The Game of Life…

high school volleyball game

By Lucy Swearingen

Sports fans already know how sports connect people. When you see fans coming together for a tailgate before watching their favorite team it is clear that sports bond people. However, the bond between teammates triumphs all- especially when they’ve been playing together since middle school.

For Kate Shepstone and Kaitlyn Roper, their friendship began when they met in the seventh grade through their favorite sport: Volleyball. A match made in heaven and on the court, the pair have played together for four years. Together they played during their transition from middle school to high school, as well as on both their school team, Jefferson High School, and club team, Top Flight.

For both girls, volleyball brought many positive things into their lives including friendship and life lessons..

“I feel like it helps my mental health,” said Roper. “It gives me something to look forward to and something to be happy about.”

high school volleyball player

For Shepstone and Roper, their love for the game shines through and is seen by the time they commit to both teams all while balancing other commitments like school and their personal lives. Despite their passions for volleyball, their love of the game isn’t their main motivation for playing. 

“The teammates really are what makes me actually want to do it,” said Shepstone. “And then like with a teammate aspect, it teaches me how to work with all different kinds of people. There might be some people I don’t get along with, but I have to still respect them as a teammate on the court.”

Playing sports in high school has physical health as well as mental health benefits. The S Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)   notes how physical activity helps reduce the risk of depression and anxiety as well as helps fight insomnia. While these benefits naturally come with exercise, negativity can still occur for high school athletes. 

“With the teammates I love them all, but sometimes there’s drama and stuff on the team,” said Roper.  “And that kind of messes us up sometimes.” 

Despite “drama”, Shepstone and Roper learned life lessons together as they grew on the team which helped them dissolve possible conflict as it arises. 

“I feel like being one of the oldest on the team taught us leadership,” said Roper, “If they were younger than us and didn’t know what to do, we would have to help them through it and explain to them and be the bigger person.”

“It teaches me time management and how to really flow with different people in different time pressures,” said Shepstone. 

 In life and in sports,  young girls learn new lessons each day. Both Shepstone and Roper continue to grow their passion for the sport and look to continue in college. Through gaining a community of teammates, these girls learned firsthand how sports can play a role in bringing people together. 

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