The Path I Couldn’t See, but God Already Knew

By Eysha Ambler(opens in new tab), Director of Player Personnel & Development, University of Florida Women’s Volleyball

No club volleyball. No nationally ranked recruiting profile. No roadmap to the Power 4 level.

Just a young woman with a love for sports, a willingness to work, and dreams that were bigger than the opportunities in front of her.

If you had told that young woman she would one day spend more than two decades coaching Division I volleyball, recruit some of the best players in the country, and help shape the future of a program like the University of Florida, I’m not sure she would have believed you.

Not because she didn’t have ambition, but because she had never seen that path for herself.

Looking back now, I realize something: Just because you can’t see the path doesn’t mean God hasn’t already made a way.

Your Beginning Doesn’t Determine Your Destination 

My volleyball journey didn’t start the way many young athletes’ journeys do today.

I didn’t grow up playing club volleyball, traveling across the country to national qualifiers, or attending elite recruiting showcases. I didn’t have the exposure or resources that so many athletes have access to now.

My journey took me through junior college before I found my way to Jacksonville State University, where I competed in volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

It wasn’t the traditional route, but it was mine.

At Jacksonville State, I had the opportunity to make my mark as an athlete and become the school’s first three-sport letterwinner since 1985. But what I gained from those experiences went far beyond statistics or accomplishments.

I learned how to work. I learned how to adapt. I learned how to compete. Most importantly, I learned that where you start doesn’t have to determine where you finish.

Sometimes we spend so much time comparing our journeys to others that we overlook the value of our own experiences. I’ve learned that every stop, every challenge, and every unexpected turn can prepare you for something you don’t even know is coming.

Lesson one: Dream big, even when your current circumstances don’t match your dreams.

You don’t need the perfect beginning to create an incredible story.

Faith Over Fear 

One of the biggest constants throughout my life has been my faith.

Coaching is a profession filled with uncertainty. Jobs change. Leadership changes. Opportunities come and go. You can pour everything you have into something and still not get the outcome you hoped for.

Over the years, I’ve learned that faith doesn’t mean everything will go according to my plan. It means trusting God even when it doesn’t.

My career has taken me from Jacksonville State to Tennessee State, Pittsburgh, Auburn, TCU, and now Florida. Every stop has brought different people, different challenges, and different lessons.

There have been seasons of growth, moments of uncertainty, and times when I’ve had to trust the process without knowing what was next.

Through it all, I’ve tried to stay grounded in four values: work hard, trust God, be kind, and lead with integrity.

Those values aren’t just things I believe in. They’re things I want people to experience when they interact with me.

I believe how you treat people matters. How you respond when things don’t go your way matters. What you do when no one is watching matters.

And I believe that sometimes God places us in certain positions not just for what we can accomplish, but for the people we’re meant to impact along the way.

Lesson two: You can work hard for what you want while trusting God with what you cannot control.

Representation Is More Than Being in the Room 

As a Black woman coaching collegiate volleyball, I’ve often found myself in spaces where I was the only person who looked like me. That experience comes with a unique sense of responsibility.

There is pride in being in those rooms, but there can also be pressure. Pressure to prove you belong. Pressure to be prepared for everything. Pressure to work a little harder, be a little better, and make fewer mistakes because you know you may be one of the few examples people have.

For a long time, I felt that responsibility meant I always had to do more and be more.

As I’ve grown, I’ve come to understand that representation isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present, being authentic, doing your job with excellence, and making sure you’re not the last.

During my time at Tennessee State University, an HBCU, I had the opportunity to recruit talented young women from all races and backgrounds. It wasn’t always just about selling volleyball. It was about building relationships, earning trust, and helping athletes and their families see the value of an HBCU experience beyond the court.

And while we were creating meaningful experiences, we were also doing some pretty special things on the volleyball court, including winning conference championships and helping the program reach its first NCAA Tournament.

That experience taught me that representation isn’t just about who is in the room. It’s about challenging perceptions, creating opportunities, and helping others see what’s possible.

Today, I think about the young Black girl who dreams of coaching at the highest level but doesn’t see many people who look like her. I want her to know she belongs and that her dreams are possible, regardless of where she starts.

Lesson three: Don’t just be proud to have a seat at the table. Use your seat to make room for someone else.

The Wins That Don’t Show Up on a Scoreboard 

I’ve been fortunate to be part of conference championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, nationally ranked recruiting classes, and the development of All-Americans.

Those are special accomplishments, and I’m grateful for every one of them.

But after more than 20 years in this profession, I’ve realized that some of the most meaningful wins have nothing to do with volleyball.

They’re the relationships.

They’re the conversations with a student-athlete who’s struggling to find her confidence. They’re watching a young woman grow from a nervous freshman into a strong, independent leader. They’re seeing former players graduate, build careers, start families, and become incredible women.

They’re the moments when someone reaches back out years later, not because of something you taught them about volleyball, but because of how you made them feel.

One of my favorite quotes is, “In the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

That has always resonated with me.

As coaches, we have an incredible opportunity to influence young people during some of the most important years of their lives. And while we spend countless hours evaluating talent, preparing for opponents, and trying to win matches, we can’t forget that we’re also helping shape people.

Our players are watching how we lead, how we communicate, how we handle adversity, and how we treat others.

I want the young women I work with to know that they can be competitive and compassionate. Strong and kind. Ambitious and grounded in their values.

I want them to understand that their worth will never be determined solely by their performance on a volleyball court.

Lesson four: People may forget what you accomplished, but they’ll remember how you treated them. 

A Different Role, the Same Purpose 

Today, I serve as the Director of Player Personnel and Development for Florida Volleyball.

It’s a different role from the one I held for most of my coaching career, but in many ways, it brings together everything I’ve learned along the way.

Recruiting. Building relationships. Helping young women navigate important decisions.

Supporting their growth on and off the court. Creating an environment where they feel valued and prepared for what’s next.

My job title may have changed, but my purpose hasn’t.

I still get to invest in people.

And that’s what I love most about this profession.

The older I get, the more I realize that success isn’t just about how far you climb. It’s about what you do with the opportunities you’re given and who you help along the way.

Be the Example You Once Needed 

If there’s one thing I hope people take from my story, it’s this: Don’t allow your starting point, your circumstances, or someone else’s expectations to place limits on your future.

You don’t have to have every step figured out.

You don’t have to follow the same path as everyone else.

And you certainly don’t have to wait until someone else believes in your dream before you start believing in it yourself.

Work hard. Stay humble. Be kind. Lead with integrity. Trust God.

And when you find yourself in a position to help someone else, do it.

Because the greatest impact we can have isn’t always measured by how far we’ve come. Sometimes it’s measured by how many people have the courage to dream bigger because they saw us do it first.

I started this journey as a young woman who couldn’t have imagined all the places volleyball would take her.

Today, I’m grateful for every stop, every lesson, every person, and every door that opened along the way. And I’m even more excited about the doors I might help open for someone else.

My journey may not have been traditional, but it has been purposeful. And if my story helps even one young woman dream a little bigger, believe in herself a little more, or see a path she didn’t know existed, then I’ve accomplished something far greater than anything on a scoreboard.

I’ve been blessed to live it, fortunate enough to love it, and given the opportunity to coach it. And I wouldn’t change that for anything.

 

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