Wanna Be A Baller

I wanna be a baller, shot caller...

I can't spit the lyrics from the Lil' Troy song as this is a mostly family-friendly space about nine second- and third-grade girls, two coaches who were friends from long ago, and a large support system learning the game better than what we saw during the Olympics or sloppily spiking on each other in the backyards during the last cookout. What they did and became, some middle school volleyball coach might end up sending them invitations to their summer camps. 

They bumped. They served. They returned. 

Most of all, they played like a veteran team - and the untrained eye would not have known that the Volley Queens came together for ten regular season games for the very first time without any collusion unlike some superteams from other sports. Each girl aimed to please not only the folks in the stands but also keep serving them up to places the opposing teams could not reach. They have not been starstruck by the moment one bit and rose to the challenges of trailing during matches, between sets, and even when the pivotal third set began rocky. Their coaches kept them levelheaded focused on the next point instead of what the board read. 

Don't think they didn't have fun: Our girls broke into an impromptu happy birthday song at least twice...and there was Halloween.

Thanks to coaches Chasity and Chastity for devoting a few nights each week to teaching Caeli, Khloe, Ryleigh, Brynlee, Ireland, Brooke, Abigail, Ava, and Sadie the game of volleyball in addition to the shenanigans of Friday night practices of watching them serve overhanded lobs and bump to the track above the court. [I didn't do anything special - just be Dad and take a few okayish pictures through a phone camera with a sketchy screen protector and bring out the balls at practice]. None of this would be possible without the family and friends who supported each girl throughout the past couple of months and stayed in line the day tryouts were held. 

Did we win? With a 8-2 record, we finished second in the regular season. 

Meet the 2022 Benton Parks and Recreation Volleyball Tournament runners up!

Volley Queens on 3: 1, 2, 3! Volley Queens!