For the Girls

So this one is dedicated to my girls at KHS VOLLEYBALL!!!

I think about you girls, the sport, and our Cowboy Family all the time. Especially since the 2015 season is so close to starting. I tell Coach Houston all the time that I am sincerely heartbroken to be missing this season. I promise that I am going to be watching every game possible online, and I will catch your last few home games when I finally make it back home. Coach Houston also knows that I intend on coming right back to help coach as soon as I am physically capeable again.

My first year coaching- 4 years ago I only had 5 freshman on my team. Do you guys remember that? We had to move some sophomores down to fill our team and give thrm a chance to play. We had 8 on our teamand everyone had a lot of chances to play. Remember how we rocked the JV bracket of a tournament even though we had to share our JV players with varsity? Well, the following year 3 of those freshman decided to pursue other interests and now, as seniors I only have 1, maybe 2 of you still playing. We did gain an extra amazing player in your class of 2016. But I am so sad to not get to be a part of you 3 girls' senior season. I admire you girls and am amazed, simply amazed at the progress and improvements you made between sophomore year & junior year and am so so so excited to see how much more you've improved and grown stronger coming into this last high school season.

My first year coaching I coached freshmen, then the following year I coached JV, then last year I went back to the freshmen. I absolutely cannot say that Iloved coaching one more than another. You girls that are part of our Cowboy Family are so amazing.

Most of you understand that I have been on bed rest since the end of March. That means I have been resting, mostly laying down for 16 weeks. Practically 4 months. Today I visited with the Physical Therapist here at the hospital and she told me that one day without activity takes 3 days to make up for. So it will take me a long time to get back to being strong and able to REALLY compete against some of you!

I want to tell you girls AGAIN: NEVER STOP MOVING! You don't have to do a sport every season if you don't love it. But do something every season. I see Chan, who is a top athlete in every season: volleyball, basketball, and track. But I also see Chloe who doesn't love the other sports as much as volleyball, so she plays volleyball in fall AND spring and runs distance on her own time in the winter. Last summer a few- i emphasize FEW- of you joined in on weight/strength training. It's another great way to keep active.

But did any of you notice, as us coaches certainly did, some of your teammates who didn't stay active in the off season, or who didn't participate in our summer plans very much? Did you notice how much longer it took them to get back to peak performance? Did you notice that those who stayed active either passed up other players or simply made more personal gains and truly impressed us coaches?

Well, we noticed. As someone who now has at least a year of strength recovery to go through I just want you to keep moving. Be your best. Give your best to your team, your coaches, your school, and the community. Be a strong player who works hard and makes her entire town proud to produce such a person. Be classy. Get on the court and show your opponent as well ad your supporters and team how hard you've worked. Show them how improved you are.

Lastly, give me something worth watching! I won't be there in warm ups. I can't tell you to run a slide or a 1, or to adjust your base so you can dig a certain hitter better. I want to be there. And I will be yelling at my screen. But I'm asking you to play with heart. Make every game worth watching. Leave it all out on the court.

I love you girls, so much more than you can know. You have taught me so much and I can't wait to watch you playing!