High school volleyball. A season that some remember as a fun time with friends and others remember as a ruthless and grueling few months. Whether you played on a state ranked team, or never won a game there are some memories that everyone who every stepped on the court can reflect back on.
1. The running drills.
From suicides to mountains, every volleyball player (and most athletes in general) can agree that hearing the words "get on the line" meant you were about to run. I can't honestly guess how many times in my life I've ran down and backs across a basketball court, but in my head it seems like millions. For my team, anytime a ball would hit the ground in practice without a body hitting the floor towards it meant we would automatically line up and get ready to run until our coach decided we had learned our lesson. And don't even get me started on bleachers.
2. Kneepad sweat.
Ah yes, you think football gear smells bad? Try being around a pair of knee pads that hadn't been washed in a month. You wouldn't think that such small pieces of protective gear could smell so bad, but you'd be surprised. That combined with ankle brace sweet and court shoes make for a lethal combination.
3. Floor burns.
There's not much that can compare to a fresh strawberry after an extra painful dive across the court. From hips to knees, you're sure to have received at least one painful burn during you volleyball career. Floor burns, bruises, and jammed fingers are basically your battle scars that you wear with pride after winning a tough match.
4. Team warm-ups.
Every team has a strategic routine that they perform before every match. From agilities to stretches to warm up drills, each member of the team knows where to go and who their partner is. My own team even had a song that would play as we were running out of the dressing room to get into our warm up positions to intimidate the other team. Whether you want to call is superstition or a ritual, it's a vital part of preparation that helps teams get ready for the game.
5. The spandex shorts.
While they might be one of the most comfortable articles of clothing you can wear, they are rarely accepted as a means of pants in public. After wearing the small, very fitted part of a uniform everyday for months, it easy to forget that they aren't actual pants. You even tend to forget to be self conscious in them until you stop by a grocery store or restaurant after practice and receive disapproving stares.
6. The weekend tournaments.
There are few things that bring a team closer closer then having to spend an entire weekend together. It involves lots of team bonding, traveling as a group where ever you go, and two days spent either on the court or in the bleachers sizing up the competition
7. Your coach yelling.
I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the sound of my varsity's coaches voice. From yelling encouragement to screaming whenever we would lose a point, three years of my life involved hearing her voice yelling at my team five days a week, for four months a year. I may not be able to remember algebra, but I can sure remember the fear her voice would instill in my teammates and I in high school.
8. The two-a-days.
Quite possibly the most difficult time out of all the years I played sports combined were two-a-days. It involved arriving at 7:00 a.m. on a morning in August to a gym where the air had been turned off (yay Texas summers) and the floor was scattered with jump ropes, weights, and cones. Two hours later you would find yourself covered in sweet and too sore to move, let alone complete and entire afternoon of practice. However, it did whip everyone into shape in a matter of weeks and give us the stamina of cross country runners.
9. The adrenaline rush.
I don't think many things can compare to the rush a high school athlete feels when stepping out onto the court before a game. The cheering of the crowd alone is enough to spike your adrenaline. All of the hours that you spent sweating, jumping, diving, and running have created the muscle memory and confidence that you need in that moment. The second the whistle blows for the first serve you're ready. You've worked hard for this moment. Little do you know that years later you'll be thinking back on that day and wishing that just one more time you could be in that moment again.
