No Time for Losers 'Cause We Are the Champions. Of the World.

Turns out that going into the game last night, our undefeated team had already been declared the champions. The "playoffs" were no such thing, just a round robin exercise in "everyone plays, you're all winners". Starting at 5:30 there were 6 teams, 1 gym, 2 teams playing at at a time to 25. Long night. Dear Recreation People, let's do it on a Saturday next time. Thank you.

So. Our first game. Pretty much the drill as it's been all season. The Child and the other four "weak" players played bench while the starters slept-walked to a victory. (They all got a few minutes on the court). Then came the pizza and studying and it was finally our turn again.

By this time, Good Coach Amy and Good Coach Alex had arrived and were sitting with me. Bad Coach knew this. Maybe it had something to do with this, maybe it didn't, but in the second game The Child was subbed in pretty early and kept in. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I'll tell you what it really was: pure, unadulterated vindication.

By the time she came in we were down 1-7. The starters had been dreadful. I kept thinking, "This clown would rather lose with his starters than take a chance on winning with everyone". At one point I turned to Good Coach Amy and before I said anything she said, "I'm on it". "Just wanted you to see it's not just me", I said.

Finally, he subs in The Child. A ball comes right at her and she bumps it back with authority. We score the point. The team starts to rally. We even the score. The Child is still in. A few points later a ball comes into the second line and no one is there. The Child, who is playing the net, throws herself after the ball, nailing it before it hits the floor and popping it straight up so that it can be set and spiked for the point. Another ball comes, right at and just over the net and The Child jumps straight up and biffs it with one hand back over the net. Point. The crowd is, how you Americans say, going wild. Then, amazingly, it's her turn to serve and she's still in. She gets the ball over the net and our girls score easily on the return. She serves again - game point - and the other team, deer in the headlights, can't return it.

It was straight out of an Afterschool Special. The crowd was jumping up and down, screaming. People were thumping me on the back. The Child comes running over, practically in tears she's so thrilled, for lots of hugs and "atta girls". It was absolutely priceless. I couldn't have scripted it better. Bad Coach comes up, shoots me a look and says to The Child, "That's what you have to do if you want to play". Bastard. But it wasn't about him anymore, it was about my kid feeling like a million bucks because she'd shown him everything she's got.

She also saw some action in the third game and was again spot on every time. There was even a line call that was not unlike the one she messed up last week but this time she got it right. She even got to serve again, although our girls weren't able to return it. Still, they won the game.

When we got home we walked in singing "We are the Champions" and I had to give her 3 tabs of Valium to sky down. (Not really. And I don't think 3 would have been enough).

Y'all and your "hang in there" advice were spot on. If we'd bailed she would never, never had that satisfaction. And, if she ends up not playing CYO then she ends her volleyball experience on the highest of notes. Thanks again for encouraging her/us to keep playing. It was absolutely priceless. Wish you could have been there.