Why Volleyball?

Some people know this story, but I think many do not, and I think it’s worth telling…

When I was young I used to play basketball at recess with the boys. I played organized softball for a couple years, but my parents decided the other parents were too “crazy” and wanted me to get into something different. I was 11 years old at the time. When I was young, I would follow my dad around and we would do everything together. I can’t remember, but I think Karate Kid might have been a popular movie at the time, and he thought it was a good idea for me to start doing martial arts. I started karate classes, and I actually loved it. I was training 6 days a week before I knew it, competing locally and eventually nationally and on my way to a black belt fast! When I was in 8th grade, I decided to go to the public high school (Lincoln High School) and not the private Catholic school, in my hometown (those were my only two choices). Representatives from the public school came by my middle school one afternoon and said, “if you want to try out for a sport next year, just put your name on the list of the sport you would like to try.” Even though I loved karate, I really wanted to get back into a team sport. I had played volleyball once or twice before, literally, but I remember that I had fun doing it, so I signed up. I didn’t know a thing about volleyball. I showed up to tryouts with jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt on, who knows, it might have been tied at the waist, and some calf length socks and probably reebok sneakers. The details are fuzzy, I just know I would laugh now if I saw my 12 year old self today. I’ve always been an exceptional athlete, so luckily I made the JV squad. I had a coach that was an older woman (Fae Murdoch), and she used to walk around the gym and say, “if you believe, you can achieve” and being a bratty young girl, I would roll my eyes, and swear that she must be crazy! Life sure does come full circle! It turns out, she was right, and it’s a message that I continue to spread to this day, in my own way, of course. Thus… #Always.Dream.Big. Doubt kills the soul, and I’ve allowed it to affect me at times, but every time I fall victim to it, I come out stronger on the other end and I remember how important belief is to the process of achieving anything important, and I keep dreaming and working for bigger and better things to come.