So in order for anyone to be able to play with each other well and play hard for one another and not just for themselves, one must trust their teammate(s). "Coach B" decided that to gain this trust and also some respect for each other all the coaches and the seniors, our CORE, needed to give out some reasons for credibility and some background information... brilliant idea. The coaches of course was more of a how long they have been around volleyball, where they've coached, and how they coach. But something that reall hit home with me when all the senior girls spoke was about how this team is their extended family.
I guess when I think about it I have always thought of my teams in the past as a group of some of my closest friends, but more than ever, out of every team I've been on, this team is definitely becoming an extremely close-knit family. Have you ever heard of 14 of the 16 girls ending up all together on a Friday/Saturday night after two 4 hour practices during two-a-days? And no no, this is NOT a one time thing. We absolutely cannot get enough of each other. And I know you're thinking, well ya'll must get sick of each other or nit pick at one another, and yes yes we do sometimes but the kind of love we have is one like your own blood, you love them and would do anything for them even with their flaws. In fact we have come to love each other through our flaws. It's incredible. I don't think I could write about how much I love the girls I play with... in fact I just thought about it, and no... no I can't.
Another though I've been having lately is, "what exactly am I, Kayci, getting out of being a part of this team?" I will be honest with you, it's tough being a walk-on and not knowing exactly what your purpose is when you are surrounded by SO MUCH TALENT. And it really is difficult going to practice and working your tail off day-in and day-out... and I will admit that sometimes I can't figure out if it's worth it or not. But something lately has hit me. I love volleyball. I love these girls, I love coming in and working hard because I love the people I'm surrounded by, I want to work hard for these people, and yes we all have our off days but either way, we all are working right?... If you're looking at the small picture then sure some of the others might be getting "more" out of it than I am, maybe that means scholarship or whatever but in the end... I think I might be getting more out of being a part of this team than all of them. Everyday I am surrounded by some of God's greatest people, they are passionate, they are understanding, hilarious, they make me want to not only be better at everything I do, but they make me want to be a better person. Being with these people everyday and seeing the competition and heart that is poured out in every single second of every single practice makes me want to be there. If you're an athlete, I want you to think about what it feels like when something happens on your team that is oustanding, maybe its a touchdown or interception, maybe its a goal or a catch, maybe it's a dig or hit that looked like it wasn't possible to do, even if it's not you making this happen, there is just some kind of fire that ignites in all of us when it does, and I know you can't tell me that's not the greatest feeling ever. As athletes we live for moments like this, the moments that we feel so proud of our teammates or ourselves, the moments that we wish we could replay over and over. I've come to realize that this is who I am. This is who all of us are. We were born to be competitors, and thankfully I at least am reminded this in every practice. I literally don't know what I would do without these girls, without my team, without all the people involved... more than ever I have come to understand that this is just who I am. So, when you sit there and wonder why I put so much time into something that I may not be getting anything in return for, stop and think for a second...because you will never understand until you are in my shoes.
"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit."
"A successful team beats with one heart."
"Teamwork isn't doing something for individual glory, it's making things happen because they love one another."
XoXo,
Me
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