My love for volleyball came from my mother who played volleyball in high school. Her love for the sport was passed on to me when she would teach me how to play and when we would play in our backyard. My new love for the sport caused me to start attending volleyball clinics when I was seven years old. The first year I played travel volleyball at Glass City Volleyball Club I made a second tier team, and that team wasn’t very successful. I realized at that time that I needed to take steps to improve my skills so that I could make an Elite team in the future. I took private lessons with a coach at my club, attended all extra training my club offered, and went to the extra training my school offered. I then found a summer volleyball camp put on
But, I learned that it was different. I did not understand how hard volleyball actually was because you needed to be loud and aggressive, as well as sporty. These factors made me determined to learn more about volleyball so that I can become good at it. I tried out again during my high school season and I made it on JV freshman year, and varsity sophomore and junior year. Before freshman year, I had not realized how much volleyball meant to me.
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 sophomore year of high school I played on the Junior Varsity volleyball team. We began preparing for the season by doing two-a-days the first week of August. We worked out hard the first two weeks then had our first scrimmage that next Friday. We won the scrimmage, but it was a pretty messy game. It was like we were all doing our best individually, but we were not working together as a team. The court was silent during each play and each time somebody messed up the rest of the team got mad at them.
Both teams are fighting for the win, only one point away, my adrenaline starts to run. I have adapted to live for the rush that comes with playing a sport. Volleyball has definitely been an outlet for me when it comes to school, family, and simply anything else. I have been on my high school volleyball team since freshman year. Although I loved playing, each year I struggled finding a balance between school and practice. I never let the struggle bring me down. I stayed committed to school and stayed on top on my assignments. I will admit there were times that i thought I couldn't do it anymore but i knew that to continue playing i needed to keep my grades up.
During my four years of high school I believe that my involvement in sports has helped me become a better person in life. I participated in varsity basketball and Track & Field all four years and my experience in both sports has taught me life lessons that I can carry with me for the rest of my life.
When I was six years old my parents had put me in a countless number of sports including: soccer, softball, basketball, dancing, and gymnastics. Pretty much any sport you can imagine I had probably at least attempted to participate in, but none of them I had fallen in love with. Then, one day I arrived at my elementary school not thinking it would be atypical from any other day, but little did I know it would be the day I found the sport I loved. In our gym class that day we had a few Lady Vols volleyball players come demonstrate to us how to play volleyball, and it was honestly one of the first times I had even heard of the sport, let alone take part in it. They showed up every day for a week, and each day I grew more and more fond of it.
First, after school during volleyball practice, our coach blow his whistle and all the players run while, shagging the volleyball's and putting them into the basket, heading towards the coach. Then, once everyone is there, all the volleyball was in the baskets, coach would throw a volleyball. Then everyone ran to get that one volleyball and sprinting back to where coach was. Coach does this to show leadership from the group and everyone would run to get the ball and retrieve back to the coach. Once that is finished, coach told the varsity team we would be leaving early heading to Santa Fe, and will be staying for three days there
Volleyball is my passion. I dedicate so much of my life to that sport, and sometimes, I wonder why. Then, I step onto the court. When I play, my insecurities and doubts disappear. I am so much more confident in games than I am in everyday life. I played softball and basketball when I was little, and I wasn't so bad, but in sixth grade, when I discovered the game of volleyball, I fell in love with it and never looked back. In junior high, I was really chubby and slow. The coaches would tell me that the only thing holding me back was my weight. My sets were great, but I couldn't get to the ball. So, do you know what I did? I went out and lost fifty pounds in the matter of one year. I learned how to control my eating habits, and to discipline myself into working out.
I love volleyball even though it has not always been easy. I have had a lot of problems during my volleyball journey that have helped me grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. I started playing volleyball in fifth grade on the middle school team and am now playing on JV. I did not get a lot of playing time when I first started, but I practiced and learned the basics of the game. I developed a love for the game with a great group of girls that I looked up to, during my first season. I have not always had the best team and coach, though.
Like any JV volleyball player would be, I was excited about being put onto the varsity volleyball team my junior year of high school. Having played volleyball all throughout high school I was more than ready to play at a higher skill level and with a whole new team with the exception of two players who were also on the JV team with me. Determined to get playing time I went to practice everyday, tried to learn new techniques and steps, tried to perfect everything I did. Trying to be the best I could possibly be, and to show the coaches that I was ready for the fast pace the varsity team played at.
When I arrived in Miami, I started attending Miami Beach Senior High School and even thou English was my second language, I applied myself daily to excel academically. I proved to my teachers and my coach I deserved to be part of the team so I quickly earned my position as a co-captain on the volleyball team.
In life, everyone has the chance to witness their love blossom towards someone or something, in my case that was volleyball. The way it makes me feel when I win a game, the sorrow I feel when we lose, it’s what I live for. The emotion is pulls out of me. I wouldn’t be the good volleyball play I am without my coaches and family encouraging me not to stop, and push through the injuries and pains of being sore all the time. I especially want to write about a story I had this year, and my coach who pushed me to work harder than I ever have.
My love for tennis blossomed at the young age of eleven. During middle school my peers knew me as the boy who was remarkably talented at tennis and I savored that title. Butterflies floated throughout my youthful body whenever someone complimented me. As the years passed, my dad nurtured me into a top player. Before I knew it high school arrived and it was time to compete at a higher level. My excitement was out of this world, but I knew my dad could no longer push me forward and my future was up to me. However, the ego I developed over the years blocked what lie in front of me. I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture; the hard work demanded of me, teamwork, and the motivation to reach an ultimate goal. Throughout my four years of participating
It was really bad, when my second club year came around it got progressively worse. Sophomore year was my ultimate low, the coach didn’t know how to do his job, and would have us do the same drills everyday. I got so angry that year, from him and myself, I was so close to quitting volleyball forever. But, one imbecile who didn’t know how to play volleyball didn’t stop me there, I kept going into my third club season. I worked had, still struggling with the inability to let mistakes go. After, a decent season a club with my friends, it was junior year, and my time to get on
I remember my mom telling me throughout my life that I would make a great volleyball player, but I never gave it a second thought. Growing up, I had no interest in the sport. However, in September of 2013, the beginning of my 8th grade year, she forced me to go to a travel volleyball