Have you ever wanted to try a new sport? With so many options, you probably wonder which sport should I choose. If you do then I suggest you try volleyball. Volleyball is my passion. Volleyball changed my life a lot because it gave me motivation to keep on going, and it helped me release all my stress. Volleyball helped me be more productive and meet new people. I’m here to tell you why I’m passionate about volleyball and why I think you should try it out.
I started playing volleyball when I was in third grade, and have been playing ever since! I didn’t play volleyball in a team during 5th and 6th grade because of Covid-19. So I would usually play outside with my family to get my mind out of being on electronics all day. In 7th grade I started getting back into the habit of playing volleyball. Personally 7th grade was pretty hard for me and volleyball was my time to debrief and release all my stress.
Going into 8th grade was a big deal because I would have to make many important decisions that would make a difference in my life. Entering 8th grade would be significant not only in the aspect of going to high school , or academics, but sports was also a big thing for me. Sports were a big thing for me in 8th grade because it would be the last year I would be able to play in my school team with most of my friends. There were many lessons I learned in volleyball during my eighth grade year. An example of this was that I learned how to be dedicated and self disciplined. I’ve also always wanted to go to a volleyball final and this would be my last chance to accomplish that. So I told myself everyday that I would give it my absolute best so me and my team could go to the finals.
My 8th grade volleyball journey started and I was committed to do the best for my team. I always helped my team out with whatever they didn’t understand and always encouraged them even if we were losing. My volleyball team played a tournament against many different teams and we won second place! After the tournament came the actual league.We played many tough games, but we made it to the playoffs. During the playoffs we played a game of the three sets which we won, and passed to the second round of playoffs. We played one of the toughest teams in the leagues during the second round of playoffs. It was a very nerve racking game, but I’m proud to say that we won! About a week passed and we played the semifinal games. We won that game and went off to the finals. I was very proud of myself and my team because when we played the finals we won second place! This was my experience with volleyball.
I have learned many things from volleyball. For example, volleyball taught me how to be a leader and how to work as a team. I think a big part of my volleyball experience was my friends because they were also on the same team as me. You’re probably thinking what if I don’t have any friends, and you want to join a team. Well that’s what volleyball is for to make friends! You can meet new people on the team and make many friends. Some of my classmates, teachers, and principal used to go watch me and my team play which helped me take pride in what I did. Volleyball also connected me with my family because they would attend every game I had and they would cheer me on, and they actually cared about how I was playing on the court. They would give me tips, and help me calm down during stressful times like semi finals. Volleyball helped me be healthier not only in the physical aspect, but in the mental aspect too. This sport helped me relieve stress and make healthy connections with different people. Playing volleyball taught me so many things, because volleyball is more than keeping the ball from touching the floor.
Photo Credits: JeppeSmedNielson
Ruth Garcia-McAuley- DMSF Class of 2028