How Volleyball Changed My Life

People say if you love something, then set it free. If it was truly yours, it will always find its way back to you. I never imagined I would lose something that I truly cared about but in this case, I did. Volleyball was my passion but I came to the realization that it could not be my life.
Back in 2010, my mother decided I should try every sport and see what my options were. I tried everything you could think of: basketball, dance, softball, soccer, you name it and I played it. However, volleyball was the one sport that stood out the most to me. I could go to practice and forget the drama I had heard on the playground. I could lose myself in the game because to me, it was my escape. In the fall of my freshman year, I found out I had made the varsity volleyball team. All of the practices, stress, and private workouts had finally paid off. Things quickly changed as the years progressed.
As the coaches changed, so did practice. As the teammates changed, so did the game. I slowly found myself dreading practice, not because of the sport but because of the drama that came along with our team. One practice, two girls, Jackie and Taylor started fighting in the lockerrooms because they found out they were seeing the same girl. Of course,
I did not wake up and decide my actions. I simply sat on a hard gym floor, drank my water bottle, and listened to the horrific moans from my teammates. No, they were not in pain. There was a lack of love and connection within our team. The sad part is, one could see that from a mile away. I was emotionally exhausted from the constant bickering throughout the team, whether it was about an ex boyfriend or a play that someone had messed up. When the buzzer sounded, it was as if a lightbulb had gone off in my head. This team is not my family, this sport is not my life, and I am ashamed that I thought such a thing defined