volleyball trainer; she is a fine human being.  I am honored that she worked with my daughter and helped shape her life.

Morgan Badgett

My daughter Jaynie Badgett is 14 1/2 years old. Jaynie worked with Ruth while she was 12 and 13. Her primary areas of improvement from working with Ruth were: effectiveness of and confidence in her serving, proper hitting approach, and correct footwork for defense.

Jaynie has played for Victory Volleyball Club's 12 National, 13 National, and 14 National teams. She has also played on her school's 7th grade and 8th grade "A" teams, both of which won district championships.

Ruth's relationship with Victory VBC and its players has been one of the club's major assets, and has greatly benefited a significant number of players from ages 8 to 18.

My daughter Lauren Stokes is a 16-year-old senior in high school.  She has been training with Ruth Nelson for approximately 3 years via various camps and lessons.  Lauren's goals were to improve in overall play and become either the leading setter for her club team or the libero.  She succeeded in all aspects with Ruth's help.  Lauren's setting improved so much that the school coaches asked her to coach the younger setters coming up thru the ranks.  Lauren's last year of club had her playing libero - Ruth's drills and game playing philosophies really helped in tight situations.  Lauren became a critical member of the team; this was evidenced by a best 3rd place finish in an Open tournament.  Immediately afterwards, she experienced an ACL tear (from skiing), and the team never again finished in the top half of any tournament.

I would highly recommend Ruth to work with any young lady who has the desire to improve their skill sets and mental toughness.  Lauren was actively recruited by three division one schools until the injury occurred.  They were not only impressed by her quickness and dedication, but by the training she received first hand from Ruth Nelson.