As the ball flew to the floor off a perfectly executed jump serve from Jake Kerschner to send Central Dauphin boys volleyball to the state semifinals, I could feel the excitement spread through the gym like wildfire. Never had I expected I would feel that much exhilaration over a volleyball game. Little did I know attending that state playoff game would dramatically change the course of my four years of high school. Less than one year later, I decided that I wanted to experience that rush of adrenaline that volleyball seemed to promise. When I told my family I was not going to play basketball, and instead play volleyball, my sister asked, “Isn’t volleyball a girls sport? Are you going to have to wear those short shorts?” I sat down to think
…show more content…
Because of this, I joined a gym for the first time and began lifting weights. When the season finally came around, I was the first in the gym and the last to leave, in addition to coming in on Saturday mornings to improve my setting. I took every opportunity presented to improve my game and become the key player my team needed me to be. During my junior season, I found myself starting on a top four state ranked team. I was the Floor Captain, known for my composure when situations became tough, ability to produce plays in decisive moments, and the spirit, passion, and heart I played every point of the game with. Late in the season during the state quarterfinals, I found myself back on the service line for match point to send my team to the state semifinals. The atmosphere in the gym at that moment will remain with me for the rest of my life. Every fan was on their feet—silent, waiting—but in that second it was just me and the light feeling of the ball in my hand. As the ball sailed deep to just graze the back line of the court for an ace, I heard the roar of the crowd, felt the embraces of my teammates, and knew that the feeling of euphoria was exactly why I signed up to play.
The three brief years of volleyball I have played have provided me with a lifetime of lessons. Never let other’s opinions hold you back from doing what you want, make the best of every situation, and the work you put in determines the results you earn back. These lessons of life have shaped me from the kid who gave volleyball a try, to the man I have grown to
Because of this, I joined a gym for the first time and began lifting weights. When the season finally came around, I was the first in the gym and the last to leave, in addition to coming in on Saturday mornings to improve my setting. I took every opportunity presented to improve my game and become the key player my team needed me to be. During my junior season, I found myself starting on a top four state ranked team. I was the Floor Captain, known for my composure when situations became tough, ability to produce plays in decisive moments, and the spirit, passion, and heart I played every point of the game with. Late in the season during the state quarterfinals, I found myself back on the service line for match point to send my team to the state semifinals. The atmosphere in the gym at that moment will remain with me for the rest of my life. Every fan was on their feet—silent, waiting—but in that second it was just me and the light feeling of the ball in my hand. As the ball sailed deep to just graze the back line of the court for an ace, I heard the roar of the crowd, felt the embraces of my teammates, and knew that the feeling of euphoria was exactly why I signed up to play.
The three brief years of volleyball I have played have provided me with a lifetime of lessons. Never let other’s opinions hold you back from doing what you want, make the best of every situation, and the work you put in determines the results you earn back. These lessons of life have shaped me from the kid who gave volleyball a try, to the man I have grown to