I believe that everyone should strive for excellence and follow their dreams. From the very beginning, when I was just learning the fundamentals of the game, I knew volleyball would be my sport. I continued playing after grade school and into high school. During every practice and game, I would completely shut out every outside thought or problem I had in my head and focus on playing; it became an escape from the stress of reality and school for me.
After playing for six years, I suffered from my first sports injury: a meniscus tear in my right knee. This was a major obstacle for me to cope with. Not being able to be on the court with my teammates and having to watch them from the bench was extremely difficult to deal with. Consequently, as I missed the whole season, I wanted to start new. Once my knee was completely healed and I was finished with therapy, I joined a travelling club team. I immediately fell in love with the game again when I started playing. I still struggled with regaining the same strength and agility I had before, due to the lack of playing time I lost, but I never gave up. Unfortunately, I underwent the same circumstances when playing my junior year. It hurts to have something that you love taken away from you. When my playing time was taken from me a second time, my confidence and hope was lowered significantly. My love for the game, however, never wavered. After the school season ended, I went on to play volleyball on a travelling team again. Being able to be on the court and doing what I loved brought back the confidence and hope that I had lost before.
Playing volleyball has had an enormous impact on my life. The most important thing I learned from playing was to never give up. If I hadn’t been persistent, defying the ups and downs and continuously learning throughout the journey, I wouldn’t be the person I am