Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once famously remarked, "Intelligence plus character: that is the goal of true education." I have been very blessed to learn in school and on the court from exemplary coaches, teachers, and players who have set an excellent example for me to emulate. As a result, I strive diligently to learn in every opportunity and to develop as a student-athlete. I cherish feedback from my coaches and seek out ways to continue to improve. Every note they take their time to give me, I spend hours at home and in the gym working to improve accordingly.
I love volleyball and am very dedicated to growing as a player and as a leader on my team. To this end, I structure each aspect of my day around pursuing my passion for becoming a college athlete in volleyball one day. From the high protein food I eat with virtually no "dirty carbs" that helps me to grow my muscles, so I can be a stronger hitter in volleyball; to the early bedtime I impose on myself, so I can get sufficient sleep to give my all on the court and in the classroom; to the daily workout regimen I follow to enhance muscularity, so I can try to earn an edge on the court to help my team; to the grades that I maintain in school, so I can continue to qualify to play as a student-athlete; to the all honors and collegiate level coursework I take, so I can work towards playing at the collegiate level; to the character I am cultivating, so I can lead by example with integrity; to the film I watch, so I can grow as a player; to the college games I frequent, so I can learn from those who have gone before me--everything I do is with intentionality to pursue my goal of one day becoming a college volleyball player.
To this end, I give every rep my all on the court, and I try to play as if that one ball is the last one I will ever get to play, so I put all my effort into my digs in defense, my swings as an outside hitter to earn the kill, and my serves to earn the ace. Our school team practices for two hours five days per week, and our travel team practices two hours three days per week in addition to playing tournaments most weekends; before each practice, I practice ball control at home to be ready for defense on the court, and I warm up my swing with an hour of hitting drills. After practice, I spend an hour at home working through any notes the coaches gave me for improvement as well as any areas I am also personally targeting for improvement. The other four days of the week, I spend two hours per day in the gym doing weightlifting and growing my muscle base, so I can hit with power when I swing. I also do HIIT and other cardio work to continue to improve my cardiovascular health and my endurance. Additionally, I utilize agility equipment at home to bolster explosive movement on the court, and I incorporate plyometrics to increase my vertical. I take private lessons a couple times per week as well, and from this, I have learned some additional drills to incorporate in my workouts to continue my development as a player.
I believe I have excellent coachability, and I am eager to continue to improve. I appreciate and implement feedback, and I am grateful for every moment I get on the court. I encourage my teammates on and off the court; I am a team player who will not let a single ball hit the floor, even if that means hurdling the bench (and sometimes the people on it) or diving far and wide for a ball to protect the point for our team. I work prodigiously beyond practice time to ensure that the best version of myself is what I am on the court for my team in practice and in games. I have heard it said that character is who you are and what you do when no one is looking, so I try as hard as I know how to put in the work beyond practice time to serve my team and honor the time and investment my coaches are making in and for us. With this in mind, I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., about the importance of growing in character and in intelligence throughout learning opportunities I get to experience, so I try to learn the most I can and continually seek to internalize constructive feedback to develop as a person and a player, so I can maximize my potential as a student-athlete who dreams of the day of playing college ball, like my family did before me.