Achieving Dreams....

Tiffany's summer has been so busy from the very beginning.  She was able to come out for the weekend to visit with the family and then she flew home with Nana and her summer began the very next day, but this summer has not been about fun and playing for her.  It has been about working hard and long hours towards a goal. 

Tiffany got up every morning at 6am to be at the school gym by 730am and started Strength and Conditioning class.  This class was all about getting into shape and really pushing her body to the limits.  She worked from 730am until Noon every day and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays she would come home and rest for a few hours and at 430 she would be back in the car and off to the school again for Summer League Volleyball until 9pm at night.  This schedule continued from June 7th until July 15th.  She had from the 16th of July until August 1 to enjoy summer then at 6am on August 2nd she started what she called the most grueling schedule she was ever had. 

At 6am on August 2nd the alarms went off and up her and I got.  Now why would a 14 year old get up at 6am one would ask?  To work towards achieving her dreams is the answer... And what dreams would that be?  Well one of the very best Volleyball programs in the area is at Copperas Cove High School.  This last school year they sent 4 girls to college on Volleyball scholarships.  Tiffany has wanted to play volleyball for CCHS for 3 years now and the first part of her dream was to make it onto their team.  Now some would say that shouldn't be to hard to do, not true at all.  There were 40 girls in the 9th grade that were fighting for their chance to be 1 of 18 girls to make the Freshman Volleyball team, then there is the Junior Varsity Team that only had 15 slots available and 42 girls fighting for those spots, then the Varsity had only 15 slots available and again there were 37 girls fighting for those slots.  So a grand total of  119 girls trying out for only 48 slots.  Hmmm talk about some competition! 

So every morning for three grueling days Tiffany would get up at 6am to eat a good high protein breakfast, pack her gym bag with clothes, her factor in case she gets hurt, a lot of Gatorade and water, snacks and her lunch and off to the school we would go to drop her off by 730am at 5pm I would be on the road headed back to pick her up.  Then the day try-outs would end came.  The girls all practiced and did their best to show that they should be on the team from 730am until Noon.  Then the Coaches have seen all they can and send the girls out of the gym telling them to check the front of the gym doors at 1pm and the list of those who made the team will be posted. 

Tiffany called me and asked me if I would come and sit with her and wait for the list to come out.  So shortly after Noon I arrived.  Tiffany came out and ate her lunch in the van and we talked.  She was so nervous.  We both prayed that the Coaches would see the skills that Tiffany has worked so hard on for the last three years and choose her....

1pm came and Tiffany along with 118 other girls made the mad dash to the front of the Gym doors.....Drum roll please.....As my heart beat so loud I thought the whole world would hear it I sat staring at the front of the gym waiting to see Tiffany's face to see what I was going to need to do next.  Do I give her a hug and tell her not to give up that she can work hard and do outside Volleyball programs and try again next year??? How upset would she be?  Do I jump out of the car and cheer along beside her? Dang it I still can't see her...There she is! 

SHE MADE THE TEAM!!!! Tiffany made the Freshman team!!!!! She was so happy that she was jumping and waving her arms.  All that hard work for the last three years and that final push for the last 2 months as hard as it was paid off she was now a CCHS Lady Dawg Volleyball Player! She has worked hard and achieve her first dream. Tiffany's overall dream for High school is to play Volleyball and be the best so that she can get a Volleyball Scholarship to attend Penn State and play Volleyball for them.

My thoughts were that WOW she made the team okay so now we will slow down a bit...hahaha not so. The girls had a Team meeting and hour later and then practice for 2 more hours.  Friday practice from 730am until 5pm again and their first scrimmage on Saturday August 7th, then the Season Opener on August 9th, another game on August 10th, practice every day and then Friday and Saturday we had a Tournament that the girls had to be at starting at 6am and did not leave until 8pm both nights.  Sunday they had off and back to practice on Monday, Game on Tuesday, then practice Wednesday and Thursday, a game this Friday and Saturday and then we head into regular games every Tuesday and Friday.  All of this so far and school hasn't even started yet. Tiffany is starting her Freshman year this year and is going to be the Graduating Class of 2014.  Congradulations to you my dear and we all look forward to watching and assisting you in acheiving the rest of your dreams!