Vallery Mitchell

Coach Vallery Mitchell’s life is a living testament to resilience, purpose, and the power of possibility. Born in Killeen, Texas, Vallery entered the world facing extraordinary odds—removed from her biological mother at birth after testing positive for cocaine, marijuana, and fetal alcohol exposure. Doctors were unsure she would survive. She spent her earliest days in the NICU and her first six years in foster care before being adopted on September 15, 2000, by the Mitchell family and moving to DeSoto, Texas.

Those early chapters shaped a calling far greater than sport.

Vallery graduated from Canterbury Episcopal College Preparatory School in 2012 as a member of the National Honor Society and a two-time State Champion volleyball athlete. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Midwestern State University, where she balanced full-time employment in law enforcement with her studies—serving as a Detention Officer and later a Commissioned Armed Security Officer at United Regional Health Care Systems. During this time, she also reignited her passion for coaching, training over 100 athletes across Wichita, Clay, and Montague Counties.

Her senior year brought recognition, including becoming the first recipient of Midwestern State University’s Black Excellence Honoree Award and earning the United Regional Commissioned Security Officer Merit Award.

In 2016, Vallery returned to the Dallas area and began her high school coaching career at John Paul II Catholic High School, leading her freshman team to a winning season. That same year, she entered the foster care advocacy space with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Over six years, she rose through the ranks, ultimately serving at the State Office level as a Contract Developer and Manager advocating relentlessly for children across Texas.

In February 2023, Vallery made the bold decision to step away from state service to pursue full-time entrepreneurship under her brand, Coach Vallery Mitchell merging her lived experience, leadership, and love for youth into purpose-driven impact.

In June 2023, she accepted the role of Head of Program, Varsity Volleyball Coach, and Technology Instructor at UME Preparatory Academy. By 2024, she was promoted to Director of Volleyball, leading the growth of a championship-caliber program rooted in culture, discipline, and belief. Under her leadership, UME Preparatory launched boys volleyball for the first time in school history in December 2025, expanding access, equity, and opportunity for student-athletes across the campus.

Her excellence has been recognized on the national stage. In October 2024, Vallery received a sponsorship from the Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) and was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Diversity Award Recipient, earning a scholarship to the AVCA Convention. She served as a Lead Clinician at the Kids Volleyball Clinic during the convention and successfully completed the program in December 2024. In 2025, she was selected as a Gold Medal Squared Summer Volleyball Coach joining an elite group committed to the highest standards of training and development.

Beyond the court, Coach Mitchell is the Founder and President of Fostering Dreams Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring normalcy and joy for youth in foster care through free, dignifying experiences. In recognition of its impact, Fostering Dreams Foundation was named Micro Nonprofit of the Year by D CEO a testament to Vallery’s visionary leadership and the organization’s growing footprint across North Texas. She is also the visionary behind Gainz of Grit Volleyball, building an ecosystem of training, mentorship, and opportunity for athletes in Southern Dallas County.

In May 2025, she further expanded her impact by joining the Richland College Volleyball Program as a Volunteer Coach and Social Media & Marketing Director.

Everything Vallery builds is rooted in one truth: children deserve to be seen, supported, and believed in—no matter where they start.

She lives by two guiding philosophies:

“Support the children. Sponsor their dreams.”
“Turning Dreams Into Reality, One Volley at a Time.”