
“I AM THE STORM”
Missy West is a 7-Time Hall of Famer including the National High School Hall of Fame, the New York State High School Hall of Fame & the New York State Softball Hall of Fame.
Since her inductions she has been a sought-after keynote and motivational speaker for businesses, national organizations, high schools, youth organizations, colleges & leadership seminars around the country. Her personal experiences of failure, adversity, injury, sitting the bench and serious health struggles have led her on a path to inspire, uplift and motivate people of all ages and walks of life.
She is a former collegiate coach, coaching basketball at the Division III and II levels achieving multiple recognitions throughout her career including: earning three Conference Coach of the Year Awards, three Regular Season Titles, Eastern Region Coach of the year & one of eight nominees up for National Coach of the Year in 2013.
Prior to her coaching days, Missy earned a full athletic scholarship to play basketball at Duke University being an integral member of the Blue Devils’ 1999 NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Runners-up Championship team. She also found herself a part of two ACC Conference Championships, five Time NCAA tournament Contenders, a team captain for the 2001 season, as well as being awarded the “Heart and Hustle” award for her work ethic, resilience, and perseverance. Missy followed her Duke career into a professional career where she played 3 years in Germany winning a German Championship both as a player & as a U12 youth team coach.
In her early years she was a three-sport standout athlete out of Franklin Academy High School in Malone, NY in the mid-1990s, setting numerous records in basketball, softball and soccer. In basketball, she was named Miss Basketball in New York as a senior scoring 2,605 points in her career. In softball, she pitched 15 no-hitters and two perfect games and led her team to the New York state championship. She was selected Miss New York State Softball Player of the Year and became a Louisville Slugger All- American.
Missy Co-founded ORCA leadership, LLC (speaking, coaching & consulting) and Co-Directs The Beyond the Game Academy (BTGA) with UCONN women’s basketball alumna Colleen Healy. BTGA is an academy where she works with athletes on jumpstarting the recruiting process, building confidence, and empowering young people to become self-assured, brave & courageous.
Along with motivational speaking and executing her academy, Missy is also a part of the non-profit organization The Positive Coaching Alliance, training character and leadership development to student athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators across the country.
Missy currently resides in Tampa, Florida where she lives with her wife, Colleen & dog, Oscar. She also competes in marathons & triathlons with two full ironman completions under her belt.
Meet My Resilience Team
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Family
Meet my wife Colleen Healy, a UCONN Huskie and the first walk-on to receive a full athletic scholarship from coach Geno Auriemma. Yes, world peace is possible! And yes, I am reminded often that during my time at Duke, we never beat UCONN! (Grrr!) Anyways…each and everyday I learn and grow from this amazing human! The one who gives me words when I’ve forgotten all of mine.
Oscar is the man of the house. He loves socks, face licks, and traveling. We call him a “jack in the box” because of his sneak attacks with his other friends in the neighborhood.
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Mom & Dad
Mom, my greatest cheerleader teaching me kindness, empathy & compassion. Dad, my forever coach, taught me how to be competitive, go after my dreams, and stand up for myself and what I believe in. No words can express my gratitude for their love and support which has gotten me to exactly where I am today.
Oh, my dad’s a Hall of Famer too. Growing up I used to be identified as Coach West’s Daughter. Now he’s Missy Wests Dad. Pay back is a beautiful thing.
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My Brothers
I am the middle child of two brothers so you can imagine the suffering I went through. Our fights for the TV’s remote control during childhood taught me the drop kick, the sprint, and Mr. Miyagi’s wax on, wax off. They were simply the best! They get full credit for my development of resilience. Let’s face it, I had no other choice.
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Friends
You know, the people who tell you exactly what you need to hear and not exactly what you want to hear? I have a lot of those hence why I am always growing and a work in progress. They are constantly pushing me out of my comfort zone, encouraging me to take risks, and making sure I laugh and smile while doing it all.