Childhood

As a child, I heard stories about volleyball. I like sports, but I never had a chance to join any clubs when I was little. My mom is a first generation immigrant and moved to United States in her early twenties. Not knowing where to go or how to start, club volleyball seemed inaccessible to us. At age of twelve, after playing volleyball in a gym with my classmate who was a volleyball club player, I decided to reach out to my school PE coach. I got the opportunity to join a few trainings in a nearby club. I remember the training and everything about that day. The club coach (Coach Tony) looked at me and said "you should be in club." That changed my junior high school years. I was then invited to play with their second team as a setter. The following year, I made the first team. I had these huge expectations and was very excited to play for them. Most players had been in club volleyball since very young age. I knew that I had a lot to learn, but I also believed that I would eventually catchup through hard-work and dedication. I always had a ball nearby - waking up every early morning to self practice in the backyard, doing additional trainings as much as possible seven days a week. I love volleyball. At the beginning it seemed far to reach, but believing in yourself and having a willingness and determination to work hard, my dream can become a reality.