How Does Volleyball Affect My Life

Volleyball had a significant impact on my life. It really helped build my self-esteem and instilled a value of hard work and setting goals. I was never the tallest player, never the fastest, or most athletic but I did work the hardest and I had a leadership quality. I also loved the game. I wanted to play every second that I could. If I wasn’t playing I was training. My motto was the harder you work the luckier you get. I remember trying to explain this concept my second oldest sister, who was an artist and not very sport oriented. She was very adamant that you cannot just get luckier. That was my point, I still don’t think she gets it today. While in high school I was the captain of the volleyball team each year. In my senior year
I got several scholarship offers to small junior colleges and to Division 2 schools, however I wanted the big league. I decided to walk on at the University of New Mexico and play volleyball as I was confident that I could earn a scholarship and I did. After just one year I was offered a full ride scholarship to play volleyball at UNM. I still hold the record for most assists in a single game and 2nd and 3rd in several other categories. Volleyball really taught me about life. I learned the agony of defeat even when you were playing your best, I learned the thrill of victory and what it meant to be juggle weight lifting at 5am, classes all day, then practice for three hours after school and then to do homework. I also worked to earn extra money referring games on the weekends, and doing private coaching lessons as well. I learned how to be a leader when others were down, and how to pull from each other’s strengths. I also learned that life is not always fair. It was my senior year and we were not having a great season so my coach decided to bench me to give the younger players a bit more experience. I felt so betrayed. I had worked so hard to break the all-time record, and to be benched your senior year was