My "Best" Volleyball Memories

Junior High opened so many doors for me as a student. You could now play sports or play in the band. I thought I was going to play in the band (the flute), but after my mom gave me the soul stirring speech about how if they bought the flute...I would play it. At this time in my life, I wasn't the best about following through with commitments (we won't discuss the piano and dance lessons). So band was out. On a whim, I decided to try out for the Volleyball team....I was athletic....so I thought. Wonders of wonders I made the team, and it totally changed my life. It gave me confidence and a pride that grew within me. I had a sense of accomplishment. This past weekend, I found my old volleyball scrapbook. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share these great memories.


Coach Jack Best, the best Volleyball coach in the country. He had a way to get you to work hard and put in you a desire to accomplish the impossible without ever raising his voice or putting a fear in you. He respected you as a player and only wanted the best you could provide. I just saw him a month ago at Home Depot and it really made my day. I had not seen him since my wedding. He is one of the most memorable people in my life.

My 7th grade volleyball team at Burgaw Junior High. Lots of these girls are my friends on Facebook now. So nice to reconnect and reminisce on old memories.

This is actually a picture of me in the 8th grade. I am looking up and getting my aim on the ball that I am about to bump over the net. I don't remember us having a setter in Jr high. In high school, that was my position, I was a setter.

The ugliest picture of me ever. I kind of had a fro going in this picture. We were undefeated that year in volleyball, but that wasn't unusual.

BJH wins the tourney, but it was never a surprise. It would have been a bigger surprise if we had lost.

BJH had a ten year streak of being undefeated when I played. I don't know if they are still undefeated or not. If they aren't I wonder how many years that they did go undefeated?

More clippings of our team. I have had these clippings for over 26 years. I keep things that means something to me. This was such a lovely time in my life. My parents never missed a game in all my volleyball years. They cheered me on at all my games. Mom's voice would be raspy after a game because she cheered for me so much. She even went one time with a blood clot in her leg....after the game we went to the hospital.

My dad use to go outside with me and throw the ball to me so I could bump it back to him. Getting my practice in. Then he would run after it as I served ball after ball. I would practice and practice and daddy would run and run after that volleyball. He practiced so much with me. When I got to HS, he would throw the ball and I would set it. Such great memories of spending time with him.

This was one of my proudest moments...I scored the highest on skills and attitude combined. My first real sense of accomplishment.

We just keep on winning....I loved those times and especially the girls that I played with during those years.

The winnings kept coming mostly due to our great coach Jack Best. I think his name sums it up nicely....BEST.

My first taste of victory and boy did it taste good. Glad I got to taste it more than once that year.

I was really reminded of my Volleyball days because my former HS, Pender High School in Burgaw are the Volleyball 1A Champions this year. I remember the days of practice and thinking that my arm would fall off and those shin splints would kill me from wall jumps....but the taste of victory was well worth the work. Over-buy (my nickname from Coach Best) will never forget the lessons that Coach Best instilled in me during those practice times. You truly are a teacher at heart and I will never forget you.