Name: Buff Crawford Myers
Age: 26
Hometown: Brownstown
Residence: Salem
Occupation: Home health aide at Elder’s Journey
Family: Husband, Matt Myers; daughter, Reece, 2; son, Rhett, 1
High school and graduating year: Brownstown Central High School, 2008
Sports: Volleyball, four years; basketball, three years
Athletics accomplishments: In basketball: Honorable mention all-area team in 2005-06 and leading scorer, leading rebounder, highest free-throw percentage, most valuable player award, all-sectional team and all- Mid-Southern Conference in 2006-07. In volleyball: leading hitter, leading blocker, all-MSC and first team all-state in 2006 and leading blocker, mental attitude award, all-MSC, first team all-state and South All-Star team in 2007.
College: Attended University of Indianapolis for one year before transferring to Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus and earning a bachelor’s degree in 2012
Sport in college: Volleyball one year at University of Indianapolis
Major: Psychology
Who or what got you into sports?
“I would say that just living in Jackson County got me into sports. This is a very sports-driven county, and I couldn’t wait to play at the varsity level with a gym full of people.”
What are your favorite memories of high school sports?
“All of the fun we had are my favorite memories of high school sports — everything from when the coaches would bring chips and salsa before practice to the sectional/regional/state dinners our parents put on for us. I don’t remember every single game we won or lost or what the score was. I just remember that we always had fun.”
What was your biggest accomplishment?
“I think that getting picked for the all-star team for volleyball my senior year was my biggest accomplishment. Being chosen as one of the top players in the state and being able to play in the all-star game was a big honor for me.”
Why did you choose to play a sport in college?
“I always loved playing volleyball, so the only logical choice for me was to continue playing in college.”
What did you get out of that experience?
“What I got out of playing volleyball in college was that it is a lot different than high school volleyball. I realized that it wasn’t for me, so I only played my freshman year.”
Are you still involved in sports today?
“This past fall was my first season not being involved in volleyball in some way. Before that, I had always either played or coached. After I stopped playing myself, I coached at a couple of different clubs. I coached middle school volleyball at Brownstown for a couple of years and then transitioned to JV volleyball coach at Salem High School. Between my job and spending time with my kids, I decided to stop coaching for now, but I’m sure it will be something that I come back to in the future.”
Are your children involved in sports?
“My kids are still young, but they both love playing ball, whether it’s just throwing it back and forth or kicking it down the hallway. We’ve been working on my daughter’s volleyball passing form, and she’s getting pretty good at it. We are going to enroll her in soccer this year, as well.”
How did sports affect your life?
“Sports gave me a good foundation of teamwork, discipline and dedication. I gained leadership skills that I have been able to use throughout college and within my jobs. I have also gained lifelong friendships through sports with people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
Do you have any advice for kids about getting involved in sports?
“My advice for kids getting into sports would be to enjoy every minute because before you know it, it will be over. I would love to go back for just one more game, so take advantage of every practice, every point and every game. Have fun, and don’t take it too seriously.”
Do you have any hobbies?
“Being a mom doesn’t allow much time for hobbies, but I enjoy crafting, and my husband and I recently got into wedding videography.”