Cole loves volleyball. Watching players jump as high as the sky, serve aces that go by like shooting stars, and smash the ball into the floor. Teammates cheer each other on, as if nothing in the world could slow them down. Cole watches a match every night.

It wasn’t just volleyball that had her attention. Her older sister, Kat, was a shining star on the soccer field. Kat swiftly moved past her opponents and often kicked the ball a thousand miles into the goal post. For every game, Cole sat in the front row and cheered until she lost her voice. 

One Saturday afternoon, the sisters were relaxing in Kat’s room. Kat saw the excitement on Cole’s face as she watched a volleyball game. This gave her an idea. 

Cole thought about the idea all weekend. 

Does Kat really think I should play volleyball? What if I’m not good enough? Maybe I could make some friends!

The next day, Cole took a deep breath and signed up for volleyball.

The time had come. Cole took a deep breath, walked into the gym, and was ready to play. She noticed other girls were excited to be back, which gave her some ease. 

“Alright team!”, the coach called out. “Thank you for being here. We’re here to learn new moves, try our hardest, and most importantly, have fun! Now, who’s ready to play some volleyball?”

Everyone cheered and clapped, Cole noticed her nerves were fading away. 

Cole learned to receive the ball, send it over the net, and her position on the court. She was relieved and happily surprised that working together as a team was the real key to success. She was thrilled to watch Arianna tip the ball and Penny spike the ball with a power she’d never seen. Noticing each signature move was like unlocking a secret code and helping her understand new strategies. 

Cole loved being part of a team. After school, she’d dash over to the gym with her new volleyball friends. They’d set up the net and eagerly await for the coach to begin practice. Her friendships grew and so did her self esteem. 

The team would be facing a rival school on Friday. Cole felt flutters in her stomach just thinking about it, but quickly shook off the nerves. She knew that if she worked hard and listened to her coach and teammates, she would be ready.