First Round Winners

Before June 5th, my volleyball team had a great vision of what the season was going to hold for them. June 6th, however, brought on an entirely different perspective.
Our school district was hit with an F4 tornado that demolished our high school and ruined 100 homes in our district. Some of our student athletes lost family members and others simply sat on a much different sideline than they had ever been on before. On the morning of June 6th, the community pulled it together and reacted in a manner that is truly heroic. They were there for their neighbors and friends in a way that I know I will never forget. While it was such a great sight to see everyone pulling together and helping one another, the school administrators and coaches realized that we had taken a direct hit.
As a first year volleyball coach I had just taken my team further than they had gone in tournament play in over 12 years, and we had already discussed our goals of going even further this season. However, our 'home court" was now buried under rubble and debris. Our uniforms and equipment were lost along with 8 of the districts buses. How were we gong to play this season? Where were we going to play? As we are still working on these details, I came across your email. I can only say that this was a blessing in disguise. The improvements that could be made to our situation with this grant are unspeakable. My team doesn't need to see the alma mater hanging on the wall to know what they stand for. But they do need the proper equipment and a court to practice upon. This money could help pay for these things as well as the transportation fees that could be incurred from transporting the players from our new school location to our practice location. We already know that these will be in 2 different places. We could also purchase new weights to use during the pre-season to prepare for our goals. I know that the girls will work hard under any circumstances, but if there is any way that I may improve an already difficult situation for them, I will do whatever I can. I have 6 returning seniors that will not get to play in their high school or on their own "home turf". While this doesn't seem like much to those who have never had this taken away from them, it seems like quite a loss when it is ripped away from you. Seeing your banners torn apart by the bleachers that once held your spectators is quite moving and I know that my athletes would work hard and make it worth your while to invest in them.