“Are you sure this is your first season playing on a team?” the girl beside me asked me. Just when I was so close to giving up, that one simple question assured that although I was struggling so much, it was paying off. These tryouts were the hardest workout I’ve been through. I was in a shower of sweat breathing so hard. It was my first time joining a team so all of the running and conditioning was very unexpected, but like everything else in my life I tried my hardest. Although with this, I had to try a bit more harder, instead of using my prosthetic arm as a disadvantage or a burden, I tried to use it as another part of me, just a part of me that would get stared at a lot. Usually I would try to hide it but for this, I had no choice but to ignore it… Or at least try.

It was a morning in March 2016, I put on the new volleyball clothes my mom bought me the night before. I practiced volleyball a lot before that day, just never with spandex or knee pads, putting them on made so happy. I felt my my lips form a smile,
“I’m on my way way to become an official volleyball player mom!” I announced proudly.

It took a lot to actually sign myself up to a volleyball team, I had been playing for a year before that but I never joined a team because I was always scared that I wouldn’t be good enough and I would make my team mad. So I didn’t joined until I knew I was good so instead of people using the excuse that I only had one arm is why I suck that they would be able to look at me and be surprised what a girl with one arm can do. Of course I still had plenty of room for improvement but I was confident enough to join. Well that and also I didn’t know where to begin when it came to signing up for a team until one day at a birthday I was playing volleyball with a friend and she told I should join CARA for the rec center Charles E Whitlock, fast forward seven months and here I am on my way to tryouts.

When I got there I immediately saw the girl that recommended this season to me, I ran up to her and said hello. I suddenly realized that all the other girls had name tags so I went to ask for mine. About 5 minutes or so, the gym coaches gathered us and explained to us what these two day tryouts consisted of, after that talk we all ran stretched and ran 4 laps to warm us up. After the 4 laps we got separated into 3 group, luckily for me I got into a group with my friend. These groups weren’t going to be teams, they just needed to separate us so they can get a better look at us. There was 3 different divisions I could’ve ended up in, the one for 5th and 6th grade level, the one for 7th and 8th, and finally highschool. I was in 6th grade at the time so I was fine with getting in the 6th grade level but I really strived for the middle school level. Once in the groups we began to do drills, basic passing and setting drills. It was then when I realized how much exercise or any kind of cardio I was not doing. I was showering in my own sweat, my heart was beating so fast, and my face felt like it was beating in sync with my heart beat. After  an hour  of that I got to go home. Once home I got congrulated, although the coaches haven’t decided who made it or not. My mom said she was sure I was to make it. She said she was proud.
“You were so good mija!, I’m glad you were able to use your prosthetic and get out of your comfort zone!” announced my mom in an excited voice.

The rest of the day passed, I got a good night's rest, ate a great breakfast, and headed to the rec center for day 2 of the tryouts. This time around I was sure to do way better, I no longer had my arm on my mind. I was ready to show them what I was really about and what they could have on their team. We did different drills today, all still intense and cardio related. I was doing great, I could tell.

“Are you sure this is your first playing on a time?” my friend that recommended me here asked.
“I’m positive.” I reassured her.

On the outside I was acting cool, but deep inside I felt so glad, that question quite literally warmed my heart. I wanted to jump up and down, but instead I used that energy to continuing to play. I pushed and pushed until they stopped us and called us all over.

“We have all you guys placed on your teams and assigned to your coaches, if you hear your name you will be with…” the head of the department began.
“... Brianna” he announced for the 7th/8th grade team with coach Katelyn, practices Mondays and Wednesdays four to five-thirty.

Just like that, I was on my first volleyball team, and on a grade level higher at that. I was so excited to start already, but most of all I was proud of myself because I finally stepped out and wasn’t ashamed to use my prosthetic. It’s usually very hard for me to do that, I absolutely hate getting stared at. Though when it came to volleyball I loved the attention, not just to prove to the crowd but to me as well. That night I slept like a baby, I worked very hard and it paid off very well. That was just the beginning of my volleyball career, I am now 2 years better and I still get shy about my arm but am surely learning more and more to open up.