In the last week of March, Mr. Evangelista, the boys and girls volleyball coach, held tryouts for 7th and 8th graders. Mr. E put us to the test to determine how good we are at playing. The tryouts were hosted in the cafeteria and the gym.
In the cafeteria on March 26th, Mr. E was hosting tryouts to see how good our bumps and sets were. He showed us what to do, how to do it, and to bend our knees so we would be ready to hit the ball whenever needed and to lift up when we hit. He made us bump and set with a partner so that he could see if we could hit the ball better with other people.
On March 27th, we had a similar tryout, but in the gym. We had to get tested on our serves. He needed to see if our serves could go over the net. We had to serve across the entire gym. When we got to the gym, we went into the locker room to change. When we got out of there, we went to practice our bumps and sets again. Then 30 minutes later, we went to go practice our serves across the entire gym. That was the most terrifying part, but I had to try to be confident. Everyone served, though some didn’t make it over the net with overhand, but they got a chance to do it underhand. That shows that you don’t have to use overhand serves to be on the team because some volleyball players play well even with underhand.
Some people just went to try out for fun, and some tried out without even knowing how to play volleyball. My serves were absolutely horrible. I barely got it over the net; some got out, and I hit the net itself. Towards the end of tryouts, we played a game quickly so that we had some practice for the last tryouts.
March 28th was the final tryouts for volleyball. Mr. E wanted to see how we would do in a real volleyball game against others with different positions.
Before tryouts, all of my friends were nervous, but one of my classmates said, “Don’t be! If you’re nervous, that means you really won’t succeed. Being nervous makes you do worse because you are overthinking it.” I never really thought about it that way. I took her word. Yes, I was still a little nervous, but so were all the other people trying out.
When we got in the cafeteria on the last day of tryouts, there was a line of maybe 20 people. Saira commented, “Geez, this is more people than I thought. I think I might be able to get in. The only thing that is bad about my playing volleyball is my aim.” That’s also my problem!
Then Mr. E was throwing the ball to us so that he could test us on how good our bumps, sets, and our aim were. I kept thinking to myself, you just need to try your best, not be the best. When you try to be the best, you mess up more. When it’s your turn to go up, don’t overthink it. He made us bump it to him three times, so we had three chances to hit the ball, and he did the same thing with sets.
Suhani said, “Honestly I’m surprised I made it this far. I don’t even care if I don’t make it. I’m proud of myself for making it this far.” Others were also nervous, but played absolutely amazing. Mr.E put us on a team with the seventh graders and made us play a game. Each one of us served, set and bumped. That was the test for team work: how to communicate with your teammates, how to call the ball and receive it, and being ready whenever it comes towards you.
At the end of the last tryout, Mr. E said, “Even if you don’t make it as a seventh grader, you can try again next year.” For anyone who didn’t make the team as an eighth grader though, there’s always tryouts for a rec volleyball team or high school!
