Awaking the athlete

No. 20 Sarah Friedman, a senior at The Emery/Weiner School, will play Division 1 volleyball in college.

I have always been involved with sports. I started gymnastics and ballet when I was 2 and began playing softball at 5. I have since played soccer, basketball and volleyball. I always enjoyed being part of a team and loved the camaraderie and challenge of working together for a common goal.

It wasn’t until the summer before my eighth-grade year that I learned the difference between playing sports for fun and competing as an athlete. I tried out for the Maccabi volleyball team, and for the first time I had a coach who challenged me to nearly my breaking point. I will never forget him yelling, pushing us to understand the drills and the concepts of the game until we got it. I was determined not to quit and pushed through. We ended up getting the gold medal that year, and over the next three years we would go on to win two more gold medals in the United States Maccabi Games and one silver medal in Israel.

That coach awoke the athlete in me. I learned that the harder I trained, the more I practiced, the better I got. That same summer I decided to try out for a club volleyball team. I made the top team, which meant two 3-hour practices a week and traveling for tournaments. My strength is hitting the ball very hard, so my teammates often looked to me to get a kill and score. My free days were often reserved for private lessons or strength and conditioning classes. I eventually gave up all other sports.

The sacrifices have all been worth it though. The literal blood, sweat and tears, the loss of free time with friends, the late-night study sessions have all paid off. On Nov. 13, I signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at a Division 1 university – Southeastern Louisiana University in the Southland Conference. I know the competition will be fierce, which means that I will have to work harder, but I am so blessed to play this sport I love so much while creating memories of a lifetime.

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