Yesterday was the awards ceremony for my volleyball team :( It makes me so sad to leave this season (literally) of my life. Volleyball with Country Christian changed my life in a wonderful way. In a time where I was missing my own sisters, God provided me with a family of 11 girls to encourage me, talk with me, and remind me that I could do it. This season, we spent so much time traveling in the car, cracking hilarious jokes, singing songs with eloquent harmonies, and discussing thought-provoking topics. We laughed ourselves silly, sometimes for no reason except that Jana was laughing. We talked about boys, and how difficult yet essential it is to stay emotionally pure. And yes, we did talk about farming ;) And food! We talked about that, too, since the gals on my team are all culinary geniuses.
Our team theme this year was "Serve One," which concentrated on serving God, serving the team, and serving consistently on the court. By the end of the season, we were serving (and aiming) so well that one of the coaches from another team actually commented on it! Our defense struggled a little bit this year since we only had a few back row specialists, but our offense was booming. We had heaps of powerful hitters, some great blockers, and a couple of really strategic front row players who knew exactly when to tip the ball instead of spike.
Country Christian Varsity 2013
My lovely team (L to R)
Coach Carlson
Esther: Setter
Kimra: Middle hitter/blocker
Jana: Right side hitter
Morgan: Right side hitter
Lizzy: Setter
Felicity: Defensive Specialist
Thea: Left/Right hitter/blocker
Brittney: Libero
Me: Middle hitter/blocker
Hannah S: Defensive Specialist/Right side
Hannah B: Right/Left hitter/blocker
Marissa: Defensive Specialist
Coach Nakamura
My teammates are excellent volleyball players, which drove me to work very hard. I was constantly examining their techniques for hitting and passing, two areas that I had a hard time catching onto at first. But everyone was very gracious to me, and encouraged me to play my best.
I struggled with my place on the team because it was my first year, but all the other girls my age had played several years of volleyball before. I wanted to play, so the first two weeks of practice, I busted it. It was excruciating, but I gave 110% every day, hoping that it would pay off. It did.
Our very first game, I was a starter. Half of our games this season, I played all around. Halfway through the season, I was the starting server. Never would I have expected to have the chance to do these things, but it boosted my confidence immensely. My coach believed in me, my team believed in me, and all I needed to do to succeed was believe in myself. A little bit of a harder thing to do ;)
I learned so much about being a team player this year. I learned that winning isn't as important as playing well. I learned not to have expectations, and I will be satisfied with whatever result I get. I learned not to be intimidated by the better teams, but to put my game face on and act like I know what I'm doing (even if I don't). And most importantly, I learned that sitting on the bench doesn't mean I'm not an important part of the team. My value to the team isn't based on whether I play all game, every game, or whether I get every dig. As long as I am encouraging my teammates and lifting them up, I am doing something worthwhile.
Even though the season is over, I won't forget what I experienced and who I met. I am specifically so thankful to my coaches for devoting their time to this team and pouring into us. They inspired us to become better people. They contributed to our team bonding, whether Coach Nakamura was reading us a bedtime story on an overnight trip or Coach Carlson laughing at our dumb jokes in the car. My coaches are extraordinary people who are devoted, loving, and caring. And fortunately, our families are good friends, so I have the opportunity to see them often ;)
I appreciate the all Country folks so much, for accepting me and encouraging me to play well. They are all beautiful girls, and I know I'll see them again. After all, my brother is starting Country basketball next month :)
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