Who is she? Liz Young Walther, a former catcher for the New Mexico Lobos and head coach for the Detroit Mercy Titans.
What is she known for? Young began her playing career at Kent State before transferring to New Mexico. She was a 2-time academic all-conference selection as the starting catcher for the Lobos, and as a junior, she threw out twenty runners trying to steal. Young spent one summer season playing professionally for the Akron Racers in 2010, and later embarked on a coaching career that included stints on staff at her alma mater, UNM; Ohio University; and Western Illinois. She spent one year as the interim head coach of the Leathernecks before being named head coach at Detroit Mercy. She departed the Titans’ program after two years in charge.
Here’s something interesting… A double-major in college, Young got her degree in American Sign Language Interpreting and Intercultural Communications. She logged more than 200 hours as a sign language interpreter while she was in college and her original career goal was to be an interpreter as her career. “Some of my favorite memories were at very cool interpreting gigs and actually uniquely introduced me to other fun life interests like Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art,” Young said. “That training was actually what rehabilitated my shoulder.”
Quotable quote: “I think the lesson I just recently learned is that the person you are coaching is the ONLY THING that matters. I’ve always had a handle on the X’s and O’s, but my ego only let me see how important winning was. Now, I see the kid’s heart, her needs, I try and learn her ‘love languages’, and I work hard to make sure each kid’s cup is full when they leave the field. You know, it’s easy to think that kids are all just as passionate about the sport and wanting to be the best as I was. But, in some ways, this kid may simply look forward to being on the field because this fills spaces for them and makes them feel whole. Why not give them that? Why assume that winning is THAT important. And, I’m sure it’s no surprise to you, that the more we focus on lifting kids up, the more they serve to lift others up, and the easier it becomes for us to win more than we don’t.”
What’s she up to now? After her tenure at Detroit Mercy, Young left the coaching profession on what she thought would be a permanent basis. She entered the retail world, and now works for an staffing firm as a Director of Recruiting. In addition, after several years away from the game, she returned to the field on a temporary basis that has turned into a permanent role that continues even to the present day. She owns and directs the Northern Nevada Tilt organization along with a group of other coaches, and handles the player development for the program. She has also started a mentorship and life coaching program called Life Mastery.
Keep up: You can keep up with the Northern Nevada Tilt on their Facebook page.
