Finding a sport that can help make you a better version of yourself, and also make you feel appreciated and welcome is definitely a challenge, but with patience and time you can find a sport you’ll enjoy to the fullest capacity. Varsity volleyball player Aiyana Smith is proud of that journey and where it brought her. She reflects, “I tried many other sports and I didn’t enjoy them much, but when I started to get into volleyball I fell in love with the technique and the heart you have to have in order to be successful in that sport.” 

Since beginning her volleyball career, Smith has always put it at the forefront of her mind. She is constantly striving to improve her skills. It shows how grateful she is to the people who have helped her gain all of her accomplishments as an athlete and how it has helped her grow as a person as a result of their support. “Volleyball has shown me a lot about my patience and my overall attitude and how to properly control that,” Smith shares, “and that’s how I’ve grown so much as a person.”

Smith does mention it can sometimes be frustrating since volleyball and football are the same season so most of her and her teammates achievements go slightly unnoticed. She says, “Most of the time volleyball and football have the same schedule which is hard, because it is hard to be social and a part of the conversation when we’re not there to see what is happening.” But at the end of the day it doesn’t stop her from working hard and giving it her all.

During her time at Lamar, Smith’s favorite memory is when the team had beat Nimitz high school her Junior year, she describes it as an uplifting moment since the tournament was challenging and really pushed her to her limits, which she is proud of. Smith says, “It’s moments like this where I’m grateful for all my teammates and the people that I’ve grown closer to in the process of my volleyball career.” 

Smith’s excitement and passion is something we can all admire and strive for in our own pursuits.