Video created by Caitlin Babcock, Mattie Hansen, Lauren Hauser, Reagan Light, Kendra Streicher, Caroline Voss, and Catherine Yeoman

Shirley Ryan was an outstanding head volleyball coach at Mount Vernon High School from 1972 to 2010. She was very successful throughout her 38 years of coaching and led her teams to greatness. During her career, she won three state volleyball championship titles and three state runner-up titles. After she retired, Ryan was inducted into the IGCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012. Ryan was a student of the game, going to many clinics to learn how to make her athletes better, and growing great relationships with each and every player to provide a good playing atmosphere.

This video is one of a series created by high school students for the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street exhibit Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America which will be on display at the First Street Community Center in Mount Vernon, Iowa, from March 18-April 29, 2018.