As I walked into the gym on the first day of club volleyball tryouts, I was a nervous wreck. I was so anxious to get tryouts over with and had been dreading it the whole week. In the middle of my freshman year of high school, I had a lot to worry about. I finally had found a new group of friends and became close with them all, but I knew only a few people going into this tryout. Yeah, they went to my school, but I wasn't close with them or anything. My confidence was low and I wasn't the best at introducing myself to people or starting a conversation. I watched the clock for the whole 2 hour tryout and was so relieved when the coaches said we could start taking down the nets. I walked out of the gym excited to go home and hopefully not have to come back (I didn't think I had any chance of actually making the team).

The next week, my mom called me while I was eating lunch at school and told me I'd made the team. I was pretty happy but then remembered I wouldn't be playing with any of my friends. I worried for the rest of the school day. Let's skip to the first practice, I walk in, get ready and put my stuff on, then we get right into it. Everyone was talking to each other and catching up on school, summer and what not. I felt so awkward just standing there not knowing anyone, until a girl came up to me and asked me to pass with her. Three seasons later, that girl is one of my best friends.

The next season I went into the same tryout knowing a few more people than I did the previous year. I felt more comfortable and confident, but stuck around my friends from last season. After finding out I made the team again, I texted my friends to see who was with me and then realized most of them made a different team than I did. All over again, I walked into the first practice feeling so left out since everyone knew each other. I remember taking a really awkward team picture in one of the first few practices. I gave it some time and halfway through the season I looked back at the picture and could call everyone my friend. From that season, I gained a couple really good friends that'll I'll never forget. I'm a senior in high school now and have grown close to the girls that I've been playing with through school since 5th grade. We all remember how much we struggled to even pass the ball, and now we stand back and look how far we've come. I cannot wait to see what we can accomplish in this final year of playing volleyball together. (#thisyear to my girls!) Volleyball has taught me many things, but the best thing I got out of it by far are the friendships, so here's to them.

I never like waking up early in the morning, especially after a late night. But if the late night consisted of hanging out in your hotel room with our teammates talking and listening to music or running around the lobby and through the halls doing whatever, I'm good with that. And if the early morning meant meeting you for breakfast before we go play in an all day tournament- that makes it even better. The long car rides and bumpy bus rides to and from tournaments sucked but didn't bother me as much because I knew I'd get to be with you and the rest of our team. Thanks for turning more than just my teammate- into my best friend. You were the one who made going to practice after a rough day bearable. You were the one who made winning 10 times better because I knew we did it together. You were the one that made me feel okay to be myself. Thank you for helping to make me not only a better player, but a better person. You've lent me a hand when I was down (literally), and have always been there for me. I know I can go to you for anything, and it's great to have people I don't see every day or even week that I can be so open to and complain about my problems with. I love how I'm close with your family too, shoutout to your mom for always having good food at tournaments and yes- my mom will bring an extra sandwich for you. You are the one still there for me even after the seasons over. You are the one I sit back and laugh with at the stupid things we've done. You are the one I text random pictures to at 1 in the morning. Our friendship started as volleyball related, but we've moved on from that. Volleyball is just something we both love to do. It's an interest we share as best friends. To my teammate that's older than me, I've looked up to you since the beginning of our seasons, and you've taught me how to be a leader and gave me the confidence that I needed. Thank you for all the amazing memories you've gave me.

The friendship I've made with you through volleyball is stronger than any others that I've had. There is so much truth in that statement and I wouldn't want it any other way. We go through loses, wins, team drama, running sprints, pushing ourselves to do better and those long tournaments together. We've learned to trust each other both on and off the court, and once we click off the court, we click on the court too. Our friendship started out with you asking me to pass, telling me you liked my new volleyball shoes, telling me to add you on Snapchat, us agreeing that we both hated this one teacher, me awkwardly texting you asking what time practice was, but without those little things, I wouldn't have you as my friend today. I'm so thankful for those little things and how they led us to the best friendship ever.

Love, Sasha