Volleyball Together: A Special Season

 

It was that time of year - tryout time. This time around, though, it was also the first time that our little one would be trying out formally for something. Sure, she had been on teams before but in elementary school they do a great job of making sure that everyone has the chance the play and that playing time is equal and all those things that make developmental programs, well, developmental programs. 

This time around our two girls were trying out together. Irini went into tryouts with the flair of "I've been here before and I'm not particularly fazed" while Amalia went in with the "OMG, I hope I'm going to make it!". Three days later the teams were announced and right there, on the roster for the MS Falcons Volleyball Team, were both their names!!  We were delighted as can be!  So excited that they both made the more experienced team (though Amalia had never played formally before) and also elated by the fact that they were on the same team. Given their age difference it might never happen again. This could have been their one shot as teammates. 

And what a shot it was. It was one of those rags to riches stories where a relatively inexperienced team goes winless for the whole first half of a (admittedly short) season only to turn things around right in the middle and then, without signs of slowing down, just turned up the notch and won every game right through the end of season!  It turns out that not only did they play well on the court but they "clicked from the very first day" according to them. They really bonded well with the other girls and were excited as can be to have been part of this very special group of girls. Happy as can be throughout the season and quite bummed to see it all end when that final whistle blew. 

And so it was that on this first (and perhaps last) season together it was a magical group of girls playing in a magical season. It's the type of story that they might tell for years to come. And hopefully one they will recognize for not just the way it played out, but also for the fact that they were there by each other's side, screaming "Go Falcons"... together.