Personal Essay: My Passion For Volleyball

Growing up, I always had a volleyball in my hands. I craved competition and had a desire to win. I worked hours on end, improving my skills. However, I most appreciate the irreplaceable bond my teammates and I formed over the years of practice, tournaments, and games. My passion for volleyball all began in the first grade when my mother dropped me off at my first volleyball camp. I timidly entered the gym, full of unfamiliar girls running and warming up. My hair was in pigtails and my white kneepads were sliding off my small knees. The sound of shoes squeaking against the hard wood floors and girls yelling filled the gym. I was shy and didn’t know what to expect, but that night I left practice with my voice gone, and a desire to go …show more content…
I grew up in the same club with the same coaches. I became close to many of my coaches, and knew that I could trust them. They not only encouraged me as a player, but also supported my life outside of volleyball. They comforted me when I was sick or overwhelmed with school work and made sure my mental health came before volleyball. My coaches challenged and pushed me, but also motivated me to do my best both on the court and in the classroom. I also got to know my coaches on a personal level. I knew about their families, jobs, and favorite hobbies. Lastly, my coaches made sure the team got along as a whole. If there was an issue surrounding the team, my coach would make it a priority to address the problem. My coaches also knew they could trust me. I always showed up to practices and games on time, kept up my GPA to stay on the team, and went the extra mile to hustle and push myself to the furthest at …show more content…
The club that I grew up playing for, didn’t offer a team for my age division. I tried out for another club and made the team. What I thought was going to be a new and exciting experience turned out to be a negative one. The supportive and encouraging environment that I had grown accustomed to was replaced with a climate of fear and intimidation. This new coach would stop practice to yell and single out girls. Her humiliation of her players was an attempt to motivate and challenge, but ultimately resulted in a fear of making mistakes. She would yell at players for doing something the incorrect way instead of showing the team how to improve. The coach acted as if she was a bullying dictator and not a supportive coach. In previous experiences, when the team isn’t doing well, the coach would have a team meeting where we calmly discuss new strategies to improve as a whole. My new coach focused instead solely on the team’s mistakes, and not on the accomplishments we