Q&A with Reno volleyball player, senior Amber Keen
RENO, Nev. — A Q&A with Amber Keen who is a senior at Reno High School and plays multiple sports with a focus on volleyball.
Age: 17
Sport: Volleyball
Sports participated in: Soccer, swim, basketball
Years in volleyball: 5
Teams: Reno High varsity, NNJ 18 Jason
What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?
Amber Keen: I hope to be able to return to play after a knee injury for the rest of my Senior season, and then play in college and possibly professionally.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Keen: In my opinion, the mental part of volleyball is the most challenging, more specifically keeping a positive mindset and persevering during tough games. I manage this by keeping positive energy on the court as much as I can, which helps to keep my teammates in the same mindset.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Keen: To start every day with a fresh mindset and reset from the day before.
What do you love about volleyball?
Keen: I love how high-energy it is, and the prominent team culture. I love playing with my teammates when we are all there for each other and everything is clicking on the court.
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
Keen: I like to find a quiet area to journal and visualize before the game.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Keen: I like to explore the outdoors and spend time with my friends and family.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Keen: It has taught me that nothing works when you are focused on yourself as an individual. You need to be open to each one of your teammates and communicate as a two-way path. It has also taught me the importance of trust.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Keen: To have a three second memory about mistakes because they happen and you can’t let them ruin your whole game, practice, or day.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Keen: I went through a few weeks when I wasn’t serving consistently which cost us in matches. I overcame this by going back to fundamentals and simplifying my serve until I felt confident in it again.
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