“You know, Shiloh, it’s completely normal to feel that way. Finding something you’re truly passionate about can take time, and there’s no rush. Sometimes, it’s the journey of exploring different interests that leads you to your passion.” Victoria offered a gentle smile, her tone encouraging and kind.
Victoria offered a gentle smile, her tone encouraging and kind. “And as for being passionate about someone you meet,” she added, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “that’s a wonderful thing too. Relationships and connections with others can be incredibly fulfilling and can help you learn more about yourself.” This once again was something Victoria talked about based on person experience, in fact, she understand what Shiloh meant with being passionate about someone. However, talking about this with Shiloh, it made Victoria a little bit nervous. Her parents had always taught her not to get close to people, in fact, love and passion had always been explained to her as something as distracting, as something complicating manners. While Victoria herself, she believed in the power of it. “Just remember, it’s equally important to find something that excites you on a personal level. It could be anything - from a hobby, a subject, or even a new sport.” She paused, her smile turning a bit more playful. “Who knows? Maybe volleyball will be that something you become passionate about!”
Victoria then answered Shiloh’s questions about the game. “In professional volleyball, but even in academic teams, players typically specialise in one position based on their strengths and skills. Each position has its unique role, and mastering it can significantly contribute to the team’s overall performance.” She looked at Shiloh, her expression sincere and focused, hoping she had been successful at conveying the importance of each role within the team. “However, understanding all positions is crucial because it helps you appreciate the dynamics of the game and how each role supports the others.”
“As for our training,” she continued, stretching her arms above her head as she spoke, “We’ll definitely be practicing passing and digging, as those are fundamental skills for every player, especially for a libero, which I mentioned might suit you well.” She glanced over at Shiloh as she spoke, “I believe it is in your best interest for the try-outs to focus on one position, but if you want to practice different positions to get a feel for each of them, that is perfectly fine with me too!” She smiled warmly, her demeanor encouraging and patient, ready to guide Shiloh through the learning process.
Victoria, feeling more relaxed, picked up one of the volleyballs and began to play with it as she was waiting on Shiloh’s reply. She lightly tossed it from hand to hand, enjoying the familiar weight and texture. She then bounced the ball on the floor a couple of times, the sound echoing softly in the gym, and caught it again with a fluid motion.
Dribbling the ball a few more times, she then gently set it up into the air, catching it with ease. Not only did she play with the ball for fun, no, she had also been testing if it was a good ball for Shiloh to practice with. So after she approves, with a friendly grin, she tossed it towards Shiloh. “Here, catch! It’s always good to get a feel for the ball before we start the more intense stuff.” The way Victoria engaged with the volleyball showed her passion for the game and her eagerness to share it with Shiloh. However, this was also meant as a first test of Shiloh’s reflexes, to see how natural she was at interacting with a ball.
