Today marked the end of my second year coaching volleyball. I coached the same girls both years and I am having trouble putting into words what it was like to see these girls grow and change.
As 7th graders most of them had never played volleyball and in many cases had never been on a sports team. They started learning the basics and achieved our goals for each game which were to have fun and get the ball over the net. :)
As 8th graders the girls' skills increased and many of them had a set of "firsts" that was pretty amazing to be a part of. They learned overhand serving and the rhythm of "bump, set, and spike" (The "spike" wasn't quite as powerful as it sounds...) they appreciated the overall feel of what "real" volleyball is like and got to experience championship games.
These girls consistently amazed me. I was inspired by their looks of pride on the court, their giggles and funny stories on the bus to our away games, the thrill of winning games, the level of competition they had a love/hate relationship with and really, just seeing their sheer pleasure of playing a fun sport.
Coaching brings me such joy. To see these kids in a different space other than a classroom is a pure delight. There is a simplicity to the way that the girls hold themselves that is difficult to explain, but is deeply inspiring. I feel really lucky to be a part of their journey as women, competitors and overall superstars.
As 7th graders most of them had never played volleyball and in many cases had never been on a sports team. They started learning the basics and achieved our goals for each game which were to have fun and get the ball over the net. :)
As 8th graders the girls' skills increased and many of them had a set of "firsts" that was pretty amazing to be a part of. They learned overhand serving and the rhythm of "bump, set, and spike" (The "spike" wasn't quite as powerful as it sounds...) they appreciated the overall feel of what "real" volleyball is like and got to experience championship games.
These girls consistently amazed me. I was inspired by their looks of pride on the court, their giggles and funny stories on the bus to our away games, the thrill of winning games, the level of competition they had a love/hate relationship with and really, just seeing their sheer pleasure of playing a fun sport.
Coaching brings me such joy. To see these kids in a different space other than a classroom is a pure delight. There is a simplicity to the way that the girls hold themselves that is difficult to explain, but is deeply inspiring. I feel really lucky to be a part of their journey as women, competitors and overall superstars.
I wouldn't have survived the season without my partner in crime, Coach DeVries. xoxo, coach. :) Pictured here is the superstar "C" team that won 2nd in the city! (Talk about firsts..these 6 girls played 9 games in one night. 5 of the 6 of them are refugee students in our school and had never played volleyball quite like this...!)
Love, LOVE these girls. They couldn't have had better coaches! Thank you, Kari and Hannah for coaching them, guiding them, loving them!
ReplyDeleteYou are the greatest superstar coach around! xoxo
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