Literacy Profile: Volleyball

            I think that to become literate in something means to find things that are truly important to you and to become the best you can be in those things. For me, one of them was volleyball. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t pushed myself to become better a better player in the years that I played.

            What sparked my interest in volleyball was my mom. She had played in high school and had always wanted me to be involved on sports teams like she was. In eighth grade, we started watching college volleyball games when they were broadcasted on television, which was rare. I loved how the girls were so strong and not afraid to be aggressive. The highlights for me was always watching the hitters face after a powerful kill, when she knew that she had put the ball down and the other team failed to serve receive. Her face would be pure ecstasy. I would turn to my mom and say, “That will be me someday.” I was determined to play in college.

            Volleyball did not come naturally to me. I did not want to sprint or to dive on the floor. Standing straight and waiting for the ball to come to me sounded so much better, and easier. In the beginning, I was one of those people who thought volleyball was so easy that anyone could do it. I found out to be wrong very quickly into my time playing.

            I joined the volleyball team the first week in high school.  I then played all four years in high school. I also joined a travel team and played there for three years. My dream then came true when I was recruited to play for Rhode Island College. During my freshmen year I became a starter and I was beyond happy for how much play time I was getting as a freshmen. I would be lying if I said that volleyball didn’t directly impact where I am today. As my years playing progressed, I found myself in the gym more. I would be building muscle and increasing my endurance so that I could be in the games longer. I had to work really hard and push myself even farther to practice and try to perfect my skills.

            My influences include my coaches, my teammates, and my mom. Even though the list sounds cliché, I know that these people had my back for anything and always wanted me to do my best. All of the coaches that I had, some I liked and others I didn’t, pushed me on the court. If I didn’t have someone there to help me grow, I wouldn’t have been challenged and my skills would have remained stagnant.

            Volleyball showed me the importance of team work. For me, there was no better way to learn how to be on a team and rely on your teammates better than actually being on a sports team where this aspect was crucial for success. By being involved in athletics, I always had to make sure that my grades were high. I knew that my end goal would be to someday play in college and I didn’t want my grades to bring that dream crashing down. I found the importance of school and keeping up with schoolwork to be a high priority in life. When looking forward at my future as a Secondary Education teacher, I believe that through my experiences of being a high school and college athlete, I have an understanding of the life of being a student athlete. I believe that I can create connections with students who were in the same position that I was in.

            By participating in volleyball, I entered a social world where I could become literate in the skills needed to succeed. I pushed myself to build up my skills and learn as much as I could about the sport I loved. Without being diligent about learning, I wouldn’t have learned as much as I did and been able to succeed the way I wanted to by playing college volleyball.