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A Different Perspective
Our time in high school is fleeting. This harsh reality makes me want to be sure to experience all I can while I’m here. Participating in high school sports is a great way to be a part of something we will never have the chance to again once our four years are over.
I have been a volleyball player since I was 8 years old, and volleyball is something that I LOVE, spend a lot of time on, and have been fortunate to experience many successes in. But this year, I wanted to add in something new. While still playing club volleyball, I decided to try out for the Lakeside basketball team. I wasn’t new to basketball. I played for ten years before finally deciding in 9th grade that I was going to be finished. I was never the star player, and I was not the biggest fan of all of the contact and aggression. My freshman and sophomore years were filled with a tough academic load, attending many Lakeside sporting events, lots of volleyball, and creating friendships with my classmates and teammates. This year, however, I was looking to add something more.
The weekend before basketball season began, my high school volleyball team attended the State Tournament, and we finished the season as State Champions! I could have lived in that moment forever! We drove home from Yakima early Sunday morning, and I headed straight to club volleyball tryouts. It was a long, busy, and exhausting weekend, and part of me just wanted to crawl in bed and bow out of basketball this year. I wasn’t comfortable playing; I felt awkward and confused. Basketball puts me far out of my comfort zone, unlike how I’ve ever felt with volleyball.
I went to tryouts after school anyway, and I loved it. I loved the aggression and the contact; I adored the coaches and the girls. I played hard in tryouts, and earned a position on Varsity.
I know that my role on the basketball team is completely different from what I’m used to. In volleyball, I’m a leader and a captain, and I know my team counts on me. In basketball, my role is to play tough when I get subbed into the game, to work hard in practice so I can help the starters improve, and to show support whether I am on the bench or on the court.
The supporting role has been new for me, but I have gained so much knowledge and insight from it. I have learned the feeling of not being a starter, to not ever see my name in the paper, or to receive much praise for my skills. This role has taught me to appreciate and respect teammates who don’t always get to play, but who still show up and work hard every day because that is what’s best for the TEAM.
Not only have I learned a lot of life lessons, but I have created high school memories that will last forever. The conditioning, team camps, bus rides, team dinners, close games, cheers on the bench, and laughter with teammates are mine forever and I will always hold them close to me. |