Personal Narrative: My Volleyball Team

" Believe" was the motto my volleyball team chanted and enforced daily in practice, games and tournaments. We were a team of diverse, passionate players. Our dream and goal was to win the 2017 state championship. It was a defining year for volleyball at Lexington High School.

To begin, we had long and difficult summer workouts. Our head coach, Eric Shick, had a strong desire to instill mental toughness. For example, we had to run the mile in the blazing hot weather before our daily weightlifting routine. This workout format positioned our team into phenomenal shape. We were capable of controlling our breathing while playing intense, competitive volleyball. To add, the weight lifting coach pushed us to exceed our potential. She constantly encouraged us to increase our weight or to perform more repetitions. I quickly learned to push through muscle aches and feeling dog-tired. Summer workouts motivated me along with my teammates to excel physically and mentally. Once summer workouts ended, after school practices began. They were two hours long, five days a week of drill after drill. From these

As thrilling as this was, unfortunately, one of our right side starters suffered from a concussion. Therefore, my position was altered, and I had to work even harder during playoffs. I had to sacrifice my time in order to improve. There was a lot of pressure and stress built from both parents and teammates. Nevertheless, I did not let these emotions overwhelm myself. In fact, I will be able to use this lesson in my life when I encounter demanding situations, like public speaking.

In conclusion, Lexington Volleyball had an impressive season, number 3 in the state. My team strived for excellence both on and off the court. I went from being timid to an outgoing player. This season taught me patience, determination, and learning how to overcome pressure