How Volleyball Changed My Life

Many different things in people’s life can change their lives completely. One thing that changed the way that I look at things is softball. Softball as a whole showed me many life skills needed for my future. Softball changed my life in more ways than one. For example it showed me to have self control, watch my grades, and work together.

Throughout my life, I have had experiences that have shaped the way I am today. Growing up my mom and dad were my biggest inspirations, and they still are now. I remember coming home from school to work on big projects, and they would suggest ideas instead of directly helping me with the project. It seemed so insignificant at the time; however, now I realize that they have helped me to think on my own. They have also taught me to put my best effort forth the first time I participate in something. I believe that I am more careful, thoughtful, and hardworking when I work on different projects because of this. Over the years, my parents have instilled strength and independence into my life, and have supported me through all the ups and downs. My parents are the ones to thank for the way I am today, a strong, independent, hardworking, and thoughtful young lady. Sports have also shaped my character, especially soccer. Soccer has been my thing ever since I was little. This year I finished my senior season and realized that all the years of joy had come to an end. With all the sadness that came from this, I was also brought to happiness because soccer had influenced my life in so many ways. Soccer involved communicating with my teammates. If I was not forced to talk out on the field, then I might be a more introverted person. Being more vocal, has led me to come out of my shell and talk with those around me in everyday conversation. Soccer involved loosing. No one likes to loose,

Throughout high school, I’ve been involved in multiple activities. As I began high school sports, I looked up to the upperclassmen and tried to be like them. As I grow older, I try to be a positive role model for the underclassmen, just as the students before me had done. I believe that being a positive influence on the ones that look up to you is a splendid aspect to have. As my senior year approached, I participated in volleyball for my fourth year. Throughout practice, I was sure to reach

We were in a tie game at the bottom of the tenth inning, and that’s when it hit me. We had been working for this moment for the past eleven months, and now we were in Huntington Beach, California for the Premier Girls Fastpitch Nationals. The other team was in scoring position. I should have been panicking. I should have felt defeated. However, I was content. No matter the outcome of the game, I knew I would leave the field a changed person, because that day in that very game, I realized that softball has made me who I am.

Everyone knows that there is always a risk to playing a sport. You put so much hard work and effort in to maybe make the team. From eighth grade to the end of the first semester of my junior year, all of my time was devoted to volleyball. Basically any free time I had I was at private lessons or a skills camp. I put so many hours into this sport that I forgot about other things in my life that are important. Up until the club season of my junior year, I have never been cut from a team and I felt confident that I would not ever because I have already made it that far, but all it takes is one bad night to throw all your hard work away. The night of club season tryouts for 2014 I simply could not focus and was overall out of it. I got cut and to say I was devastated is an

Athletics had not always been a flauntable aspect of my life as they are now. In grades 1-4, I was uncoordinated and far too lanky to produce and store any muscle. I often ponder about what changed in the fifth grade, for I became very agile and have exercised almost every day since the beginning of that year. I did not pick up the sport of swimming until the seventh grade and I cannot imagine myself not swimming, not only as a source of exercise but as a source of pure pleasure.

When I was four, I went to a daycare and we always played sports and had games. Unfortunately, I was a kid who always got picked last. As a four year old this was upsetting,. So I took it upon myself to tell my mom I wanted to play sports with a team. I wanted to play every sport possible so I started with four of them; basketball, softball, cheerleading, and bowling. Through the years bowling turned into soccer, soccer turned into football, so on and so on. Eventually I ended up sticking to three sports; basketball, softball, and cheerleading, but I played on multiple teams. When I got to highschool, I decided that I wanted to play volleyball. I ended up starting Varsity with no experience in the sport. Throughout my journey of being an athlete, multiple people told me I wasn’t going to make it in life or that I’m “trash.” This pushed me to want to become the best athlete that I could be. To this day, if it wasn’t for me always getting picked last when we played games, I wouldn’t be starting three varsity sports, I wouldn’t have offers to colleges, and I wouldn’t be where I am today. The past surely does affect how the present plays

Volleyball has been a large part of my life the past five years as I've played on Greenwood High School's Team. My transition from elementary school to middle involved joining the high school volleyball team, along with two other to-be seventh graders. These past few years have been marked with both struggle and triumph as we experienced three different coaches as the original coach stepped down. This left us with only 14 girls to play with one year, when an average volleyball team plays with 30 girls. We struggled as a team that year but we also came closer together through shared experience, which enabled us to work together even better as a team the year after under the tutelage of our third coach. My ninth grade year I participated very heavily on the team as I played both Freshman and

It all started when i was in fourth grade. It all changed what inspired me came by whole big dream that i wanted to be successful at. I was at school just a normal day, and it was times to go to PE, and my coach got out a circular ball that i had never seen in my life. It was kinda colorful, it had some weird word written on it, but i couldn't see from where i was standing. My coach handed us each one of these balls, and coach called them volleyballs. My coach told us what to do and what not to do, so i was at this net, and just gave the ball a high five because that's what he said to do. Coach came over to me, and kinda directed me through and told me it was called a serve. That day i went home thinking about it, and i decided i want to do

I first started playing volleyball at a very young age. I was in the seventh grade when my volleyball career started. My sister started playing in the seventh grade and I just wanted to follow her footsteps. My seventh grade year was ok because I had just started out and really didn’t know the game. There was A team and a B team, where A team was better than the B team. I tried my best to be on the A-team, but guess where I ended up, on the B team.

Lush, green grass began to massage my bare feet. Sunshine beamed off the clean, white goal posts. With my cleats in my hands, ball in my bag, and my freshly washed shirt, only one thing came to mind: soccer. The sport I love and have devoted the past three years was evolving. Many of my friends were shifting from recreational to club soccer. After three years of recreational soccer, I decided to take my game to the next level and tryout for club soccer. Eager to showcase my skills, I stood on the field bearing confidence. Before tryouts began, my thoughts solely consisted of playing club soccer with my friends. I thought little about tryout preparation, because I didn’t know what to expect. No one gave me information about how to perform well

My personal interest in sports is based on how my parents and other family members nurtured me as a child and youth. My continuous interest in sports has influenced my choice of this topic to provide me a field experience and a deeper understanding. I have always been interested and engaged in play and sports. Volleyball is my favorite sport and was the first organised sport I played in junior secondary school at age 12. I have been involved in several competitive sports at from the amateur to the national/elite level. I have participated in team sports (e.g., volleyball and soccer), field events (e.g., high jump, long jump), and track events (e.g., 100m, 200m, 400m, 800). I chose to focus on volleyball for this project because it is a sport with which I am most comfortable and familiar.

This was my initial introduction to school sports with a foundation of Christian values. The next year, 6th grade, I started to play club volleyball, but lived one hour away from practices and was required to commute twice weekly. This was a test in discipline as I was often tired due to late nights, required to balance the practice with school work, and of course setting priorities when distracted by other social events. In the next few years, I played at a more competitive volleyball club, and appreciated the elevated level of play and coaching skills. The same discipline was required during those years as I continued to balance the commute, school, and friends. Additionally, I grew as a player during those formidable

Volleyball, one of the world's greatest sports. From the hot and muggy gym, to sweat dripping down each players face, volleyball is not for the faint of heart. This sport requires a single-minded desire: to win. It takes more than just teamwork to win. Volleyball has always been one of my favorite sports. I would always meet a new friend anywhere I would go. Believe it or not these situations are how you could meet your life long best friends.

Over the years, I have joined a multitude of teams. Ballet in preschool. Followed by basketball in kindergarten. Gymnastics. Softball. Soccer. I tried them all. However, volleyball as the only one to stick. I started in third grade with big, bulky knee pads and cute hair bows, and ceased playing during my sophomore year with strong, bulky thighs and years of floor burn scars. I had been contemplating my departure from the one sport I ever truly played for months. Something was missing. I did not love it, but I could not find it in myself to hate it.