Growing up, I always excelled at sports. I am naturally athletic, so sports and I got along very well. My first love was soccer, but I soon realized the field grew the older you got, and I am not a fan of running. I dabbled with basketball, but when my fifth grade team lost every game, I decided not to play again. The last sport I played and the one I would stick with for the next 10 years was volleyball. I immediately clicked with it, and we were inseparable.
I started playing the sport when I was 10. Grade school volleyball was a very competitive sport in my area, and almost every 12 year old was playing club volleyball. I joined a club when I was 13, and I absolutely hated it. The particular club I joined favored the A team, and sadly, I was not on that team. This was the first time I really considered quitting the sport. Luckily, I found a new club that became my second family.
Once I entered high school, the game changed completely. My freshman coach hated me, I got a concussion sophomore year and was benched for half the season. I received some playing time junior year and reached my full potential senior year. My high school volleyball career was riddled with injuries, politics from parents and coaches, and a rollercoaster of emotions. It was stressful, painful, and aggravating at times, but I wouldn't change a thing.
I committed to playing volleyball in college my senior year. I am now at the end of my freshman year and will not be returning to the team. I had a negative experience with my coach, which ultimately lead to my departure. I waited until the end of the season to tell my coach I would not be returning. It was the most bittersweet moment I have ever experienced. I was leaving a sport that had been my life for the past 10 years, but I knew it was time. I had been back and forth for a year on whether or not to play, and my college volleyball experience took a toll on my happiness. I don't regret my decision to play my freshmen year; college volleyball is not something everyone gets to experience, though it was not what I expected.
Quitting a sport is like losing a friend. It has been with you a majority of your life, and it helps you shape who you are. Volleyball had one of the biggest impacts on my life. It gave me great friends and taught me to be disciplined, mentally and physically tough, and a team player. I am grateful for volleyball and I am grateful it has ended. Some people view sports as their entire life, but for me, it was always a means to an end. I will always love the sport, but all good things must come to an end.
