Parent support (459)

I love playing volleyball and being involved in sports, it has always been a part of my life. I can thank my parents for that since they always had me involved. I remember my mom and dad getting me into dance, cheer, gymnastics, softball, basketball, soccer, and finally volleyball. My parents always made sure I was doing something with my time whether it be sports, friends, or other things. Without them, I would never be where I am today with volleyball and I would never have played soccer for 8 years. I am really glad and thankful that they got me involved with all the things that they did!
When playing a sport, parent support is very important, not only just getting their kid into that sport, but also everything that comes with it. Parents do many things that are appreciated and go unnoticed in order for us to play our sports. When we are little, they get us started in sports and get us excited when we go to play them. Our parents also buy all of our equipment needed to play the sports, buying new supplies every time you grow out of them. This can be really expensive because for some sports, there is a lot of equipment needed, but for others, not so much. They also drive us to all of our games, practices and tournaments before we are able to drive ourselves, and even when we can drive ourselves, they still take us to the out of town tournaments. For out of town tournaments, they also have to buy a hotel room which can also get pricey. Parents are there to cheer you on and support you in the thing you are passionate about and they love to see you succeed. A lot of athletes not only get to play school sports, but also club sports. Club is even more intense than school and your parents have to pay for it. Club sports have club fees, tournament fees, and you have to pay for all of your equipment like shoes, jerseys, etc. Some teams' parents even go as far as to plan who brings food for all of the athletes at tournaments and games. If players want to go play volleyball in college, the parents are also supportive of that as well. They help with the recruiting process, video taping matches, helping with highlight videos, taking players to their college visits, and helping their child pick the right school for them.
Parents do so much for players, and sometimes they are under appreciated. They are the ones making sure you have everything you need for your sport and even if they do not come to every event, they make sure that you can get there.