Everyone has that one thing that makes them feel on top of this world. Whether it be another human, a specific place, or a certain hobby, everyone has something that makes them feel the happiest. For me, that something is volleyball. Volleyball definitely changed my life; for the better, of course.

When I entered high school, I was debating on trying out for the cheerleading team or for the volleyball team. I think, personally, I made one of the best decisions I've ever made in my entire life by choosing to play volleyball. It opened up my life to so many new opportunities; new faces, new skills, and a new family.

The atmosphere of volleyball is like none other. When you step foot onto that court, a feeling of excitement takes over your entire body. The crowds go wild and the fans are incredible. When you're on that court, your only focus is on yourself and volleying (or hitting) that ball back over the net. No matter what, that ball is to not touch the ground. You chase after that ball, dive head first, and pancake it. (Or at least try, because everyone knows it's almost impossible).

Think about this; in football, basketball, or even soccer, all it takes it one person to get you that point. In volleyball, you need someone to bounce it, someone to set it up, and someone to hit it. Essentially, there needs to be a major team effort while scoring. When the volleyball is over on your teams' side, you only have three touch attempts to get the ball over the net. The rally could be endless and continue for minutes, but each team only can touch the ball three times at a time.

Being on a volleyball team taught me how to be a strong leader and how to be extremely tough. As a captain, I made it my duty to make sure the team was tightly bonded and everyone got along with everyone. When things weren't looking good for a game, I made sure I brought positive energy on the court and made sure I supported everyone's mistakes and everyone's successes. As for strength, volleyball is an extremely rough sport. We throw our bodies on the ground, scraping up our skin just to get that dig. We leave the court with what looks like indian-sunburned arms and floor-burn on our legs. Believe me, the knee pads seem like they help, but somehow I always ended up with bruised kneecaps.

From away games, to celebratory dinners, to listening to music at practice, my volleyball team was a family. Volleyball introduced me to so many amazing people and such a great coach. It made me feel like I fit in at my high school. My senior night was probably one of the most memorable nights of my life. Walking into the gym with posters hanging up on every wall, with 'GRANT #7' on every one seriously couldn't have taken my breath away any more. Knowing that you had made such a strong impact on a team really opens your eyes to how strong your leadership skills had grown.

I will never forget the sport volleyball and how important it was to my life. To this day, I still do intramural volleyball at college and hope to try out for the varsity team next year. After college, I intend on eventually coaching a high school volleyball tam so that the sport can stay in my life for as long as possible.

Volleyball changed my life for the better. It made me who I am today and I couldn't thank my high school coach and high school teammates enough for that.