Club Volleyball: Parents, Playoffs and IPA

Another fine stretch of days as we began the week at Sammamish HS, which is not ON the Sammamish plateau but instead is down in Bellevue. Funny how you get to know about all these gyms in High Schools you never even knew were tucked away in various  places around the region. I mean, I had never even HEARD of Liberty before this year. Anyway, as we were sitting at Sammamish HS before the game listening to their Senior Night speeches, I realized that it's about so much more than winning. SHS has not won a match all year, something that many of the girls on the Kangs can appreciate. And yet, here were their underclassmen tearfully talking about how much these seniors meant to them and how hard they worked and it made me step back a little and make sure that above and beyond all the stress over making a club and thinking about college, what is most important is that Maddie is learning to compete, work on a team and make lasting friendships.

I looked up into the stands and was also impressed with the parents who are associated with OUR program, from my ex who does all the home game programs and will be team mom next year to the moms who made sure all the girls on the Kangs AND the opposing team had pink hair ribbons for the Breast Cancer Awareness Night to all the other Club Volleyball Dads who come see their DD's play every single game. It hit me that we are all very blessed to have daughters associated with this very cool sport.

So we beat SHS and now have 5 wins on the season heading into Monday's final regular season game with Juanita. That is 5 more wins than this program had the last couple of years COMBINED and the girls were rewarded by learning that not only have they seen success on the court, but they will be representing LWHS at the KingCo Championships next weekend! Congrats, girls! Not just for making the playoffs, but for being winners no matter what your record is.

And to top it all off, Maddie and I drove up to Bellingham in a storm to see her favorite team, the Western Vikings, continue to impress by smacking around the team from Fairbanks. PLUS, dad got to visit yet another cool brewpub, this one being Boundary Bay Brewery where a couple of hoppy IPA's and a lamb burger hit the spot before heading to the game!