What's Our Ball? Every Ball!

My dad was a total jock and excelled at every sport he played. One of my first memories is of being in a sports arena at a basketball game. Daddy was a high school coach during my formative years and when he wasn't coaching or playing a pick-up game somewhere, he was watching sports on television.

I am not an athlete. I was the kid picked last for everything and the first one to get thrown out in dodgeball. I couldn't get a volleyball serve over the net until I was in my 20's. When you're a grown-up and no longer forced against your will to participate in P.E., sports can become fun because no one cares. I'm still not an athlete but I love watching baseball (and hating the Yankees). I play a mean game of boules.

The Child falls between the two extremes. She doesn't necessarily have a lot of innate athletic talent but she's active and willing. She's tried a lot of sports but it wasn't until last year that she found the perfect fit in volleyball. It makes me happy that she's found a sport she likes and is good at. Team sports do have the potential to teach a child about teamwork, discipline and striving for one's personal best. And who knows? Maybe she'll become good enough to get a scholarship.

She played volleyball for the first time last year and was definately the most improved player by the end of the spring season. She practised all the time to improve her skills and saw an almost immediate payoff. Plus, she had the satisfaction of being on a very good team. They won their championship game in the fall and went to the semi-finals before being eliminated in the spring.

There were two girls from last years team who "played up" this year so the 7th-8th graders could field a team. These girls were commonly perceived to be the best players because they had great serves and were tall. In truth, they were inconsistent at best. Yes, they could serve, but they did their share of standing there and letting the ball drop. The fact that I think one of them is a useless princess and the other is a mean witch should be noted in the interest of fairness. In short, I didn't think we'd miss them this year and I was right. The drama level is significantly reduced. And the other girls (all returning players) have had the opportunity to really grow, both as individuals and as a team. They began sure they wouldn't win without those other girls. Not only are they winning, they have all gained a new level of confidence. They see what they can do and they don't have any drama queens around pointing out their errors (which is how drama queens deflect attention from the fact that they themselves are not perfect. I really hate girls like that and I always will and I'm not going to apologize for it). The Child has become one of the most consistent players on the team, both offensively and defensively. She will throw herself toward a ball to make a return. She gets her serves over probably 90% of the time. She is fearless, willing and most charmingly, very encouraging of her team-mates. Last week she served the winning point in two games.

Tonight is the championship game and win or lose I'm very proud of our team, my little Spiker, in particular. We're going to go have a celebratory burger somewhere after the game. Even if we don't come home with a trophy, it's been a great season. All that said, you know what I'll be celebrating the most? That volleyball is over and we get our Monday and Wednesday evenings back. At least until CYO starts.