One of the most difficult parts of being a high level athlete is figuring out what to do after a professional sports career winds down.

But Tammy Thomas, founder of T2 Volleyball Academy in Kelowna, has always thrived when things get the most difficult.

“I wasn’t a rockstar player in highschool. I had to try out and make the UBCO team and I rode the bench for my first semester,” said Thomas. “But I earned that spot in the starting line up and eventually an All Canadian award. So it’s fun to tell the kids that if you commit and work really hard, anything is possible.”

Thomas and her T2 Volleyball program now train almost 150 kids involved with the program's ten teams between U-12 and U-18.

T2 Volleyball has expanded greatly since its humble beginnings as a beach volleyball training program. In 2015, Thomas opened the Stone House, named after her late father and popular South Okanagan volleyball volunteer, Jim Stone. The training facility now operates year round and provides a home for Thomas to build one of the strongest programs in the valley.

“Our philosophy is based on player development, making sure each player reaches their highest potential and that leads to team success,” explained Thomas. “We want to keep that small program type feel to our club. Understanding each kid on a personal level and what they need to succeed is what makes both the teams and program successful.”

T2 Volleyball has seen success for several age groups at both the Provincial and National level and Thomas credits T2’s focus on employing professional coaches for the program’s winning reputation.

“We pay our coaches, which is big for the program  because volleyball has forever been a volunteer based sport,” said Thomas. “With volunteers it’s difficult to get everyone on the same page, so when you pay professional coaches you can really build a program with a focused and direct method of teaching.”

That doesn’t mean Thomas doesn’t volunteer in the sporting community. She is currently coaching the Sr. Girls team at KSS, where she spends a couple hours a day before heading to the Stone House in West Kelowna.

As most entrepreneurs know, the job doesn’t involve much free time, but when Thomas does she plays in her band Hot Knox, who recently recorded their first album comprised of Thomas’ original songs.

Watch the video below to learn more about T2 Volleyball and this week's Young Entrepreneur Tammy Thomas: