Kate discovered that she had a passion for volleyball when she was 13 years old and it led her to join a team in middle school.
“The day I tried out for the volleyball team in middle school really changed my life,” Kate said.
She introduced volleyball into her daily routine, through discipline, exercising and dieting. She trains four times a week as well as the weekend and is on a very strict diet. Kate says it’s a challenge to keep up with her routine, but she is ok with it because it’s something she enjoys to do.
Kate found herself at one point with a serious injury that put her volleyball future on the line and it also showed her the levels of danger involved with the sport. The incident occurred during a game when one of her teammates was standing directly in front of her, jumping to hit the ball. The girl came down and landed on top of Kate’s right leg, breaking it.
“It was an accident and a traumatizing experience. It put me out for the season,” Kate explained.]
According to the Dynamic Chiropractor, between 50 to 80 percent of injuries in volleyball are due to players pushing their bodies beyond its limits. Blocking and spiking are often said to be the explanations for high injury rates.
Volleyball injuries can be easily prevented with the use of ankle support such as ankle braces as well as proper warm up techniques, according to STOPSportsInjuries.org.
Kate didn’t let the accident put her volleyball future on hold. She recuperated and worked hard to get back to playing on the team.
Since returning to her team, she has traveled with her volleyball team, the Long Island Fury, to even some places not every average volleyball team goes to. Her team has traveled around the United States and even to locations where the Junior Olympics were held previously. Kate and her team have successfully taken the cup home the last two consecutive years.
Kate enjoys watching the Olympics on TV, but hopes to one day participate in it. She has been offered scholarships to three different schools thanks to her active participation in volleyball.
by Mary Luz Alpizar
The Lighthouse News 