When I was little the only thing I ever hoped for was that I would be able to stay at the same school until I graduated. My family was very firm in their jobs and I never dreamed that I would actually have to move.
In this small town in Missouri, it wasn’t hard to get attention, especially in sports. That was how it was for me when I started playing volleyball. I hadn’t known any of the older kids playing volleyball but since I was so good they instantly accepted me and we all became very close. We played all of our games on Tuesdays and Thursday s.
The second to the last game was on a Tuesday. It was a home game. We wound up losing. I was team captain so I automatically took the blame. I was in a horrible mood. I never felt so upset with myself. I had let my team down.
As if that wasn’t enough, that night as we pulled in the driveway of our house, my mother told me that Thursday would be our last day of school and that we were moving on Friday. I almost hit the floor. We couldn’t move. Not now that everyone liked me and I had such great friends. I knew that no matter what I said though that we were still moving. I had to beg her to let me go to my very last volleyball game I would ever play with my team.
Thursday at school everyone was sad, but it didn’t seem to really sink in that I was leaving. That night we had an away game. I gave my usual pep-talk and hoped we came out with a win. We wound up winning which is an awesome memory I left with but I was still upset. I cried all the night and all the next day, and for a few days after that. I didn’t want to leave.
When I moved to Texas I got into Tennis. Something I never would have done had it not been for the move. I was mad at first because I wasn’t good enough to get to lead the team. I was so used to being the best that I wasn’t sure I could handle it. Through my experience with the people on the team I learned that it’s okay. You don’t always have to be the best at everything. I needed somebody to lead me and I had to learn that I didn’t always have to be in the front. I was able to focus on the sport and not carrying the weight of trying to be perfect for the team on my shoulder. I had loved leading but it was just really hard to make sure I didn’t mess up and helping coach with everyone else. Anytime something went wrong I instantly took the blame, even though some things just weren’t my fault.
I have been offered the chance to keep playing through the summer so that I can be team captain for the next year, even though I will only be a sophomore and will have quite a few people that are older than me. I told my coach that as much as I would like that, I want to try to stay away for the pressure for now and let someone else get their turn. Everyone needs a turn in life, and I still have plenty of time left for mine. Why keep that experience from someone else?