About

COURT & SPARK: a volleyball documentary is produced by JACK & LESLIE HAMANN

About Jack Hamann

Jack Hamann is the correspondent for Volleyblog Seattle. He is an award-winning documentary producer, author and journalist. He is a partner in no little things Productions.

Jack has produced 13 acclaimed documentaries on topics ranging from sports to international politics to the environment to civil rights. He was a CNN correspondent for a decade, and the Seattle bureau chief for PBS NewsHour. He began his broadcast career with Eugene’s KEZI-TV before moving to Seattle’s KING-TV. During a career spanning three decades, Jack has won ten regional Emmy Awards (two for sports), numerous film festival medals (including a New York Film Festival Silver Medal), and dozens of other regional, national and international honors.

Piotrkowska Street, Łódź, Poland

Jack is the author of On American Soil (Algonquin, 2005; University of Washington Press, 2007), a book that spurred the Pentagon to overturn the largest and longest Army court-martial of World War II. The book won many awards, including Book of the Year from Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Jack writes about college and Olympic volleyball for the Seattle Times, including the University of Washington's 2006 tour of China. Jack and Leslie have covered eight NCAA D1 Volleyball Final Fours, in Long Beach, San Antonio (2005 & 2010), Omaha, Sacramento, Tampa, Kansas City and Louisville. Jack's volleyball writing has also appeared in Volleyball Magazine, the Los Angeles Times and the Eugene Register-Guard.

Jack broadcast his first radio play-by-play at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, during John Wooden’s renowned tenure. He’s also an experienced public address announcer, with assignments at Pauley Pavilion, Hec Ed Pavilion, Key Arena, San Diego Stadium and San Diego Sports Arena. Jack was the video play-by-play announcer for University of Washington volleyball during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Jack has coached youth sports, including volleyball, for more than 40 years.

Jack has an Economics degree from UCLA, a law degree from the University of Oregon, and is a member of the California Bar and AFTRA/SAG.

About Leslie Hamann

Leslie Hamann is the photographer, videographer and video editor for Volleyblog Seattle.

Leslie is a documentary producer and partner in no little things Productions, whose recent projects include Generation IX, a public television program exploring the first generation of women athletes to grow up under the landmark equal rights legislation known as Title IX. The documentary featured University of Washington volleyball players and coaches, and was a finalist for both an Emmy and a Women’s Sports Foundation Billie Award.

For 13 seasons, Leslie coached Seattle’s Garfield High School volleyball team. Two of her teams reached the State Tournament, a first for the school. She was twice selected Coach of the Year, and many of her athletes went on to play collegiate volleyball after winning numerous conference and statewide awards. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Puget Sound Region of USA Volleyball.

Łódź, Poland

Leslie has a Forestry degree from the University of Washington, and worked for a decade for the U.S. Forest Service. She also has a degree in Psychology from UCLA, where she played volleyball for legendary coach Andy Banachowski. Her younger sister, Stacy (Buck) Sax, also played for UCLA; her younger brother, Craig Buck, was enshrined in the International Volleyball Hall of Fame after a stellar career which included gold medals at both the Los Angeles and Seoul Olympic Games.

Leslie was a multiple-sport athlete at Taft High School in Los Angeles. She and her husband, Jack, have two grown children, including daughter Lauren, a special education teacher (and four-year letter winner with the UCLA rowing team), and son Brett, a documentary editor and sound designer in Austin, TX.