Brittany Waite '15 Recruiting Profile

I didn't join a club until I was 14, a Freshman in High School, mostly because I had never heard of a local club. By the time I joined North Shore Volleyball Club, the rest of the team, though they were younger, were far more experienced and skilled than I was. They knew the drills by heart and I was left floundering. I don't know how many mistakes I made during my first week but instead of getting frustrated, this humbling experience taught me to be open toward corrections. I learned to be coachable because I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of the younger girls by making the same mistake. My coaches expected me to be a good player because I was among the tallest in the club and so I tried to live up to it.

I was rather quiet and content to let the other girls lead. They knew the team better and were probably better leaders than me. Instead I just led by example. I didn't usually have anything after school until I joined volleyball so I wasn't disciplined in time management and my grades suffered for it. I was tired, sore, and behind. It was a struggle to work my way back up but I eventually managed it.

I've always pictured the last games being the best and the team walks away satisfied with what they did. They would have no regrets and connected in those final moments. Unfortunately, I've only had that feeling once. The team I want to play on is one where everyone is committed to the game and is willing to make the team a top priority. Our Varsity coach has a saying that I really like, "Team first, Team always." To me it means that your actions always have to be for the benefit of the team whether it's staying off of Grade Check, coming to practice on time, or just going to class. If you do it for the team, you'll remain a team.