Leadership Can Make a Night and Day Difference

Throughout the 2023 season, the Moore High School Girls Volleyball team would set aside time to participate in Lead ‘Em Up’s Verification program.

The Verification program is a peer-voted leadership and character award presented throughout the season that all the players are eligible to receive.

As players earned “Verification Status” throughout the season there was one individual who was never able to earn her status, junior phenom Addison Worley.

Despite being one of their best players, a varsity starter since her freshman year, Addison (who goes by Addie) not only wasn’t verified, but she was never even nominated.

Addie wasn’t a bad teammate, she was just a disengaged teammate. At least at times.

“Truthfully, I was just focused on myself and trying to be the best player I could be. Being a great teammate wasn’t where my focus was at,” said Worley.

“Addie is a show stopper, a real impact player. She would just have moments when she’d disengage from the team and during those moments the team could feel the tension. As good of a player Addie is, I knew she could be a better teammate” said Rachael Simmons, Head Coach of the Moore Volleyball Team.

“I always felt like I was nice and welcoming but I never took that extra step to get to know my teammates, I admit that,” said Worley.

As the season ended and the team entered the offseason Worley did some reflecting as she began preparing for her senior year.

“I remember thinking one night, is this the impact I’m going to leave, is this how I want to be remembered? It was as if a light bulb came on and something switched” Worley recalled.

She began telling her teammates and coaches that next year she was going to get verified. She was committed and declared it.

“From day one of us being back together as a team, she has been so intentional with how she’s moving. She’s not only connecting on a new level with her team but she’s engaging with underclassmen and the freshmen. She’s building so much trust with her teammates” and excited Coach Simmons shared.

When asked what specifically has changed the most Worley shared, “I’m trying to be more uplifting of my teammates and really try to instill a competitive spirit in everyone. I’m coming in each day with my teammates as my main focus.”

And the different approach was felt firsthand during the team’s first Verification Ceremony where Worley received the most nominations among all her teammates and was first-round verified.

As her teammates celebrated her there were tears in the room as everyone spoke about how much she’s grown as a person and a leader and how much her teammates look up to her.

In addition to being verified Worley was also selected as one of the three players to be Captains for this year’s team.

“I feel like how I’m showing up this year is a night and day difference compared to last year” shared Worley.

The difference already can be felt which both Simmons and Worley shared. The team went undefeated through the preseason and the team’s connectedness and competitive spirit is stronger than ever before.

And it’s that difference that Moore Volleyball is hoping will help make the difference for them as they enter the season with the highest expectations in program history.