LaKeshia Tinsley: 2025 PCA Coach of the Year Top 10 National Winner presented by TeamSnap

Coach LaKeshia Tinsley has been an educator and coach for 28 years in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her mother began coaching together in 1996 to give young girls from low socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to play volleyball and form a sisterhood through sports. They use the sport of volleyball to teach lifelong lessons in self-worth, compassion, teamwork, leadership and other transferable skills needed to increase resiliency.

Coach Tinsley uses things like workshops and journaling to help players better manage their lives and she teaches the team to give back to the community with group/team service endeavors and fundraisers so they can travel together to tournaments. She also works with players to increase leadership skills and introduces them to college opportunities they may not be aware of.

The parents and players use words like “dedicated”, “committed” and “passionate” when describing Coach Tinsley. She goes above and beyond with her coaching and will often take steps to pull a player out of a really dark place in life and give them hope.