During her middle school and high school days in Texas, it became clear for Mendi LeBoeuf what she wanted to pursue for a career.
“I had some really impactful coaches in middle school and high school … I had a really good volleyball coach who helped grow my love for the sport and impacted my life in more ways than volleyball alone. That’s kind of where I fell in love with coaching and I knew very early on that I wasn’t trying to figure out a major. This was what I wanted to do,” she said.
LeBoeuf moved to Louisiana to study at Nicholls State, and after earning her degree, she joined Hahnville High School as a teacher and volleyball coach. She’s been part of the Tigers’ family for 32 years now, developing confident and capable students and athletes.
“I’ve never wanted to be anywhere else,” LeBoeuf said. “I’ve been really proud and happy to be a Tiger. From the day I took the job, I’ve felt supported by the community and by the district. I take a lot of pride in Hahnville.”
As head volleyball coach, LeBoeuf has guided the Lady Tigers to four consecutive district championships. And that’s another point of pride for LeBoeuf, who notes she’s as competitive as can be.
But the journey is just as important – if not far more so.
“To see a kid come into the program their freshman year at whatever level they’re at, and hopefully leave at a different level as it relates to volleyball – but more importantly, a different level as a person, is so rewarding,” said LeBoeuf. “You watch them feel confident and ready to attack bigger and better goals, no matter what they’re moving onto. You get to watch kids you’ve coached become highly successful adults. That means everything.”
Teaching life skills through athletics is at the core of her philosophy. It begins with setting a standard – as well as goals – that requires discipline and accountability.
“You start achieving your goals and you set the bar higher, and all the while you’re building confidence,” said LeBoeuf. “And more than anything, I’m hoping I can teach them to fall in love with the process of growth.
“Winning is awesome. I’m super competitive. I love to win. But I’m more excited about that process of figuring out where we are, where a certain kid is, and then figuring out what we need to do to be able to elevate to the next level – allowing both them and myself to keep growing.”
After more than three decades of guiding her team, LeBoeuf has seen a few second-generation Lady Tigers take the floor.
“That I could coach them and years later they place that trust in me to coach their kids, that’s incredibly rewarding,” LeBoeuf said.
In recent years, she’s expanded her responsibilities beyond coaching – LeBoeuf serves as athletic director at Hahnville, and was recently honored by the Louisiana High School Athletic Directors Association as the state’s athletic director of the year.
That role wasn’t on LeBoeuf’s radar until then-Hahnville principal Barbara Fuselier asked her to consider the possibility.
“She said, ‘you’re always at the other sports showing support, you seem to care about what goes on collectively in the athletic department,’ and we kind of had a conversation about (becoming an athletic director). I told her I’d give it a go. And it’s something I enjoy, just being able to play even a small role in the growth of the programs here and to advocate for our coaches and our kids,” LeBoeuf said.
Still, as she notes, she’s a coach through and through – “my favorite part of every day is when I get to coach,” she said – and when she sees one of her athletes make a breakthrough, it’s as special as it ever was even after 32 years.
“There’s nothing better,” she said. “It just feels like your ‘why’ is worth it.”
