The Perfect Game

A Story by Dan Hautzinger

A young coach helps her player undersand the game plan

Sara saw the good in people; she loved that about herself. Many people look for a reason to judge others, rather than accept people for who they are. Being positive helped Sara with coaching, teaching young girls about volleyball is the highlight of her week, her life really. Sara took pride in the results of her coaching. Even the smallest improvements were a reason to feel a sense of accomplishment. If a girl learned a better dig or improved her set, Sara felt satisfied with her work. Those small improvements helped the team and improved the girl’s confidence. One of the fun parts of coaching was to see the kids grow, knowing she played a small part in helping them discover their potential. Sara learned to love these kids, they became a bigger part of her life than she in theirs.

Sara saw the potential in the rookies. Some were experienced and some were new to the game. Sara felt integrating the new kids with the veterans is one of her most important challenges. Sara reminded the veterans that their job is to lead by example. This year was going to be a particularly difficult challenge. Sara’s ability to focus on the task at hand would be tested. The new strategies would offer her and her players a significant challenge.

They had three weeks of practice before the first game. Sara wanted to teach the girls how to anticipate the flight of the ball. Do to their lack of experience; this is a difficult concept for young kids. If she can get them to focus, one or two may learn this skill. That would make a big difference in team play. While these concepts seem advanced these kids Sara felt her coaching skills were up to the challenge. Sara knew it would take time and patience to see results. As the season progressed she saw glimpses that her strategy was starting to work an assist here a dig there where evidence the girls where getting it. Even the new players seemed to be getting the idea. She used extreme patients to help the kids learn the system. She never yelled at the kids the way some coaches did this was reflected by the girls respect for her.

It was the last match of the season; they were playing the best team in the league. They lost the first game 9-15. The second game stared badly but towards the end of the game things started to come together, they came up short 12-15. Before the third game Sara hugged each girl and told them she was proud of everything they accomplished that year. Sara told them to relax and have fun. As they stood in the circle with their hands forming a pyramid she felt something change. The girls stood as one, each with a look of calm determination on their faces. The energy was strong between them. Sara could feel the girls come together as one. As the starters walked to the floor Sara planned that every girl was going to play in this game. The sound of the whistle started the game. Her life changed. They served first. One of her players effortlessly dug it out. The set was perfect, the spike, a point. The girls were in a zone and so was she. They could not make a mistake. They anticipated every ball. The direction, speed, and angle of every shot is perfectly played by her team. The other team was frustrated and upset. Sara’s team flawlessly executed her game plan.

They were up 10-0 and the other team was agitated. Their coach was jumping up and down screaming commands. Sara calmly paced the floor feeling her team’s passion and determination.

Sara’s team serves; they set the ball, then shot a powerful spike. Her girls anticipated the shot, positioned for the dig, then set, spike, score, 11-0.

Sara’s team serves, they the dig but it goes right, 12-0.

Her team serves they dig and set, the spike is perfect, fast and straight but Sara’s girl digs it, Sara starts to sweat, the ball floats over the net. They set and shoot; her team blocks it, straight down to the floor, 13-0.

Sara’s team serves and scores an ace, 14-0.

Last point, Sara’s team serves they dig, set and shoot, it rockets towards an empty floor and one of her girls’ dives, digs it out, then another sets, spike. It’s blocked. The ball shoots down to the floor on Sara’s side. Her last place player, the girl who gets the least amount of play drops to her knees, scoops out her arms fist clinched. The ball hits her hands and moves up, the girl falls to her elbows. The team watches the ball rises just above the net. It passes over the top and drops down to an open floor. A player dives for the ball, it passes by her out stretched hands and hits the floor, a perfect dig.

The girls erupt, Sara cries, the team parents run to the floor. They just played the perfect game. There were tears all around as the celebration continued. Sara felt incredibly complete; her coaching life had reached its pinnacle.