volleyball

In high school, I earned the nickname ROTATE! (yes, screamed at me in all caps) because I hated playing volleyball so much that I refused to participate at all. I never even attempted to hit the ball, and generally tuned the game out entirely and had to be, oh so gently, reminded that it was time to rotate positions. I'm not sure why I despised the game so much, but I think perhaps it was because I had no idea how to play. It was intimidating. So I pretended I didn't even want to. Soccer was my game…no hands allowed.

My junior year, the girls in my school wanted to enter a volleyball team in our state competition, and they had to have another player to meet the minimum. So they asked me to be on the team. They told me I didn't even really have to play…they just needed 7 girls on the roster in order to enter. So, I made them grovel a bit (as if they wanted me for my talent), and finally gave in. Reluctantly.

Turns out, from the first practice, I was hooked. I loved volleyball! My arms had pinprick bruises all over them, and I couldn't even come close to the top of the net on the jumping drills, but I had a blast!

These days, I'd probably have a heart attack if I attempted an entire game of soccer, but volleyball I can do! My church has a league, and for the past several years, I've just signed up and hoped for the best as far as a team goes. It's a good thing I'm not all crazy-competitive, because "the best" hasn't happened much. Until this year. This year, I got the coveted invite to a really solid team. I feel like I'm playing so much better already, because I've got to live up to the talent on my team. I really don't want to mess up a set for one of those guys who just lives for the hit!

I'm also really grateful for the spirit of the people I'm playing with. We really have a good time, and there's a lot of encouraging talk. Not the kind of stuff you get in your average volleyball league. Everyone on the team is someone I've known for a while, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better…especially the really cool, stunningly beautiful teenage girls (who read my blog)!