This is me and my teammate with our gold medals at one of the volleyball tournaments.
We all have that thing that pushes us.
Whether it’s emotionally, physically, or spiritually, we dread it but love it at the same time.
Volleyball is that for me.
My volleyball journey started in 7th grade, and I intended to be great at it. I started out on my town league at the time just to see how I liked it. I didn’t know how much joining that league would help me, but it got me in to club volleyball, which you have to try out for in order to make the team.
Tryouts for club volleyball were a real shock: I was the only Black girl out of the whole club. For me, my first year of volleyball was about learning about the sport. I didn’t get off the bench a lot but that was fine; I was just happy to be there.
And volleyball made me push.
If I made I mistake, I would be kept on the bench. If I didn’t look alive and have energy, I wouldn’t be allowed to play. But I started noticing what the volleyball coaches were looking for: it wasn’t the perfect player, it was the player that put in effort.
Even if a player didn’t reach the ball in time, if they dived for the ball, it was OK, the coaches respected that. But I realized I wanted to do more than just give effort, I wanted to give everything I could.
This year, my second year, I couldn’t and wouldn’t be fine sitting on the bench. I wanted to do everything I could to be a starter. I started lifting weights, getting closer to the coach, and mentally telling myself what I had to do before every tournament.
The first game we played this season let me know that volleyball was really for me. I played the whole tournament straight! I was so grateful that I could finally show what I can really do for my position as the main volleyball middle.
And as the months have passed, everyone on the team has gotten better. Volleyball is a mental game: you play depending on how well you can keep your mind clear and head straight. This past Saturday, I had to fight for my title again.
Watch me score a point this past weekend here:
One of the extra middles on my team was missing, so I had the opportunity to show my coach that being on the court was where I should be. I played every game. I hit, passed, and most of all did my best. What really mattered was when my coach said she was proud of me.
It made me feel victorious.
Watch me score another one for my team here:
Volleyball for me is more than just a sport. It has forced me to get past all of the things I thought I couldn’t do and push beyond all the times I wanted to give up. Now I want the challenge, and no one can stop me because the gold is mine.
