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My Volleyball Column

My Volleyball Column
By Daniela Hogtanian
I look around me for the last time, glancing at my teammates as we stand in a circle, right before what is to be our last game. For whatever reason, I feel as though time passes slowly and I smile in my reverie, remembering the last four years of my life and how much love I have for volleyball. Because of this sport, I have learned to be compassionate, confident, and more assertive in every aspect of life. Because of volleyball, I found a group of girls who have become like family to me. Because of volleyball, I have become a team player, who knows what it means to be a part of something bigger than one’s self.
I remember my first high school volleyball game as if it was yesterday. I was a nervous wreck as it was, but when my coach told me that I was going to be one of the six starting players, I was sure I would faint. However, a lot has changed since then. I can now trust my teammates with my life. I can now serve a volleyball with my eyes closed. I now reach the top of the net when I jump, thank God. But more than that, I have grown as a person. The scared, tiny freshman that I once was is no longer. I have grown to be more assertive and expressive. I have been blessed with teammates who have had my back just as I have had theirs. I love each and every one of them and wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.
It is somewhat bittersweet, that I am standing in front of the girls who have seen me through everything these last four years for the last time. It is bittersweet that we are doing our amazing team cheer in our home gym for the last time. I am almost brought to tears when all the seniors are called to the middle of the court for the last time. It has been a surmounting journey. I want to stay in this huddle forever. Suddenly, I don’t want this part of my life to be over. I hope for some form of divine intervention, but I am brought back to the present when the ref blows that whistle. Only now, the game I am playing isn’t volleyball, it’s life, and I know that everyone involved until now has had a monumental role in leading me to this moment. In the blink of an eye, it is all over and we all step off of the court for the last time, stepping into our futures but never forgetting our past and the memories we made on that court.

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