Alumni Spotlight: Erin Moore
11/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Erin Moore (2000-03) had a tremendous playing career at Michigan, capping it off with an All-America honor in 2003, becoming the first player in the 31-year history of U-M volleyball to earn that outstanding honor. Moore was a two-time captain with the Wolverines and earned All-Big Ten honors her final two seasons. She played professionally in Spain and Puerto Rico from 2004-11 and was the Wolverines' director of operations for five years. Moore now is in her fourth season as the assistant coach at George Washington University, whose head coach is former Michigan assistant Amanda Ault. Moore talked with MGoBlue.com on her way back to the Midwest for Thanksgiving, about coaching at the college level, her time in Ann Arbor and what Mark and Leisa Rosen mean to her.
Q. When did coaching first pique your interest?
A. After playing for so long and working at Michigan after I graduated it was something I wanted to try and felt like I was doing in the summer anyways with camps. And then Mo (Amanda Ault) got the opportunity and invited me and I thought yeah, let's give it a ride.
Q. What do you like the most about coaching at the college level?
A.Working with the girls. Especially this past year as GW had its best season in 14 years and group was awesome and totally bought in on a day-to-day basis, because I remember what it was like at Michigan and they just become your friends. I'm coming back right now to see Mark, Leisa and the boys!
Q. You played professionally in Puerto Rico for five years. Describe how exciting that was to play volleyball in that country.
A. I went to Spain for two years and then Puerto Rico. Actually after Spain, I was kind of done. I was sick of moving and being so far away from my family for nine months at a time. My agent then told me to go to Puerto Rico and if you don't like it you can be done. I got there and it's a tropical island and the fans are fantastic, the food is great and they bring piña coladas into the locker room. What's not to like about that?
Q. What was your most memorable moment or moments as a professional?
A. I've been really, really fortunate to play in a lot of places and travel a lot for volleyball. I've been around Europe and obviously Puerto Rico and I don't really miss playing, honestly. The wear on your body is something I don't miss. I do miss being around the locker room, especially in my last season. Being together with 14 or 15 other women because these girls have jobs and kids but very rarely will there be places in your professional life where you have that comradery with a group of women. The people I play with, I still talk to over email and Facebook and it's great to visit them, hopefully soon in wonderful places.
Q. Do you still keep in touch with teammates and coaches from your days as a Michigan volleyball player?
A. Teammates, not as much as I'd like to as a lot of them have kids, which apparently keeps you busy! Certainly, whenever I see anyone that I played with it's like it was yesterday that we were playing. And Mark and Leisa, Leisa is one of my closest friends and they are like a second family to me.
Q. How did U-M put you in the position that you hold today?
A. It's just the opportunity that you have as a student-athlete there. Sometimes I wish that I did more on campus. Just because I feel like as a student-athlete you're really busy and being pulled in a lot of different directions. If I had to do it over again I would do more on campus and in the community and I would just make time. But just the opportunities you have at a school like Michigan, it kind of trains you for life.
The recently created Office of Alumni Engagement strives to foster a community, recognize the holistic student-athlete and honor the great Michigan Athletics history. This alumni spotlight illustrates the impact that our alumni are having around the world and how they stay engaged with Michigan.
