Sports Locker • November/December 2024 • Hard Work Pays off Maddie Mitchell

From Miami to Las Vegas and Niagara Falls to Jefferson City, Maddie Mitchell’s passion for volleyball has taken her on quite the adventure over the last near-decade since her mom first signed her up for the parks and rec league in fourth grade. Even so, the Jefferson City High School senior isn’t stopping anytime soon.

“My senior season goals are to break the school record for career assists; make it to 1,000 career digs; make it to 1,000 kills; win CMAC; beat cross town rivals; go undefeated at home; win districts; and win state!” To accomplish that, she trains in the school weightroom every weekday and goes to the gym on the weekends and in her free time. She said her qualities that make her a great athlete include determination, focus, drive and coachability, and those reflect in her practice program. “I watch my highlights to see what I need to improve on, and I watch Pro Volleyball and higher-level college volleyball games to help with my volleyball IQ. I also get in a lot of hitting and setting reps.”

Her favorite quote is, “Hard work pays off,” and that rings true in her athletic career, gaining her titles like Class 4 District Champion, First Team All-Conference, First Team All-District, First Team All-State, CMAC Champion and CMAC Conference Player of the Year, to name a few. She’s also twice-earned Academic All-State recognition with a 3.6 GPA.

Through her successes, she credits her community, team and coaches for their support. “I love being a Jaybird! I have noticed our community really rallies behind us when we are successful. Having my teammates by my side gives me the motivation I need to be better for them, and I could not be successful without them. Aydia Mayotte is one person I always look to when I get in tough situations on and off the court. My high school coach, Ali Eskens, has basically been with me since I was 11 and has always been there for me when I go through tough challenges. She believes in developing the whole athlete on and off the court, and I believe she has done a great job of that.”

But her original support system is at home with her number one fans. “My parents (Ashton Crow and Ryan Mitchell) have always pushed me to be better, and they are the ones who drive me to practices in Kansas City three times each week. They saw my potential. They are the ones that encouraged me to transfer to a higher club so that I had every opportunity to pursue my dreams of playing at the collegiate level.”

Maddie’s parents remember identifying her potential when she was just a little girl and was determined to learn how to do a cartwheel, working on it for days with advice from her mom until she got it right. Her parents added, “Madilynn is such a great kid. She is reliable and always willing to go the extra mile. She has had an exciting last few years, and we are grateful for every opportunity that has come her way. She has sacrificed so much to be the teammate and athlete she’s always dreamed of being. We are truly grateful for all the memories, friendships and vacations she has taken us on with volleyball. We love her so much and are very proud of all her accomplishments.”

In addition to her athletic goals, Maddie has a desire to inspire the next generation of volleyball players to love the game as much as she does. And after that, she’s taking her talents north. “I plan to attend the University at Buffalo in New York on full scholarship to play D1 volleyball and plan to study exercise science and go the physical therapy route.”

It’s obvious through her success thus far, in addition to her character and impact on her community, that Maddie will go far… and not just geographically.