Volleyball Vs Cross Country Research Paper

Volleyball and Cross Country are two very different sports. They are both very enjoyable and great sports. Some people may not be the best players, but in the right sport program, it does not matter how good you are. A sport program should be about personal improvement and enjoyment. Volleyball and Cross Country are two examples of how sports programs at one school can be so different. While they both have an emphasis on competition, team aspect, and participation, they all differ greatly. In Volleyball at Mount Pleasant, only the very best players get playing time. Freshman year, the coaches are required to play everyone, so you at least get a shot, but once you move on to your sophomore year, unless you are one of the best six, you can
kiss your chances of playing goodbye. If you ever get that small victory of being one of the best six players, you should cherish it. Cross Country at Mount Pleasant is a completely different experience. It is more of an individualized sport, so everyone gets equal playing time. (Unless you are injured or miss a lot of practice, of course.) Cross Country is all up to you. If you show up to practice and are capable of running, you will get to participate, just as much as any other runner. Even if you are not the fastest, or not on varsity, everyone has equal participation. Some may try more than others, but it is completely individual. Another difference in the two sports is the team aspect of both. In Volleyball, I was not one of the best six players, so I never felt included in the team. Whenever the six would huddle up, everyone else would just kind of stand in the back and listen to them. I never felt like I even mattered on that team, or like I was a part of anything. Cross Country is drastically different. There was never a time that I did not feel included. If someone seemed distant on the team, another player would reach out to them and see what was going on. If someone was having trouble running the whole time, other players would run with them and motivate them. Last year was my first year doing cross country, and I had never done track or anything before, so I was not used to running nonstop. A few of the senior girls ran with me my first few practices, and constantly encouraged me. Even when I could not run the whole distance, they did not make me feel bad about it, or feel like I had failed. They just made me realize that I could do better, and I could run longer. It is just a mental game. The team feel of cross country is truly an amazing experience, and I probably could not have made it through cross country without my team. One final component of the two sports is the competition.
In volleyball, you are obviously competing against the other team, but you are also competing against your teammates. Like I said before, only the best six players get playing time, so in a way you are competing against your own teammates to be better than them, so that you can get some playing time. Cross Country is very different. It is an individual competition. Obviously there are other schools at the meets that you are “competing” against, but you are mainly challenging yourself. Your goal is always to beat your previous record, or improve your stamina, something to better your own running capabilities. In cross country, I never felt like I had to compete to be good enough. I was always trying to improve myself, and make myself proud. Cross Country and Volleyball are two enjoyable sports for many different reasons. However, the Volleyball program at Mount Pleasant comes with a lot of downfalls. From not feeling included, to having to compete against your own teammates, to never getting time to play, it is draining. Cross Country is a sport that is physically tiring, but you get so close to the team, because you all suffer together, that you feel stronger, physically as well as emotionally, after completing a
season.