Obstacles are placed in our way to see if what we want is really worth fighting for. I was about eight years old when my best friend and I were sitting out in the front yard when a young man came up to us. After introducing himself, he asked us if we played any sports, and at that young age, I told him that I wanted to play volleyball on my school team when I was older. Even now, I think back to that conversation and think of how long I have had this dream to play on a volleyball team. Little did I know then that my journey to playing competitive volleyball would be one with disappointments, obstacles, and a discovery of my abilities.
When tryouts rolled around at the end of the seventh grade, I was extremely excited. This was my first chance
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My family did not let me give up on my dream, and they helped me prepare for the next year’s tryouts by driving me to club tryouts, countless lessons, and intramurals. Daily, my brothers and I would practice in our backyard just tossing the ball around. Every day, I would get better, serve the ball further, and my confidence would grow. My dad encouraged me to try out for club team, and even if I didn’t earn a spot on the team, at least I would gain practice and experience. I tried out for four club teams, and I didn’t earn a spot on any of them, but I believed my skills were improving. By chance, I found one club that was having their tryouts much later than all the others, and when I showed up, I was the only one there. They asked me to play for them, and I agreed, but it was more like private lessons. Every Monday, I would go and practice for a couple of hours with a student coach. Occasionally, I would play scrimmages for other teams, but most importantly, I enjoyed those weekly practices. In the final weeks, leading up to the school tryouts, I attended a variety of intramurals and camps. I really enjoyed playing with others girls, and I enjoyed the sport. Even though I was usually the weakest player, I enjoyed playing the sport more than winning. By the time for school tryouts, I was confident in my abilities and prepared to earn a spot on the