Ocean View: A Short Story

Do It!

"Next week we 're having a practice match against Ocean View. Even though it 's not a real match, I want you guys to take this seriously and practice a lot! Nobody should be slacking off, understood?" Danny, Honolulu High 's volleyball team captain, received a chorus of various affirmative responses and nodded.

Henry, one of the freshmen on the team, turned to Kentaro, another freshman and highly skilled setter, and grinned, "Toss to me!"

Ever since elementary school, Henry Song had been a big fan of volleyball. He 'd never been on a proper team before and so, when he began high school, he tried out for the team and barely made it. Henry knew his height was his biggest flaw as a volleyball player. At 5 '5, he was the second shortest

"Yeah, but Ocean View probably had players just as strong as Adam, maybe even stronger!" Henry was slightly annoyed.

"All I have to do is jump and stop the ball, it 's not that big of a deal," was Yuki 's apathetic response.

The following days consisted of the team practicing hard. Henry practiced the hardest of all, always asking for one more chance to perfect his serve or to successfully spike the ball over the net. Throughout that time, he was constantly doing and learning. Even when he failed, he picked himself up and pushed forward. Because of the progress he was making, Henry was incredibly motivated, and his energy helped his teammates stay energized as well.

The match against Ocean View ended up in Honolulu 's loss, but since everyone had done their best, and it wasn 't a real match, nobody was truly upset. The past week had helped everyone, especially Henry, fine tune their abilities, learn new skills they were able to use on court, and stay motivated. Yuki, however, felt like he could have performed better. Several times throughout the game, an opponent 's spike had slipped past his fingers, endangering his team. Having learned his lesson, Yuki promised to practice hard for the next match and help his