Coming to terms with the end of...

Volleyball season.

It's been two weeks since the end of my first season as a coach.  Two weeks ago, my high school team lost in the second round of state playoffs.  My sweet, talented, second-year team made it to the second round of state playoffs!  For the first time ever, a second-year program made it to the playoffs and HOSTED a playoff game!  Before the season began, we had 3 goals:

1. Have a winning record.
2. Make it to State Playoffs.
3. Host a playoff game.

It's incredible to say that we accomplished all three goals!  I came into this job, and was so excited to begin my career as a coach!  I was so excited to be coaching along side my high school coach, who has always been family to me.  He and his family have always been such a part of my life since high school.  He and his wife have been the best possible mentors this year as a teacher and coach.  I have no idea what I would have done without them.  When it became official that I was going to be coaching this year, he told me, "Now Annie, I know you are competitive and live for winning, but this is a second year team... These girls are just learning the game.  You are going to have to tone it down a little."  I was prepared to... in a word... lose.  I could not have been more wrong.  I have never met a harder working group of girls.  They are true athletes.  We ended our season 19-16.  With losses to 6A schools.  Seeing as we are a 4A, second year team- we were inevitably going to get beat by teams that were better than us.  These girls played their hearts out, they learned the game, and they wanted to win. This past season was one of the best experiences of my life.

During the season I was team-mom, team-pharmacist, team-watergirl, team-therapist, team-baker, team-motivator, team-chauffer, team-entertainer... you name it.  And I wouldn't change a thing.  I loved every second of volleyball season and can't wait to begin another.  I owe a huge thanks to all the players, parents, coaches, families, and anybody who helped one of my dreams come true.

This is me, coming to grips with the end of volleyball season.  It's not going very well.  Love my team.

Learning Daily,
Annie