Sports careers are like microcosms of life. Everything that can happen in a lifetime can happen on a sports team. The time had come to end the glory. As I mourn the loss of being on a team, I rejoice the reawakening I have seen. I will forever miss the glance I give my hitters before a play. They know they are getting the ball, and we trust the other to get the job done. I will forever miss the celebration after every point of 5 long games. I will miss the feeling of watching over my teammates as if they were my sisters. I will forever miss the blood sweat and tears spent just to keep the ball in the air.
What is it for? It would seem foolish to do this all to resist the force of gravity. It is for the souls dedication, partnership, to learn and accept everything that comes at you. It is to do and live what is truthful and courageous. It is for the love of all components of the game. It is for the bus rides, meals together, secret buddy gifts, lifting together at 6 in the morning, being through 5 coaches. It is to better the ball because you know your teammate will have to dive if you screw it up. It is to set the ball 3 inches tighter for that one kill. It is to push yourself farther than you thought you could go.
You never finally see it until it’s over. It’s like dieing then looking back on your whole life. You finally know. As soon as the last ball hits, you see what it was all about. It is for the souls undying dedication, just for the sake of dedication. A body will never be content living a self-serving life. It will flourish by surrendering to something greater, for the love.
So yes I mourn the loss of the crowd yelling my name when I serve, seeing my teammates succeed and learn as well as fail and learn. I am so grateful for everything I have been through and received. I’m so grateful for the coaches, teammates parents and fans. This all made me who I am today. I am in love with the sport and will be until the day I die.
Great post Suzanne. I guess I never stopped to think about why I loved volleyball, I just knew I loved it. Glad to see you are doing so well! We definitely missed you when you graduated.
ReplyDelete~a fellow Raven setter and Bio major