Minutes to Memories

All who know me will be relieved to know that I’ve added yet another favorite sports team to my rather large cadre of favorite sports teams. Before tonight (unbelievable I know), but I have not had a favorite women’s college volleyball team. Not to say I haven’t watched any women’s college volleyball along the way, but I have yet to find it in me to select a team to follow. That is no longer the case. I am now a full-fledged fan of the University of South Alabama Lady Jaguars. Go Lady Jags!!!

It wasn’t their performance tonight, though they played well in their exciting five-game loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Lady Trojans. Instead, it has everything to do with my nine-year-old daughter, Hillary.

Hillary has always said that she loved volleyball, but Hillary loves a lot of things. I always suspected she declared her fondness for volleyball simply because that was what her big sister loved, but who can be sure with kids? But Hillary is in 4th grade now, and I’ve suddenly noticed that the years are starting to pass us by. Basketball was my thing, and I started playing in 4th grade. Volleyball was Erica’s thing, and she started playing in 4th grade. I thought this might be a good year to start looking ahead with Hillary.

One evening last week I was in charge of cooking supper, so of course we ended up at a Chinese buffet. Hillary and I had a great talk there. We talked about the many things she is interested in, and as we talked it became more and more evident that Hillary really was interested in volleyball – interested above all the other choices.

So earlier this week, we strung up a rope across our backyard and started tossing volleyballs. Hillary decided that she liked “hitting,” and she has decided that she wants to be an outside hitter when she gets bigger. And I can’t wait to help her pursue her dream.

I got online and took a gander at the University of South Alabama volleyball schedule since they are the closest college team to our house. We’ve missed the biggest part of the season, but I noticed they had home games tonight and tomorrow night and asked Hillary if she wanted to go. She did, so that’s where we’ve been tonight.

The beauty of the lesser-known college sports is the access you get to these awesome athletes (did any of you watch a 6’6” girl from Bulgaria play ball tonight?). Admission to the game was free, and there couldn’t have been over a hundred fans show up to watch. And after the game, Hillary stood outside their locker room with an ink pen and a scorecard in her hand, and once middle-blocker Brittany started the ball rolling, Hillary got autographs from nearly the entire team.

They were all sweet to her, but I suddenly have a favorite player in Lauren Robbins. In addition to possibly being the best player on the team (and an outside hitter!), she was the sweetest of all to Hillary, including posing for the picture above.

I bet we’ll be back tomorrow night…

Go Lady Jags!!!!!!!