The Starlings

This past weekend the volleyball team I have been helping out with had their first actual game!  I think it was actually the first game-like situation, as well.  (See pics below).

 

Which meant the goals that Brielle and I had for them were as follows:

1. Have at least six girls show up.

2. Do not get Bageled.

3. Do not require police involvement for diciplinary issues.

 

The Starlings are nation wide club team for girls of all socioeconomic backgrounds.  In our case that means that we practice at the middle school that the girls attend right after their school gets out because they have no way to get to practice otherwise.  Some of our girls parents are pretty unreliable and a few others have parents in prison.  We spend much more time at practice herding cats than teaching volleyball.

 

But I am absolutely crazy about them. 

 

Did they meet our goals?

1. We had seven girls the first day, six on the second. CHECK! 

2. We did NOT get Bageled.  In face one game the second day we scored 16 points!!  UNREAL.

3. We did not have to call the police.

 

So anything after that was total bonus.  Some of the highlights:

1. Watching them light up when we handed out the uniforms and jackets.

2. Watching them change from watching the other teams with fear to intently trying to learn from them.

3. Other parents offering to buy one of our players a pair of tennis shoes.  (I told them not to worry, she had shoes, she just FORGOT them )

4. Other people in the gym, other teams started cheering for us, encouraging us.

5. Every coach we played with asked us about our team and their story.

6. The second day EVERY girl showed up on time, ready to go.  Wearing actual tennis shoes.

7. Did I mention SIXTEEN points?

8. The girls wanted to practice after the game was over.  So we did.

9. In our pre-game warm up they all started spiking the balls... like really well!

10. The gracious officials who helped our girls learn how to referee and line judge.

11. The girls getting together to make up the COOLEST Starlings cheer.  Of course it was the coolest. "S-T-A-R-L-I-N-G-S We are the Starlings and we are the Best" Complete with cool little dance moves.

12. The put three hits on the ball once!  Amazing feat.

13. All the HILARIOUS stuff they said. "Oh my Goodness!  The Mac Donalds play place is my favorite place on earth.. Y'all don't even understand!"

14. Marshay, who for the first four practices wouldn't take off her hoodie, kept it zipped up to the top, got three serves in a row in bounds and was the captain first.

15.  And perhaps the most treasured bonus... The feeling that I felt for these girls, who are so clearly, outwardly, wordly, behind all the other teams in so many ways.  The feeling that reminded me of how God must see people.  He must see the whole story all the time, not just what shows up at gametime.  He sees the back story, the heart, the character of people when the world just sees screw-ups and faults. He sees the situation they came from, the tools they were given and the courage that it takes to just show up.  Brielle said she had more fun coaching this team than any other first ranked team she has ever coached.  They are difficult, frustrating, defiant, mouthy, infuriating, and currently can't play volleyball to save their lives, and I am crazy about them.