Personal Narrative: The Junior Varsity Team

Throughout the duration of middle school, I had always engaged in played volleyball. When middle school was over, I spent my whole summer at volleyball workouts at the high school, because it was something that I really did take pleasure in doing. I went every time, without exception, when they were offered. When it came time for tryouts, I felt that it was unquestionable that I had made the team, because I had played before. In life, however occasionally the plans that you make for yourself don’t work out. I didn’t make the team and it bothered me to start with. I knew that I still wanted to play volleyball, but not being able to play wouldn’t be the end of my world. The following days I began to look around online at some places in the area that would entitle me to still play volleyball.

It was volleyball heading into freshman year that changed it all for me. I realized if I was going to pursue my dream of being the best libero, I had to work my butt off. It definitely wasn’t easy, I had bruises, scars, and was sore day after day that summer. I still was very frustrated because I knew I could get better but it just wasn’t in God's timing. When it came to freshman year volleyball tryouts I went in calm, because when I’m nervous I don’t play well. I heard from coaches “Great pass, Jamaica!” or “Nice job, Jamaica!” but then it came. The day where we found out what teams we got on. My dream was to make varsity, but that wasn’t the case this year. Will the JV coach pulled each of us into his office and he said to me “You will be the starting libero for JV and for

Always willing to adapt to any given situation, I aspire to make things as convenient as possible for everyone. I have been an avid team member the varsity tennis team all throughout my high school years. Consistently playing mixed doubles with my partners all being upperclassmen, I had reached the point where I became the partner-less upperclassman. In need of a new partner, my coach and I discussed potentials, but reached no solid conclusion. Aware of a new tennis team member, an incoming sophomore, my coach turned to me as a guide and mentor to help him feel comfortable.

My junior year volleyball season started off with great excitement: I would be a member of the varsity team. Little did I know, my primary position would be on the bench. It would have been very easy for me to become discouraged, but I am no quitter. Therefore, I decided to continue my hard work and dedication throughout the season, regardless of playing time. I made a vow to use the season to become a better player, both mentally and athletically. I became a cheerleader from the sidelines. I rooted for every other girl who was on the court, because they were my best friends and teammates, and they deserved to be praised and encouraged. I did all of

At tryouts all I wanted was to be on that team. All I thought had to do to reach my next goal was work hard. I remember walking down that back stairwell, full of students, rushing to get to the clear front doors of the school, where the list that my goal depended on was surrounded by my teammates. I used my height to my advantage and peeked over the crowd. My anticipation was quickly crushed, though, by an all encompassing sadness of not making the core team, but secondary one. That sadness quickly morphed into an unbridled anger. I was angry at myself, my teammates, God, but especially my coach, who I would later find out made promises to parents from the past season that their children would be starters. I never let the anger show during that forgotten season, I made some good memories and grew closer to people I thought I couldn't, but that anger was bottled up and needed escape. I needed revenge and that came in the form of club volleyball. I made the top team, and grew exponentially as a player, even playing on an older team for nationals. I came back ready for that next school season. I walked into the air conditioned, orange lighted, smelly, old gym full of confidence. I could do anything and no one was going to stop me from reaching my goal. I did make the core team that year. My goal I’d wanted for a year was completed and yet left me feeling unsatisfied and wanting more. These memories block out many others I’ve made in a wonderful six year volleyball career. It has formed me into the volleyball player I am today and that unsatisfied feeling gave way one of my next goals now, to play volleyball for a collegiate program at a division one school. But the only way to get that dream, as I have learned so many times, is work hard, pursue what you want, and never let anyone decide your fate for you, because if they do, it won't fulfill the goals you have chosen for

In my life, just as everyone else’s, we win and lose some battles, but every once and awhile, we lose a big battle. When I was a sophomore I had tried out for the volleyball team and unfortunately I did not make it. While this was a big loss for me, I soon learned that I would come across a huge achievement.

I had such a passion for the sport and had never stopped loving it. Even though it took a lot of work to get back into shape and a lot of work to get back the techniques, I was happy to push myself. I decided to try out for the team at my community college sophomore year. I was genuinely terrified but I reminded myself that this type of opportunity was one that I could not take for granted. I made the team, but that was only half the battle. I wanted to be better than I was before. I wanted to prove that I could make a comeback and I needed to do it for myself. There were so many practices I felt like giving up and tried to justify it by the fact I had missed so many years and it was hopeless. The season had its ups and downs, but I had never been so proud of myself. I played great and I gave it my all. I learned a lot about myself as I played the game and also off the court with my teammates. I played college volleyball after three years of not being able to be on the court. I learned that I was resilient and there was nothing that I could not do as long as I worked for

I instantly felt dismayed at the remark the coach had said to me and left wondering what I'd done wrong. As I got home, my dad asked me how the practice had been that day. I confided what the coach had told me and he advised me to forget about it and to work hard during the practices. So, every time I played volleyball I played hard and rigorously, even when it was just meant to be for fun. My dad also supported me by taking me to the church building so I can practice there, we'd set up and start doing drills. I ended that volleyball season playing the most with the junior varsity team. The coach congratulated me because he noticed that I had improved a lot since the beginning of the season. Once I began my junior year and tryouts came, I was more confident about my ability to succeed, this newfound faith in myself led me to re-join varsity and to become starter of the

High school athletics can form a bond that nothing else can. Throughout my high school career I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate in multiple sports such as cross country, basketball, and track. These sports have shaped my character in a way that nothing else has. It has taught me to stay loyal to those who push me to be better, it has taught me to encourage others when they think they can go no farther as well as the other way around, and it has taught me that the people you play with in high school will have an effect on your life forever. They turned me into a person that is willing to go the extra mile for someone, and they have turned me into a person that will not give up in the sight of

The end of November was one of the most important days of my basketball career. I was trying out for the junior basketball team to represent this school, P.G.S.S. It was a really nervous experience for me but, I had known some people that were trying out, including one of my best friends. When the tryouts were over, I was the last one that wasn’t called up yet. In my head I was thinking,” I didn’t make it.” Then couch Troye and Jenni called me up and told me there is a spot on the team, and it is mine if I want it.

I started to see improvement, and my coach must have noticed as well, because he invited me to come to the varsity tournament that weekend. I was excited for the opportunity to prove myself, but after sitting for the first two games, I worried that I wasn’t going to get my chance. When I saw that I wasn’t starting in the third and final game, I gave up nearly all hope that I would get to play. I was starting to wonder if all my hard work was even worth it, when, all of a sudden, my coach told me to get ready to go in. As I entered the game, I felt a little nervous, but I knew I was prepared. This was the opportunity I had been waiting

My last middle school volleyball game was over. Next season I would be moving to the junior varsity team, and I was far from looking forward to it. I thought I wanted to stay in middle school volleyball forever, but what I didn’t understand was that I was no longer learning or growing in the position I was in. I had soaked up every bit of knowledge from my coach and team, and now it was time to leave middle school behind.

As the final tryout practice came to the end, it was time for me to meet with my coaches and talk about my skills demonstrated during tryouts. When I came into the coach's office, they were all sitting behind or around one desk. I came in confident and had my mind set on which team my skill level was at. As I was looking around the room and at all three of the coach’s faces, they were expressing a look to which I took as “something good was about to be told to me”. So my disappointment on when they had told me I was making Jv2 was a big thing I would have to deal with.

It's always fun to do things I have done at other stages in my life and see different perspectives. I went to a high school football game. It's been years since I've done that. Took J, who I was excited to show how if he worked hard people could cheer for him. I'm just months shy of 30 and the coolest part of tonight for me was telling J to watch one the Tolton players check on and help up a player he tackled who was having trouble getting up from the opposing team. Sure talking to him about the running back chopping his feet or how the players don't sit when they aren't in, even on the sidelines, was good and important. But older me remembered that sportsmanship part, that lesson, more than anything else. Not sure, when I was in high school

Sophomore year came, and I was nervous because now there was jv dark and varsity to worry about. I came to tryouts, and gave all my effort on volleyball as well as my friends. They had made the teams, and I never expected to be in jv dark. My best friends didn 't made it to jv dark but I couldn 't miss this opportunity. In addition, I was depressed that I could not be with them, but I needed to be in a team that I knew it was going to help me become better. It surely did because now there was more tasks that I could do. My serves were something no one could receive. Consequently, the only horrible part of jv dark is that I never had the chance to play. I came to practice everyday and I followed instructions, I never complained if we ran, but the coach never showed me that I could be in the court. I did showed her, I tried to show off my abilities in volleyball for her to notice. As a result to that she always put me aside. In effect of this, it brought me down I