It’s not a story about the superheros in the new DVD. The Incredibles is a volleyball team in Michael Chang’s CSL Volleyball League, and one of the players is yours truly. If you need a story for hope, a story for inspiration, a story for comeback… search no further than this.
During the regular season, the team struggled. Wins were hard to come by, and the team members didn’t gel. In fact, we had won only 4 games during the regular season, out of 24. It was grueling time, it was tough, and there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some players thought this would be the last season they join CSL volleyball, as wins were tough to come by. In a blink of the eye, the regular season was over.
Then came the playoffs.
So we began to seek practice opportunities. Some of us went to First Presbyterian Church on Thursday night for open gym. We also had a practice session… at 8am?!? Yeah, thanks Jeffrey. Drousily we woke up before the rooster crowed and pushed ourselves to practice.
The team began to gel.
On Sunday, we (#7 seed) played Helmet Heads (#4 seed). We won. On the following Saturday, we played Friday Night Lights (#1 seed). Another upset. Then came the championship game.
“Da da da da da da…. INCREDIBLES!”
The game began. It was intense, as beads of swet glided down our sideburns, and within the window of our eyes, the windows of our soul, wrote two words: “No Fear”.
Wes whipped out his Air Jordan shoes… Yes the ref is Michael Chang the ex-tennis player…
David challenging their spikers…
Carol stepping up and getting some kill shots and blocks…
Jessica just good all around…
Phoebe holding her own…
And yours truly providing some offense and defense…
We won the first game, but got destroyed on the second game. At one point during the third game, we were down 4-12, watching the championship slowly slipping through our swetty fingers. Then I was up. Having served both of my serves nicely into the net during the championship thus far, the faith of the team in winning is held by a string as thin as a dental floss. As the crowd cheered on, “Serve it in!” “Come on!” “You can do it.”, I looked at the score. 7-14. I felt a calmness, a soothing confidence that we could do this as I took a deep breath and flung the ball into the air. Imagine the entire scene in slow motion as my hand makes contact with the ball, the ball ascends into the air, all eyes fixated widely on the ball with open mouths, and the ball flying… flying… and lands in the court! The mojo was back. We won the point. Then I served, and I served, and I served, and I served, and they took a timeout, and I served, and I served, and I served, then the score was 15-14 when we conceeded a point. The momentum was on our side, and there was no stopping the Incredibles!
In the end, we won.
So it sounds like I turned the team around, but hey, this is my blog, right? 😛 Well, we won as a team. Some points that seemed unfathomably hard to return were answered, and everything just clicked. Everyone really stepped up.
Here’s the team picture for the Incredibles. During the cerebration ceremony, Carol and Grace won the Most Inspirational Player awards for Incredibles and Superheroes, respectively.
And finally, as the first ECC team to win a championship in CSL volleyball, we were ready to accept our award! The award that symbolizes the incredulous turnaround! The award that reflects all the hard work and hours put into volleyball! The award that that bonds our team forever as champions of CSL! The award…
…was an edible cookie?!! Sure it says “C Champs”, but come on… Well, I guess it’s the journey and reaching our personal goals that’s the best reward of all.
Still, a trophy would have been nice.