Meet your neighbor: Laura Morris

Published 8:00 am Monday, October 21, 2013

Laura Morris doesn’t hesitate when asked to identify the hardest part of her job as St. Clair County High School’s varsity volleyball coach.  

“Not getting to play,” she said.  “I wish I could get out there with them.”

As a first-year coach and math teacher at St. Clair, it hasn’t been all that long since Morris was on the court as a player.   She spent five years as a member of the Lady Saints team, “mostly as a middle and outside hitter,” graduated  in 2008, and returned to her alma mater after earning a degree in secondary education.

“Over half of the teachers here taught me,” she said, reflecting on the different perspective she now has in the classroom and on the court.  

“As a player, I had the perspective that I had to put anything and everything I had into the game, and that ball had better not hit the floor. I would beat myself up over the game if something was to go wrong and it was because of me. As a coach, I have that same perspective, but I can no longer go out on the court. 

“Now, I have to make sure that each girl that steps out onto the court is going to be just as willing to give everything they have in order to play and hopefully to win. I notice a lot now how the girls on my team will beat themselves up if something goes wrong because of them. As their coach, I now have to be the one to pull them back up into reality and remind them that the game will go on. You cannot dwell on each point. The game moves too fast for that.”

The Odenville native also explained what she enjoys most about volleyball, why she became a math teacher, and how her often-unpopular subject is important outside the classroom.

Why she enjoys volleyball:  “It’s a team effort.  There’s nothing individual about it except for the serve.  You become really close to your team and trust each other to be there when you need them to be there.”

This volleyball season:  The Lady Saints finished the regular season with a 5-30 record.  “It’s been a serious growing year.  The team lost six seniors from last year, and we only have one player who’s even played varsity before.  This year has been about building on a foundation.  Next year we have to get to work.”

Up next:  The area tournament at Oneonta.  St. Clair plays Fairview at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.  “I think we have a good chance of beating them,” Morris said.  “If we do, we’ll qualify to go to super-regionals Oct. 25 and 26 in Huntsville.”

Her team’s best game this season: “The opener against Locust Fork. We won best 2-3 in the first two sets. Each girl on the team gave 100 percent heart, and it showed on the court that night. That is one of the few nights that I have gone home without a voice because I had to cheer over everyone because the game was so intense.  It made it feel more special too that even though we did not have the biggest crowd there, we did have the biggest cheering section. Our junior varsity team cheered all they could for the varsity which made it all the more special.”

Did she always want to be a teacher?  “I tried my hardest not to be one.  My mom was, so I knew the frustrations that come with it. I wanted to be an accountant or an engineer but decided on teaching because I love working with kids and seeing that ‘I got it’ moment on their faces when something finally clicks.”

Why math?  “I like puzzles, and to me, math is a puzzle.  A lot of people don’t like it and shut down on it, so the challenge for me is figuring out a way to spark a light in them.”

The purpose of high school algebra:  “It’s really building a foundation for stuff you can use later in life.  Whether you go on to be a lawyer, pilot, commercial driver, welder, x-ray or dental technician, forester, graphic artist, or whatever, math gives you the building blocks for those things.”

How she describes herself:  “Caring.  Hard-working.  I do everything to the best of my ability, and I want to make everybody happy.  I like helping people reach the best of their ability.”

Why she enjoys living in St. Clair County: “It offers the best of country life and small town goodness.”

Her favorite TV show from childhood:  “’Full House.’”

If she could have a conversation with any celebrity, it would be: “Candace Cameron Bure.  She played DJ on ‘Full House,’ and has grown up to be a very inspiring woman of God.”

Her favorite movie: “’Father of the Bride.’  I’ve seen it a zillion times.”

Her favorite indulgence: “Diet Pepsi and Kit-Kats.”

If she could have one super power, it would be: “Mind-reading.” 

What she fears most: “Clowns.”

One item you’re never without:  “A ponytail.”

The best advice she ever received: “Keep your head down and your ears open. Listen more than you speak.  A wise co-worker told me that.”

Her favorite leisure activity:  Spending time with her fiancé, who is also a 2008 St. Clair graduate.  “We’re getting married over spring break.”