Part 1

According to the NCAA, there are 8 million students currently participating in high school sports. Out of that 8 million, only 480,000 of them will participate in collegiate athletics. In high school, there are 429,634 girls playing, but only 26, 570 of them continued their career further.

That's a whopping 6.2%. Not much to compete with in relation to the other 93.8%..

My point is that I find it pretty incredible that only a select amount of individuals have the privilege to compete in athletics, whether they were recruited or walked-on into a program. This is where I begin to tell the journey, the Part 1 to an athletic career in your college time frame.

I grew up in a town called North Wales, in Pennsylvania. Lived in an area where I had access to a lot of opportunity. I am one of 5 girls, all who have participated in athletics ever since they could walk. My parents were no different, playing all throughout their lives as well. So it just seemed necessary for all of us to follow in their footsteps.

I went to a small high school called Lansdale Catholic, where volleyball was known to be a big time show every time we had a game. We were a put together team, all wanting the same goal, and to make it as far as we could no matter what it took.

During my four years in high school, I was able to string together 4 District Championship titles, and 3 Philadelphia Catholic League Championships: where I am from- that's a BIG deal. Not to shabby, right?

I started playing when I was 13, on a little 7th and 8th grade team at my grade school, not aware of the outside world of volleyball. Everyone was talking about this Club ball...I'm sorry, there is more to this then what I am currently doing? 

When my sophomore year rolled around, my coaches were encouraging me to play. Like I said before, I am one of 5 girls, so money doesn't grow off of trees, you know. Club Volleyball is one of the most expensive sports to participate in for ages 12-18. So my parents were in contact with a club known as Infinity Volleyball Academy, only a 15 minute drive from my house. Convenient, pretty big club, seemed the most appealing.

These tryouts for all these different clubs all happen in one day. Why? Only God knows. But I have to say, after a long day of tryouts, traveling across the tri-state area, my mom and I passed out. Only to wake up from 5+ missed calls from a club director who really wanted me there that evening.

Smelly and tired, my mom and I book it over to the club, to only realize I was 3 hours past my time slot, so there I was, 15 years of age, trying out with 12 year old girls. Good start Chase, good.

Long story short, I was encouraged and almost demanded to play up 2 years. Little me decided, hey, why not play with older people? And in this moment, I was given that little boost of confidence- like wow, I have some potential? Could this be the start of something great?

And here I am now- 4 years later, sitting in my college dorm room at Holy Family University, a Division II program, playing the sport I love with every ounce in me: Volleyball.

This blog is going to be describing my journey, as well as all the mental, and physical work put into this sport. From work outs, to practices, to personal inventory, to health and nutrition, to academics, to pre-season and post-season to off-season, to the life of an athlete. All the curiosity and interest you wanted to know what a college athlete goes through, will be addressed-from my experience. Here is the journey- enjoy!