DILLON, Mont. – Montana Western continues to honor the 50th Anniversary year of the passing of Title IX by sharing the stories and history of women's athletics at UMW. Today's story is from former All-American volleyball player and Hall of Fame volleyball coach Jenny Peterson. During her time as a player at Western, Jenny earned All-Conference, All District, and NAIA All-America Honorable Mention honors. She was also the Frontier conference MVP her senior year. In Basketball, she was named an All-Conference player. In the classroom, she was named Academic All-Conference, NAIA All-American, and selected to Who's Who Among Students in American College and Universities. She is married to former two-time College National Champion Steer Wrestler and former Western Rodeo coach Jesse Peterson.
 
Jenny Peterson - HOF Coach and Volleyball/Basketball Player (Player- '87-'91, Coach- '93-'05)
"I am Jenny Peterson (formerly Jenny Reynolds) and I went to school here, graduated from here, played volleyball and basketball here. I went away for two years to the real world upon graduation and then came back when I got the volleyball coaching job. I was also named as the new wellness coordinator at the same time.

While playing here, it was an awesome experience. Our coach was our basketball coach and volleyball coach, so there was several of us who played both. It was fun because it was another level of high school where you are busy all the time in different sports. Of course, we had to be here before school started and it was really hot in the gym. Then, when school started, we had to be here early and we were playing volleyball all the time. The girls were starting to play basketball already as well and by the time we got done with our season and went into basketball, we were revved up for the next season They basketball girls were like 'oh my gosh, same old same old'. We had a little different perspective in that playing in both sports was really super fun and was a huge honor.

President Nixon signed Title IX when I was almost four. I wouldn't know life without sports. We got volleyball when I was a sophomore in high school and when we got volleyball, we paid for our own uniforms. We always had to practice in the morning and we always had games in the mornings. It was prime time basketball season, and in college here, we always practiced upstairs even though we played our games downstairs. Though we still had the sport and we were playing well, there was still room to evolve. When I came back and was coaching, we were downstairs practicing cause that's where we played. It was a huge leap for us.

My work-study job while at Western was cleaning the racquetball courts, which are not there anymore. My best friend had to clean bathrooms in one of the dorms. I thought I had the best job ever in comparison to hers, but all of us had work study jobs and whatever you do, you do your best. If it's a work study job, if its practice, if it's a game, do your best. Nothing is too small for you. When you leave here, you don't look back and say 'oh I wish I would have worked harder, I wish I would have practiced harder, I wish I would have conditioned harder. I think I could have been better if I had done this.' I don't have those regrets. Just go all out in sports and in life and whatever you do, try to be the best you can be in whatever aspect of your life.

Prior to returning to Western, I taught in the elementary school in Darby because that was what my degree was in. I coached volleyball and I was an assistant basketball coach during my time at Darby Elementary. The job opened up at WMC and I just thought 'no I can't be a college coach'. I just graduated and he (the current football coach) was like 'you have to apply you just have to'. I applied and I got the job and thank him each and every day that I was able to coach here. I graduated in 1991 and came back in 1993. I was the head coach until 2005. I found out I was pregnant with my second child who was going to be born in August and I said that's just not going to work. So, I decided to step away at that point.

I had the honor of coaching so many wonderful ladies and there's some tough things out there too. You know all my athletes get to come back to the hall of fame and get inducted and they have those stories about how tough practices were. I always say no one has success saying we didn't have to work very hard, you know we didn't or I didn't hardly sweat, and I didn't have to put in extra time. No one says that success is easy. Every single person at that hall of fame induction banquet and those that are inducted had to work for it.  I will say you always want to have fun when you play, but it's only fun when you win.

I gave that advice to my athletes and I gave it to my son who plays football at Montana Tech. He grew up at Western while I was coaching and he would be over in the little day care that was over here. I would have to go get him at five and he would sit in the ball cart as I finished practice. He was at all of the games. He was a baby at six months old when he flew with us to California to our tournament that year. He went to so many Western events. So, when he did decide that it was construction that he loved, he goes 'Mom, all I have is Western stuff up in my closet'. So that was funny so my advice is to go at things and give it your all whatever you do, even if it meant him going to Montana Tech.

Now, I am in the best job ever. My youngest son is a special needs child who has severe seizure disorder. I have a part time job and it's called the Well-Baby Coordinator. I get to work for the Montana University System Benefits and it's all be email or phone. I can work from home or the office. So, if my son is having bad days, I can work from home. I am still a part of the volleyball program here at Western. I keep the book for the games. I think it's kind of job security because the book isn't something that a lot of people know how to do. It's really fun to get to do that and to come back and just kind of see how things have evolved and kind stay in the volleyball world. My first time coming back, it was different as it was my former player that took over after me. I was taking the book and after the game I think they had lost, I couldn't sleep. My hands were sweating and I was just in my head going 'ok what kind of drills do we need to put in at practice'. Then all of the sudden, I had to tell myself stop, you don't have to do this anymore. But yeah, it's just automatic and I had to remember that I am going to let that go.

Western being a teaching college, you go out and you know everybody. Not only did my friends become coaches and teachers, my players are now teachers and coaches. When I was still coaching volleyball, I would go to the state tournament and eight of my players former players are coaches. It was just so cool to see that and so I really relate to the coaching and teaching world and so many people from Western are out there and it's really cool to see. It is that unique opportunity that I had only been able to experience through athletics that changed my life."

To view the Title IX page and other stories, click the link here: Title IX - Montana Western, University of (umwbulldogs.com)