Have you ever looked deeper into volleyball than only watching it on TV? Well, volleyball is so much harder than you think; players and coaches go through so many tough challenges in volleyball. The BGJHS volleyball team is an all-girls team. Students and coaches work to produce a good and winning team.
Lots of people watch volleyball on TV and don’t get to see what goes on behind the scenes; volleyball is not an easy sport. Players and coaches work hard to form a good winning team.
There are many differences between a volleyball practice and a game.”I think practice is harder than games because at practice you don’t stop,” stated 7th grader Kirbee Hamilton. “We get better at practice and use that in games,” explained 6th grader Calla Huffman. “Practices are hard, but they are really helpful, and what I do at practice turns into what I do at games,” said 8th grader Alli Sumpter.
A lot of the players agreed that the difficulties in volleyball are the mental part of the game. Google says that about 42% of middle school students struggle with low self-esteem and get in their heads. Hamilton expanded on this idea: “The hardest part of the game is the mental side because you can make one mistake and then get all in your head and the game could be over for you.”
Being positive is a big part of a sport. A lot of players have the physical ability to play, but their mental side takes over. Let’s talk about some ways that the BGJHS volleyball players keep a positive attitude during games and practices. “I try to look on the bright side of things and think of the good things that could happen, not the bad,” stated player Carver. “I like to stay pumped up and keep my teammates pumped up also because we always play the best when we are happy and playing together,” said 8th-grade player Karter Tooley.
Nothing in a sport is easy, no matter how good you are! You could be the best player on the team but still struggle doing conditioning. “Practices are very hard, long, and disciplined, but rewarding when you see your progress in the game,” said Sumpter. Volleyball players are so impressive and strong in all ways! It may seem like athletes’ lives are perfect, but they go through tough things just like everyone else.
Volleyball players and coaches work very hard to perform their very best every game and every practice. Many people watch volleyball only on TV and have never looked further into it; they make it look very easy! It’s not all easy though; players and coaches go through so many tough challenges you don’t know about. Next time you’re watching volleyball on TV, take a minute and look further into it!
