- 2019 Highlights #2
Personal Statement
When I was six years old I asked to play volleyball, so my mom found a program for me to join. Since that time I have never looked back. I fell in love with the sport. The middle school I attended didn't have sports until the seventh grade. So in the sixth grade when the recreation league ended I asked my parents if I could play travel ball. They said yes, and from that point I have played travel and school ball year round. I started attending the open gyms for the high school players in summer between sixth and seventh grade. As an eighth grader I played on the JV team for the high school I now attend. I joined the Varsity team as a serving specialist and back up setter my sophomore year. I took over the starting position as setter my junior year.
Through volleyball I have learned that if I wanted something I was the only one who could make it happen. At seven I decided I wanted to serve overhand. I asked coaches to help me and show me, but they said I didn't need to worry about that yet. I told my mom I wanted to learn and she said then all you can do is practice. So everyday I came home from school, grabbed my volleyball and started tossing it and trying to hit it. I missed more than I hit, but I didn't give up. A few years later I decided I wanted to be a setter. Again, I came home everyday and picked up a volleyball and practiced until I could show my coaches that I could set. Currently, I have decided that I want to work on my defensive skills, so I have asked my coach to set the net up and hit me balls outside of regular practice.
My mom always tells me that one of my greatest strengths on the court is that I don't take my personal feelings onto the court. I have never allowed my personal feelings about another player affect my ability to play with them. I have always carried the philosophy that I don't have to like a person but I do have to respect their ability as an athlete and as a teammate. I have always prided myself on not letting drama be a part of my game.
My perseverance on the court has also transferred to my academic pursuits. I don't always see myself as the smartest student, but if I am struggling with a subject or concept I will work on it until I understand. I struggle with severe test anxiety. This is something that I work on with my parents and my teachers. Despite this, I am on track to receive an advanced diploma. I have no specific plans for my college career other than I want to go and continue to play ball. Sometimes this scares me, the fact that I have no idea what I want to do when I get to college, but I know that I will work hard both on the court and academically.
