Personal Narrative: My First Volleyball Team

As children, we grow up hearing that the greatest way to learn something can be accomplished through experience. One of the most valuable lessons that I learned through experience was to achieve something for the greater good instead of pursuing a personalized agenda. I accomplished this when I began coaching Rochelle School of the Arts’ first volleyball team.
Upon starting, I was told that the middle-school students at Rochelle predominately live in severe poverty-stricken environments that generally consist of a single parent raising multiple kids on an extremely low income. After considering these hardships, I felt it was necessary to create an environment where the children could escape their unfortunate realities to enjoy a game that

I too used as a distraction from my personal issues. I understood that I may not be able to change these young girls’ lives, but I most certainly wanted to try.
The circumstances in which I had to coach was very poor; the gym was dimly lit, the volleyball net was overused, and we were only given three borrowed volleyball to use.

On the first day of practice, approximately fifteen girls showed up wearing either their school uniforms, or worn-down clothing. I explained the game of volleyball as best I could, but the only thing they wanted to know was why a white girl was wasting her time trying to coach a group of poor, African American girls.
Within the first few weeks, I noticed that they would do everything they could to belittle me and make me feel undeserving of their attention. I understood their lack of wanting to cooperate with an outsider, but it was challenging and frustrating to spend several afternoons every week trying to help a group of girls who had little to no respect for me.
After about a month into the season, I slowly started to gain their trust by enforcing Personal Time before practice every Friday. In these sessions, I would have the girls sit in a circle to talk about their days and/or their personal lives. During each session, it was up to the players to share anything that may be on their minds; this ranged from getting good grades on a math test, to a family member being sent to jail. Personal Time only lasted twenty minutes, but it was a way to show the girls that they always had a group of people who cared about them, to talk to. My dysfunctional team eventually overcame all odds and became more than just

a middle-school volleyball team, we became family.
Although coaching Rochelle’s first volleyball team was problematic in the beginning, I was fortunately able to prevail. In doing so, I proved to the girls that while they may not have a stable support system at home, they will always have me and their teammates to motivate and encourage them to be the best version of themselves that they can be. With the game of volleyball, I showed my players what determination and hard-work looked like, but also persistently reminding them that they never have to endure their struggles alone. They constantly show me gratitude and love, but I truly believe it was me who was changed for the better.