Jumbo Shrimp front office admin Clay Wilson also a star on the volleyball court

When guests come to the Jumbo Shrimp front office, they are greeted by Clay Wilson at the front desk. They know she possesses a big smile, kindness and a desire to help. But what they do not know is that she is an elite volleyball coach.

Recently, Wilson was named to the AVCA Thirty Under 30 Club for her work at Starlings Coastal Georgia Volleyball Club. Clay is the director of the club and serves as both an assistant and head coach.

The 30 under 30 honor awards honor up-and-coming volleyball coaching talent at all levels of the sport.

It was early in Wilson’s volleyball career as a middle hitter that she knew coaching was the path for her.

“My entire high school career was spent displaced (homeless) or in limbo with little stability,” said Wilson. “My senior year around 17-18 years old, I was getting ready to play college volleyball (and) I wrote down a vision of what I wanted to do with my life. Very clearly, I wanted to own and operate a volleyball club that catered to underserved areas and people. The reality is I wanted to cater to kids like myself, who needed a place besides home to call home. I have experienced firsthand how volleyball can change your life for the better and I want to provide that opportunity to others.”

Clay has already begun achieving those goals, which she set out for herself all those years ago.

“I am currently a club director,” Wilson said. “And in this capacity my biggest goal is to continue to work towards building a multi-use facility that supports my athletes both on the court and off.”

Wilson previously in her career has worked at the collegiate level at both the head and assistant coach level. Wilson was the head coach at Florida Gateway College from 2021-2022 and served as the assistant coach at Coastal Georgia in 2022.

“If the opportunity come back up [to coach collegiately], I would love to get back into the arena,” said Wilson. “It’s a great challenge, but I am very happy with the development and working with the younger generation of volleyball players.”

Wilson has been coaching club volleyball since 2019 and has hosted many developmental clinics for underserved communities. In addition, she has led fundraising efforts, raising over $10,000 to support many athletes in the volleyball club.

“This award means that what I am doing in the world of club volleyball is influential, impactful and I am on the right track,” said Wilson. “Additionally, I’m really grateful to the Jumbo Shrimp leadership team for being so supportive of what I do outside the office. Without their understanding, I would never be able to do the things I love to do outside of work, like coach.”

Clay graduated with a BA in Psychology from Dillard University in 2016 and has begun implementing physical and mental health programs to better support the needs of young developing athletes.

“Everything I do involves psychology,” Wilson said. “Volleyball is a mental sport, so if I am not able to support my athletes and their mind, then I am not going to be able to develop them physically. So that all plays a part in how I structure my practices and my programs. Psychology is the groundwork of our program; we have to take care of the athlete’s mind before we do anything else”

The relationship between coach and athlete is of the utmost importance for Clay. It’s why she was honored in the first place: it’s not about her, it’s about the athletes she teaches in more ways than just on the court.

“Coaching became so much more enjoyable for me when I made it a point to connect personally with my athletes,” said Wilson “Every day is a new day in the gym, it’s always something to improve on and I enjoy the most, the ability to get better at something.”