Student-athletes like Jackie McBride don't come along very often.
McBride is the outstanding senior leader for the Cowgirl volleyball team. Talk to her for a little while and you'll find she's much, much more than that.
In my opinion she is the face of Cowgirl athletics at the University of Wyoming. She has already earned her undergraduate degree in communications (she got that in December) with a 3.9 GPA. She is currently working on a master's, also in communications, which she will earn a year from now.
She is past president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and remains on its executive board. She has been Wyoming's Mountain West representative for SAAC, and she has been a part of the league's prestigious Joint Council meetings as a student representative.
In short, she loves being involved. She enjoys building relationships, and most of all she enjoys helping people.
She is a natural leader who just happens to be the consummate competitor. She loves to win.
McBride is the next in a line of student-athletes, whom Head Volleyball Coach Chad Callihan utilizes as a cornerstone to build and maintain his remarkable program. Since he came on board, Wyoming has produced five 20-win seasons. The program had produced just seven total in its history prior to his arrival. He is the winningest coach in Cowgirl volleyball history.
Wyoming has become a national-caliber program, and it's happened with Callihan's leadership and names like, like Beach, Chacon, Copeland, Plante, Fields, Slofkiss, and now McBride.
"Chad and I are very much alike," says Jackie. "I so appreciate how much he wants to succeed and win. He's always telling us that we must have a case of the "wants". We must really want to be successful. We must really care about winning.
"Girls like Laura (Beach), Courtney (Chacon), Kayla (Slofkiss) and Madi (Fields) have helped elevate this program to a very high level. I want to continue that amazing culture. The program is extremely competitive and committed to winning. That comes from recruiting individuals who fit the culture. Every person in the program must be committed to that culture. You have to 'want' in practice just as much as you do in the game. Not just the six girls on the court, but every girl on the team. They need to push the starters. Team chemistry is super important, and you have to understand that it changes from year-to-year. That can be difficult to navigate, and we've had girls leave because they didn't fit our culture. With our team understand the culture comes quickly. We all have one thing in common from the start, we love volleyball.
"I value relationships, and that's so important for team development. It's not all business. We have a lot of fun, too."
By her own admission, Jackie was 'raw' when she arrived from Rangeview High School in Aurora, Colo.
"I really didn't know what I was getting into, honestly," she admits. "I didn't realize that this program could compete on a national level, but that's Chad's expectation. He has very special characteristics, and is extremely committed to this program and its success. He's super invested. He never makes excuses for us. If we lose a match, he may tell us that he appreciated the fight, but he makes sure we know what we must do to get the W next time out."
Like all student-athletes Jackie did not want to redshirt her freshman year. "It was tough, it was hard practicing and not being with the team for games. But it was the right thing, and I agreed with Chad that it was the thing for me to do. I'd never lifted a weight until I got to college. I needed that year. And, honestly, it really helped me acclimate to college It gave me a chance to figure myself out as a college kid. It helped me form a strength base, and I improved my vertical (jump) by two inches that year."
Jackie is very aware that she will be a role model for the new players, and she takes that role very seriously. "It's hard to explain how much of a role model Laura Beach was for me. Not only was she a super gifted person, but she was just a great girl. Having her as my role model was huge. She was always there for her teammates. She was so giving. She could balance accountability with relationships.
"Madi Fields was another role model for me. I have so much respect for her. I always appreciated her passion and her leadership. She inspired me both as a sophomore and a junior.
"Now I'm in that position and I want to do the same thing for our younger girls that Laura and Madi did for me."
Jackie believes her competitive edge comes from having two older brothers (Casey and Matthew). "I think they helped build the fire that I have inside. That competitiveness comes out in practice just as much as it does in the games. It really drives me in everything I do."
Jackie credits her middle school (Quest) for the involvement piece. "We had great teachers who interacted with us in my middle school. I was also surrounded by a group of kids who wanted to be involved, and wanted to do their best. We were held to a high standard at a young age."
Like everyone else, Jackie is trying to deal with the virus. "It's a mindset of embracing the unknown. Hopeful we can play our season. No one knows how many games we'll play or if we'll get to play at all. It's the harsh reality. But we're going to do everything we can as individuals and as a team to get ready. Sure, it'll be a strange transition, re-igniting the passion, getting back into it. But we are all grateful to be healthy, and we're looking forward to getting back at it."
With such a lust for life, Jackie also is grateful for having the opportunity to be a student-athlete. That's magnified by the fact that her last year of competition could be is at risk.
"I can't imagine not being a student-athlete," she says. "There's just too many good things about it. To have so many people invested in you is a special experience. Whether it's academically or athletically, it's amazing how many people care about you. It's a unique experience. Here you are, 18 to 22 years old and trying to figure out who you are with a lot of people there for you to help figure that out. Athletic competition provides challenges you will face in your life. I think we are all better people for having experienced it."
McBride isn't sure what she will do with her education once she has her master's and ceases competing. I asked her what she will be doing in 10 years. "Well, I hope I'm partially established in a career by then," she laughs. "But seriously I'm not sure what that's going to be right now. I'll keep working hard and see what happens."
What does she love most about Wyoming?
"How invested everyone is. There isn't any place like it. I'm from the Denver area, and I see all kinds of bumper stickers, CSU, CU, DU, Metro, Northern Colorado. Here, there's just one bumper sticker, and that's the bucking horse and rider. Now that I think about it, I do know one thing I'll be doing in 10 years, I'll be watching Wyoming football and volleyball."
You better believe she'll have a bucking-horse-and-rider bumper sticker too.
