Why Asthma Is Important To Me

My parents have always been very supportive of me. I think their mantra is "We only have one kid, let's not have regrets." Because of this I was one of those kids that played almost every sport. Most of them didn't work out considering I have asthma, but that didn't stop me from trying! In middle school after trying soccer for a few years we decided it wouldn’t be good for me. On a whim my parents decided to put me on a recreation league volleyball team, and I thank them every day for it. I played for one season and fell in love instantly.

After playing for six years volleyball has shown me who I am as a person. I've learned to persevere through the hard times… and by hard times I mostly mean rude coaches. My high school coach has enabled me to open my eyes and find what I really believe. As a junior year in high school our varsity team had already been to state 2 years in a row, and lost in the finals both times. I was only on the court my sophomore year, but I remember the heartache. It sort of felt like the world was ending, because for us it practically was. Stepping onto the court for tryouts last year was different, everything had changed. Our four D1 players were seniors and we knew this was the year. We either won it now or not at all.
After weeks of practicing hard and devoting our lives to the sport, and to each other, we were ready. We started getting confident and felt almost invincible, until one of our key players told us she needed to play less due to injury. Our coach was furious and made us sit in a circle in the middle of the gym. She quickly began yelling at us, loud. What started out as talking about a shoulder injury soon turned into nitpicking at our insecurities. I don't think I've ever felt so defeated and unworthy. I remember going home from practice that day and having an internal battle. All I could think was, "Do I really want to do this to myself?" I was leaning towards the idea of quitting and saving myself the heartache. But after evaluating my answer I realized how selfish the question was. Volleyball isn't a one man sport, it's all about team. Suddenly the question became "can I get through this, and persevere, for my team?" And the answer was 100% yes. That was a turning point for me, the moment I learned the true meaning of loyalty.

Fast forward two and a half months and there I was with my eight best friends, in the middle of a dog pile after winning state.
I've never been happier than I was in that moment. All of our dedication and effort had finally paid off. Even now looking back I tear up because of how much work we put into it. I don't know how I ever thought I would be able to quit, and am quite mad I ever had the idea. Quitting goes against everything I believe in, yet I almost let someone push me in that direction. On the bright side I now know that I can push through any obstacle. I have a strong moral foundation and I won't let anything, or anyone, stand in my way of greatness. Volleyball has changed my life and I love it for that
reason.