Volleyball

Late in the summer, Kaitlynn was attending the daily strength and conditioning (SAC) camp offered by her junior high campus. It was sometimes a brutal workout for her, as the sessions were held every afternoon in the hottest part of the day. Kaitlynn was quite the trooper and always worked hard, and her coaches were always impressed with her great attitude. One day during SAC, the girls coach and athletic director noticed Kaitlynn and asked her innocently if she'd be trying out for volleyball that year. Kaitlynn was caught off guard and the question sat with her for a long time. She began to wonder if the coach's question might be worth considering, and sure enough, she made a decision to give volleyball a try. After practicing at school and signing up for a volleyball camp, Coach Dad again stepped up to continue working with Kaitlynn to help her grow in her skills. This girl knew nothing about the sport, but she was so excited to learn and was really picking it up quickly!

Like everything else she does when she puts her mind to it, Kaitlynn began focusing (obsessing?) about volleyball and practiced every chance she had. Jeff strung up a net in the backyard and she worked hard at her hitting, setting, and serving. She attended a local camp and was getting some great feedback from the coaches. She even practiced with Connor when he was willing to work with her. We were so proud of Kaitlynn's hard work and dedication as she tried something new.

Kaitlynn's volleyball tryouts were held during the first week of the new school year. She put so much pressure on herself and she ended up performing well, but she was beyond nervous when the official letters were handed out. Over half the girls that tried out for 8th grade volleyball were cut. To Kaitlynn's enormous surprise and delight, she had made the cut. Having no experience whatsoever and starting completely from scratch, Kaitlynn was now officially an 8th grade volleyball player, wow! To say we were excited for her was an understatement. We were beyond proud of her willingness to put herself out there for a brand new sport and work super hard to achieve her goal. Now on to volleyball season!