National Girls and Women in Sports Day celebrated

Key Points

• University of Memphis head volleyball coach Cheri Lindsay addressed DeSoto Central High School athletes during a breakfast celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
• Lindsay emphasized that participation in sports builds essential life skills, including discipline, empathy, and leadership, which translate into professional success.
• The coach highlighted the historic growth in women’s athletics and advocated for a coaching model focused on vulnerability and supporting the “whole human.”

SOUTHAVEN — Standing before a room of young athletes at DeSoto Central High School on Wednesday morning, University of Memphis head volleyball coach Cheri Lindsay didn’t just talk about wins and losses. She spoke about the “grind,” the necessity of vulnerability, and the transformative power of women’s athletics.

The breakfast gathering, hosted by Lady Jags volleyball coach Margaret Falatko, served as a local celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. An earlier celebration for the day on Feb. 4 was postponed to Wednesday due to the winter storm that enveloped the area.

For Lindsay, who recently completed her first season leading the Tigers, the event was an opportunity to remind student-athletes that their time on the court or field is preparing them for a life far beyond the final whistle.

“You can learn how to lead, you can learn how to be empathetic, and you can learn how to get along better with others,” Lindsay told the group. “Even if you decide not to play college athletics, you’re still going to take the things that you learn in your teams right now and take them into your life.”

A Global Momentum

Lindsay pointed to the unprecedented growth of women’s sports as a source of inspiration. She cited the University of Nebraska volleyball team’s historic feat of filling a football stadium with more than 92,000 fans, as well as the current “boom” in women’s basketball and softball.

“I love that people are starting to put more emphasis on women’s sports,” Lindsay said. “It creates opportunity and equity, giving you an opportunity to have an impact on where athletics is going.”

The Athlete Mindset

Drawing on her personal journey—from a standout high school career in Denver to coaching at her alma mater, Prairie View A&M University—Lindsay shared the importance of grit. After tearing her ACL at age 13, she chose surgery and a rigorous “grind” over the sidelines, a decision that eventually led to a collegiate scholarship and a career in coaching.

Lindsay stressed that modern coaching must prioritize mental health and authenticity. She encouraged the students to embrace vulnerability in the gym, allowing teammates and coaches to see their true selves.

“You can never play at your highest level unless you’re able to feel comfortable and unless you feel free,” Lindsay said. “My goal as a coach is not just wins and losses. It’s about: how can I help you? How can I help you graduate? How can I be there for you when you’re homesick?”

Breaking Barriers

During a Q&A session, Lindsay acknowledged the unique challenges today’s female athletes face, particularly the pressures of social media and the expectation to perform at a high level 100 percent of the time.

Despite these hurdles, she expressed optimism about the increasing number of women in leadership roles within the NCAA, noting that the first woman to win a volleyball national championship did so just last year while battling breast cancer.

“There’s not as many women coaching at the Division I level as I feel like there should be,” Lindsay said. “Being able to represent that small population is going to forever be something that I hold very dear.”