Thankful for home, and a college team By Ally Taylor
May it first be noted that this entry is being written in a notebook that was covered in dust on a desk that had been moved into what was once known as "my bedroom."
Posted: 11/30/2008 01:00:00 AM EST
It is the most incredible feeling to sit down at the dining room table, candles lit, family knee deep in nostalgia, food covering every possible free spot on the table and realizing that at this time last year I was giving thanks for ending my high school career with such an incredible season I don't think I could have ever dreamed of something like that happening.
This year, I am thankful for many things the first, of course, being the health of my family. However, I am also thankful for many other things in my life including attending Lafayette College. I couldn't imagine being at any other place in the world at this point. I love Easton, Pennsylvania and the Crayola crayon factory. I love the students, the farmland, the freedom, the professors, the campus, Wawa convenience store É there's so many things.
Next there's the fact that I have the ability to call myself a Division 1 athlete, which is an incredible feeling. There is a certain sense of respect you get among your family and friends, granted, it is an unspoken respect, but anyone who has ever played a sport in college knows the feeling and everything about playing at Lafayette has been amazing.
The coaches were always around and knew how to push me in the best way possible. I always wanted to play hard, because I am a fiery competitor. I always wanted to play well for them. I also wanted to work hard for my teammates. With just 14 girls making up the entire squad, you find yourself close with everyone and each personality is so distinct. From Connecticut to California, we're a very happy group of girls who love the sport and love great competition (BEAT LEHIGH!).
The bitter rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh stems back 144 years when they first played one another in football. Many people do not know that it is actually the oldest and longest held football rivalry in all of the U.S. Last weekend I attended my first Lafayette-Lehigh football match up and it is something that I will never forget. The school spirit is both outstanding and, at times, out of control. This tradition lives on through all our sports teams and anyone who has played a sport for Darien can understand for it is something along the lines of the rivalry with New Canaan only increased exponentially. Even for the volleyball team beating Lehigh is considered a crucial win no matter how good or bad the team is.
Everyday this season was exciting because it was a new experience and I never knew what to expect. Each class had a different agenda; every practice had a very different motive. There were days that I took part in pool workouts, something I had never done before. There were afternoons in the weight room that I learned about lifting routines that I had never even heard of before, let alone actually start to do them. It was such a great feeling to wake up and know that in just a few hours I would be playing in an unfamiliar gym in Washington D.C against American or be taking a tour around campus at West Point or the Naval Academy before big games against both Army and Navy.
Of course, the first semester has not always been rainbows and butterflies because that simply is not possible. I got strep throat about a month into season and I developed a sinus infection the last two weeks of the season that I am still struggling with. I never fit on the buses that we used for traveling to games comfortably so sleeping was always a rather difficult task. Somehow we managed to contort into somewhat of a relatively "comfortable" position long enough to pass out from exhaustion. There were nights that I probably stared at the computer screen longer than I actually typed anything and I admit that I did pull a few all nighters while cramming for exams. However, I am a firm believer in the fact that in order to appreciate the good times you must be exposed to the not so great times at some point, as well. I believe this is true for many reasons, but you can see it all the time.
Since the beginning of season, I have watched each and every one of my teammates develop into these strong, athletic girls and I have accomplished things I never thought imaginable. I began to appreciate the art that is weight lifting. I have always gone in with the same excuse of being tall and having long limbs which would inhibit me from ever being able to lift any weight, but apparently that statement is completely false because I went from not even knowing how to lift a bar properly to doing hang cleans, a type of lift used especially for athletes that are training for the Olympics. One of my proudest accomplishments was running a competitive mile time. We train many different ways and one of which is running a mile once a week. I am proud to say that I finished the season with my best time of 6:36. I now fully understand what people are talking about when they speak about a "runner's high." It is the best feeling in the world to go out and give 100 percent and really see yourself making the huge strides.
I think that I have really become part of something special. I was able to play competitively at the college level, which in the volleyball world, is quite impressive for high school volleyball and college ball are two completely different games. I also began to play with girls much bigger than myself. For the first time in my life I would peer through to the other side of the net and occasionally not even be able to stare into the girl's eyes. American University boasts twins who are both six foot eight, something I don't think I had ever witnessed before, at least never in the state of Connecticut playing volleyball.
One thing that people have asked me about since being home is how I have come to terms with losing since I was undefeated all four years in high school and I must say it has been interesting, but not as difficult as I expected. In college, going undefeated is something that rarely happens and when it does you're more than likely the best team in the country (think Penn State). I don't think we played a single game this year that I would consider a blow out. In fact when we did lose it was rarely in less than five games.
The Patriot League consists of teams that are all very competitive so the games are always toss-ups. We split we Lehigh, Navy, and Bucknell this year and beat Holy Cross twice. I take every game personally so every loss was not an easy one, but I never felt disappointed after a match because I can honestly say that every person on the team gave 100 percent. There was never for one second a thought in my head like "so and so could have done this better," but occasionally I did think "I can't wait until we're playing them at home."
Looking back, I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea that I was actually a good runner or that I could change my blocking technique and go up against the Patriot League Rookie of the Year from 2007 with no fear. My whole outlook on the game has changed. I have never feared an opponent, but now I actually welcome all. I want a chance to go up against anyone and my desire to play the sport has only increased after having a week and a half to look back on the past season.
I am looking forward, first and foremost, to winter break and spending the holidays with my friends and family. From there on out, I look to improve my game during spring season and play a contributing role to my team's success. We were one game away from making it to the Patriot League Tournament this year, by next time this year I want to be able to congratulate my team for having taken part in the tournament and by the time I graduate I would like to make it to the finals.
For now, however, I am content with eating leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches and watching the Giants game on Sunday with my family before heading back to school for finals. Until then, I am thankful for all that I have been blessed with in my life and that my family and friends around to spend time with me during the holiday season. It is hard to imagine anything better than being where I am at this very moment.////
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