3 years ago I wanted to play another sport. I didn’t have many options so i thought volleyball was a good choice. I first played for rec but then i realized I was a little better than everyone else and I wanted to get on a better team. I found WVA and I have been playing for them for 2 years now. Ever since I joined club my skills have gotten a lot better. Whenever i first tried out i made 13-2 which means thirteen year old years and there is 3 teams starting with 3 being the worst and 1 being the best. I was not in either of those but i still wanted to be on the best team because i felt like i had the potential. The following year I wanted to play volleyball again so I tried a lot harder and I got on the best team there is for my age.
The moment when I really knew I loved volleyball was on the high school team. Playing the sport gets tough and stressful at times because you need to condition every practice, dive for every ball without it dropping, and be prepared for games and
I practically was born with a ball in my hands, and whether it was bumping the ball around the house or knocking over things that just happened to be in my path, I was always with my precious volleyball. My family is also rooted into into the sport. After my mom’s high school team at Central won the state championship, she went on to play at Southeast Missouri. She has been an inspiration to me, and at 10 years old I began to play club volleyball thanks to her. Being one of the youngest on my team, I never got much playing time, but that year of watching and learning helped me settle into a team the year
My whole life I have played a sport. Whether that be soccer, or lacrosse, or field hockey. Playing a sport and being a part of a team was something I always knew how to do. I always knew how to play the sport as a team and not score on your own. My lacrosse team consisted of about 18-19 girls: 6 offenders, 6 defenders, 2 goalies, and the rest were mid-fielders. My favorite position was mid-fielder, I always enjoyed playing all the part that consisted of being on the team. I loved playing both defense and offense, I liked assisting with goals and I also loved stopping goals. My travel team taught me things that I did not learn anywhere else, my team taught me the true importance of teamwork, how to be a leader, or how winning is not always the most important thing.
Sports play a very important role in my life ever since I could walk. My interests in playing sports began at the age of three as my parents signed me up for soccer, flag football, basketball, and lacrosse. First grade started my competitive edge as I began to play for travel teams in various sport tournaments. This competitive edge transferred from the sports field to the classroom having teachers and coaches helping me be the best I can be. Sports have continually well-shaped and defined my character by teaching me how to accept a win from working hard, also how a loss is an opportunity to learn and fix mistakes.
Volleyball represents my most meaningful commitment not just because I have invested so much into it, but also because it it’s a passion of mine and has been a part of my life since elementary school. The impact my coaches and teammates have had on my life has helped make me the confident and determined individual I am today. Volleyball also takes up a lot of time and there are many sacrifices that come with the sport and playing on a team. To keep up my skills, I have had to give up a lot of my free time and parts of my summer. Balancing school with practices was also a challenge, but participating in one of my passions made it worthwhile. I have persevered through difficult times and learned new lessons along the way, so there is nothing that could make this sport less meaningful to me. (148)
I decided that I wanted to play a sport, I chose volleyball. Most of my friends played the sport so it wasn't hard for me to adjust and make new friends. Becoming a student athlete was a big adjustment for me, I could no longer float through my classes but I need to excel. And that's exactly what I did. For the first time in my high school career I made not only honor roll, but principal’s honor roll. For the first time my mom was proud of my report card, that made me even more proud. From then on I knew I wanted nothing less than what I earned, good grades and a proud family. From my decision to chose to become a student athlete not only make me work harder but, be great at everything I put my mind to. I had motivation to stay successful, to stay eligible. Three years ago if you were to ask me where I thought I would be my senior year, I probably would have told you low level classes barely making it by. Now here I am today excelling in my education preparing to take the next step in my future, college. Even if we don’t understand why we go through them, we have to be willing to let our obstacles become out
As I was signing up one of my friends was there and he suggested that I also sign up for the tennis team, so I did. I ended up not liking the baseball team and really enjoyed being a part of the school’s tennis team. I made the life changing decision of quitting baseball and starting tennis. I continued to play tennis throughout junior high school and played all throughout high school and now into college.
As this is my last semester here at IWCC, I have experienced many different situations that had been good and bad. Being a full-time student and having a full-time job I don’t have much time to participate in organizations or anything along those lines. So, with that being said, the last time I participated in an activity was when I played volleyball in high school. If I was looking to play volleyball throughout my college experience I would have had more participation in IWCC. Playing on a team really teaches you many life lessons. Such as team work, dedication, working hard, and having heart. One of the things I remember most about playing volleyball was my coach always being proud of us as long as we gave it our all and played with our hearts. If you genuinely
And that's the best of the best players. I made the team with my 2 close companions, Brenna and Lexi. When my mother got the call about the tryouts, although I was scared, I felt this sense of determination and devotion. After my mother told me I made the team, I was roused. I know knew at that moment, I was going to have to work extra hard, push myself past the limits to succeed, and be the greatest player I could possibly be.
Whether it was soccer or volleyball, I played for the competition. During freshman volleyball, my eyes were opened to another aspect of the game. One morning while walking to the Middle School for practice, a couple seniors drove by and said, “Get in!”. I was way too shy to answer so…. I got in. I, a lowly freshman sitting with three starters. They asked about volleyball, how I was doing and if I needed anything. They were nice and seemed concerned about my well being. They modeled qualities I wanted.
If it was not for my grandpa, I would have never thought about golfing. Golfing was his passion. He would play the game with his friends everyday, rain or shine. This man was an inspiration to me. Every time I would go over to my grandparent’s house, my grandpa would let Jordan, his neighbor, and I drive an old crummy golf cart with seats that looked like you were going to sit on a polar bear. Eventually, Jordan would have to return home, and my grandpa would summon me over to a chipped painted building with a bag of golf clubs and a tub of balls. He would ask me to show him my Arnold Palmer swing.
Considering that I used to miss hanging out with my friends and parties because of dance, I would’ve never thought that I would choose another sport over it. I think I made this decision because I felt as if it was time for something new. I will always love my dance family and still support them to this day, but once again at this time, I think I needed something new. Overall, I am beyond grateful that I made the choice to choose volleyball over dance. Making this choice introduced me to some of my best friends that I never would’ve talked to otherwise. Also, volleyball has taught me different skills, emotionally and physically. I’ve only been playing volleyball for three years now, but I’ve realized that one huge factor to the game is your mindset and momentum. You have to make sure to encourage your team through the good times and bad, and you also never ever give up. Volleyball is a crazy sport, but I have learned the ways of it and I couldn’t imagine not playing. Although I have to express myself in a different way, it’s slowly becoming that escape place that I go
Then as a sophomore I transferred to Hackensack High School. There, I again started as a forward for their junior varsity team. Later into the season I was brought up to practice with varsity. I practiced with varsity but only played in a couple of games. Imagine my disappointment, I joined the soccer team to play, not sit on the bench. I worked so hard in practice to prove myself but it got me nowhere, not even a chance. So I asked to be moved back down to junior varsity where I could play. At least on the junior varsity team I was recognized for my efforts.
I didn’t play for myself. Of course I played for my team and coach, but I most importantly played to make my parents and grandparents proud because they have always been my biggest supporters. Throughout my years of club volleyball my mom never missed a tournament or game. She kept me going; we couldn’t always afford to stay in hotels every weekend, so she would wake up at 3:00 am and drive us to Spokane at least twice a month for my tournaments. Now that sounds like she was just as dedicated as I was. My grandparents may not have gone to all of my club tournaments, but they didn’t miss a single high school game. My grandma even kept all my stats and made a scrapbook with all of my high school volleyball memories. My dad came into the picture a little later because he always wanted softball to be my sport, but my heart chose volleyball. Coming into my senior year he didn’t miss a single game or club tournament as well. He even drove me to Reno, NV with my mom for a three day tournament. This was the most tiring experience of my life, but it was all worth it. Playing for them and making them proud is the best feeling anyone could ever have and we took third in a huge tournament of close to 100
I was devastated when I was cut from the team. Volleyball was my life; I absolutely loved the sport. How could they do this to me? Everyone told me things would turn out fine, but how did they know? A close friend of mine wrote me a letter stating, “I know that right now it is hard to accept the paths that God has chosen for us, but I am sure whatever you decide to do with what has been thrown in your way you can surpass everyone else”.