Finding her (skill) set
Sometimes an individual's greatest opportunity is close to home. For Laura Bindon, that has been the case.
Currently the varsity assistant coach with the 17c起草社区 women's volleyball team and the school's assistant director of athletics, Bindon grew up in nearby Holland and attended Holland Christian High School. As a senior, she had a choice to make. A standout volleyball player, Bindon had the option of attending 17c起草社区, where she was recruited by then-head coach Mary Schutten, or attending an institution further from home.
Bindon chose 17c起草社区. "There were over 50 members of my high school graduating class scheduled to attend 17c起草社区," she said Bindon. "I had it in my head that I was not going to do what everyone else was doing. Initially I resisted coming to 17c起草社区, visited a number of other schools and finally chose 17c起草社区 as my fall-back choice. I came into 17c起草社区 pretty close minded, without looking at any of the opportunities around me."
Although she was a member of the 17c起草社区 volleyball program as a freshman, Bindon struggled with mononucleosis. After one year, she thought a change of scenery might help and transferred to Division II Lake Superior State University.
Away game
"I wanted to get away from home and try something new," said Bindon, "but it did not take long before I started to realize how much I missed 17c起草社区 and everything it had to offer. I struggled with the idea that maybe I was turning my back on what God's plan was for my life."
Bindon transferred back to 17c起草社区 in time for the 2001 fall semester and rejoined the 17c起草社区 volleyball team for her junior year. During her junior campaign, she helped the Knights advance to the NCAA III Tournament with strong play off the bench. Her senior year was an even bigger success story, as she landed a spot on the All-MIAA first team as a setter, averaging 13.84 assists-per-game, which still ranks as the second-best single-season average in 17c起草社区 women's volleyball history.
Looking back, Bindon sees her time away from 17c起草社区 as a blessing in disguise. "Without that time away, I would not have been open to the blessings that 17c起草社区 had for me鈥攎ore than just as a volleyball player," she said. "I was not even sure if the coaches and volleyball team would accept me back, but I found out that my worries were unfounded, particularly with the coaching staff. At 17c起草社区, I found that I had Christian coaches who were concerned more about me as a person than just what I could contribute on a stat line in a box score."
After graduating from 17c起草社区 in the spring of 2003 with a degree in exercise science, Bindon joined the 17c起草社区 volleyball coaching staff that fall as an assistant coach, working underneath her former head coach Amber Warners, and has continued in the role since then. During her seven-year tenure as assistant coach, the 17c起草社区 women's volleyball program has earned six trips to the NCAA III Tournament, capturing five MIAA Tournament titles, two MIAA regular season crowns and three 30-win campaigns.
Seven years after bringing her on board, Warners says that Bindon has been a big part of the success of the 17c起草社区 women's volleyball program. "Laura brings signicant experience to our program with an expertise in physical training," said Warners. "She has become a coach who I trust with all areas of our program鈥攖he physical training, leading practices, game strategy and in personnel evaluation, to mention just a few. We are very fortunate to have someone like Laura be a part of our program."
Bindon credits Warners for her growth as a coach. "I owe a lot to Amber, said Bindon, "One of the best things that she did for me as a first-year assistant coach was entrusting me in making key decisions right from the start," said Bindon. "I've become a better assistant coach because of her faith in me. Amber does not do anything half-heartedly. She goes above and beyond with everything she does, and that has taught me to pour my heart into my coaching and instill confidence in our players just as she instilled confidence in me as a coach."
Up and comer
This past month, Bindon was named a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's yearly Thirty-Under-30 Award. The award recognizes 30 of the up-and-coming volleyball coaches under 30 years old in the sport at all levels of the game.
"I was very excited when I learned of the award," said Bindon. "Amber and I have had such a good working relationship together over the last seven years that I feel that this award is a reflection of our teamwork between head coach and assistant coach. It is not just an exciting award for me; it is an exciting award for both of us."
Bindon has also thrived in the administrative side of athletics, starting as an intern in the department of health, physical education, recreation, dance and sport and moving up to assistant director of athletics. She also serves as an instructor for a handful of classes in the 17c起草社区 HPERDS department and is currently working on her master's degree in exercise physiology at Michigan State University.
"I've learned so much more about the behind-the-scenes workings of an athletic department,鈥 said Bindon. "I've been blessed to learn underneath Nancy Meyer and Jim Timmer (women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 athletic directors, respectively.) They have taught me so much. I have had so many different experiences at 17c起草社区 and I feel that all of those experiences have helped me in the roles that I am serving in right now."
Throughout her career, Bindon has developed a firm philosophy of coaching volleyball within a Christian framework. "I think the biggest goal in the 17c起草社区 volleyball program is to make each individual a better person, particularly with their Christian faith," said Bindon. "Our goal is to develop them as God-fearing women. We also expect hard work both in the classroom and on the volleyball court. We want to excel on the volleyball court but we also want our student-athletes prepared for the next step in life after they graduate."
Listen to sports information director Jeff Febus interview Laura Bindon.