Amy Burk '19
Guiding the next generation of volleyball athletes
By Camryn Garner '21
A former Texas A&M Volleyball standout and team captain, Amy (Houser) Burk's journey as a student-athlete provided her with invaluable leadership opportunities. Now serving as a director and lead recruiting coordinator for Houston Skyline Volleyball, Burk is shaping the lives of young athletes and equipping them with the skills and mindset required to thrive both on and off the court.
Burk began her volleyball journey at Houston Skyline as a player in 2011. The top-ranked youth club volleyball program in the Houston area and one of the top programs nationally, Houston Skyline is well known for producing high-caliber athletes that go on to have success at the collegiate level and beyond.
At Houston Skyline, Burk was coached by program founder Jen Woods. Her mentorship and guidance helped pave the way for Burk's successful career. With Woods' assistance in the recruiting process, Burk chose to attend Texas A&M and became a member of the Aggie Volleyball program in 2015.
As an Aggie student-athlete, Burk fully embraced the program's core values and thrived in her role as a team leader. During her senior season, she quickly learned to adapt into a mentor figure for a younger roster of girls as the sole senior on the team, all while navigating a coaching change.
"The biggest piece of my job is to help my athletes mature as independent young women, find their voice and understand what hard work looks like."
“I just had a passion for leadership,” Burk said. “As a player, I worked super hard and invested a lot into the relationships I had with the people around me. My biggest goals were focused around leadership, bettering the lives of others and representing what it means to be an Aggie.”
Burk's leadership skills became apparent as her teammates voted her recipient of the program's most esteemed Aggie Excellence Award for two consecutive years — a recognition presented to the student-athlete who best represents the Aggie core values.
During this time, Burk realized with certainty that she wanted to pursue a career in coaching.
“I always wanted to work within sports, but I was not exactly sure what that would look like,” she said. “As I progressed through my time as a student-athlete, I spoke with Jen Woods about getting involved. She was able to loop me in as a coach on Houston Skyline when I was still playing at A&M in a traveling assistant coaching role.”
Upon graduating from A&M in 2019, Burk immediately stepped in as an assistant director at Houston Skyline. Along with her husband Nathan, a former member of the Texas A&M Men's Club Volleyball team, Burk worked in a variety of capacities to support the Houston Skyline program including coaching, recruiting and managing various events and clinics for the club. When Woods, who is now the associate head coach of Texas A&M volleyball, made the decision to transition into an advisory role for the club in 2022, Amy and Nathan stepped up to serve as directors of Houston Skyline, now handling its day-to-day operations.
“Jen has played an absolutely huge role in my life,” Burk said. “There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be where I am today if she was not in my life.”
The leadership skills that were instilled in Burk from her mentors, teammates and coaches have enabled her to make a huge impact in the volleyball community. Winning the American Volleyball Coaches Association Club Coach of the Year Award for the 15-year-old division in 2022 served as a testament to her coaching abilities and unwavering dedication to her athletes.
“It was amazing to be recognized amongst so many people across the nation that are really talented,” Burk said. “I could not do it without the support of my husband, as we invest and pour a lot into our players. I am very proud, but also very aware that there are so many factors that combined to this award that were not just me.”
In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Burk also serves as the lead recruiting coordinator at Houston Skyline. She has come full circle from her time as a young athlete, now having the opportunity to connect her athletes with some of the top collegiate volleyball programs in the country. Notably, Burk played a pivotal role in the recruiting process for former Houston Skyline athletes turned Texas A&M Volleyball standouts Logan Lednicky and Ava Underwood.
“One of the coolest things about my job is being able to see the opportunities that Houston Skyline athletes are getting, not just at Texas A&M, but also at other top programs in the country,” Burk said. “It is definitely rewarding to see the other side of this now in my coaching career.”
Looking ahead, Burk is passionate about her coaching career and the growth of Houston Skyline. With the goal of elevating the club's ranking to number one in the nation, Burk and her team strive to provide the best opportunities and support for their athletes. Above all, Burk's dedication to her athletes lies in their personal development, extending far beyond their performance on the court.
“The biggest piece of my job is to help my athletes mature as independent young women, find their voice and understand what hard work looks like,” Burk said. “My hope is that they are able to see how powerful they are as individuals. Not just as volleyball players, but how powerful they are going to be in life because of their experiences at Houston Skyline.”
Burk's remarkable journey from student-athlete to coach is just one of many examples of the life-changing opportunities provided at Texas A&M. As she forges ahead, Burk is building a memorable legacy as a volleyball coach and a leader of future generations. Her profound belief in the power of volleyball, and the lifelong lessons it imparts, solidifies her impact as a coach — inspiring her players to become not only exceptional athletes, but also exceptional human beings.