Assignment 21 - Lia Jacobs

From sixth grade to this past July, volleyball was a major part of my life. During the school season, it was two hours every day in addition to tournaments and team events, and during the club season, it was even more. For the two years in high school, there were only four weeks of the year that I wasn't playing. Obviously, there was a huge time commitment, but that was never the issue. I can't recall exactly when, but at some point over my sophomore year playing made me miserable. I dreaded going to practice and I hated playing in the games. So when July rolled around, I had a major decision to make: do I try out again for the high school team? There wasn't much doubt that I wouldn't make the team, I had played some on the varsity team the year before and likely would again. Nonetheless, this decision was one of the hardest I've ever had to make. It felt like there was so much pressure to keep playing, from coaches, parents, teammates, and even just to have a sport to put on my college applications. I kept telling myself I had to keep playing, I wasn't a quitter, and I would enjoy playing again. But deep down, I knew I would hate it if I kept playing. It took weeks for me to decide, and when I chose to quit I felt sick to my stomach. It's the only thing I've ever quit, and sometimes I regret what I did. I regret not being able to see my friends every day, not being able to play the sport that used to bring me so much joy, and quite frankly not having any good extracurriculars. Making this decision was probably the most challenging thing I've ever done, and I still don't know if I made the right choice. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.