what few can claim

"it's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making sportscenter. it's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. we need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. we do it all for our teammates. when we miss something, we don't let down an entire state, but we let down our teammates, coaches, and fans. but the hurt is the same. we train hard, lift, throw, run, and go to class. it's about pride, in ourselves, and our alma mater. it's about love and passion for the game. when we walk off the court for the very last time, our hearts crumble. those tears are real. but deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. we will forever be what few can claim: college athletes." -unknown

...on that note, i'm headed to God's country (a.k.a. chapel hill) this weekend to reunionize with my teammates for some volleyball, football, celebrating, and the inevitable creation of more inside jokes. yes, Lord, yes.

go heels :: ram it :: turn it blue

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

beaming with pride

ever have those moments where you're beaming with pride and want to brag non-stop? hopefully those moments don't involve your own accomplishments because that's tacky and no one likes a shameless bragger. but if you're that proud of someone else's accomplishments, i say rock on with your bad self and tell the world. shout it from the mountaintops, tweet it, update your facebook status, heck...you might as well even blog about it.

so what's the big news?? this girl...

...is about to be a junior at branson high and already knows where she's gonna play in college. boom.

my not-so-little-anymore buddy slash sister Lauren Boone (affectionaly known as "LB") is signed, sealed, and delivered. well, kinda. she committed but she hasn't signed and it's not time to deliver yet. but she's going to play volleyball for Missouri State University as part of the class of 2014. yep, you heard me. that means the girl has two years of high school ahead of her without the pressure of being recruited or of filling out nerve-wracking college apps like everyone else. she gets to enjoy the ride and prep for her four years as a Missouri State Bear. oh, and did i mention that it's a full-ride. cha-ching!

i could not be more proud.

LB is one of the hardest workers i've ever met. she just can't get enough. she once asked me, "how do people burn out? i mean, when i'm not playing, i'm thinking about playing and i'm wishing that i was!" that's LB in a nut shell.

we've had many a convo about her desire to grow as a player and as a woman of God. and i'm so pumped for her. granted, it's two years away and she has some of her best high school years ahead of her, but hey....a little celebrating and horn tootin' never hurt nobody.

so, LB, congrats from one proud sister, mama bear, grandmother, chauffeur, mentor, and #1 fan. love you lots, kiddo, and so pumped for these next few years in your life!!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

return to down time

last weekend was my last TBO adventure for a while. no more trips to orlando with Tampa Bay ONE 16 Black. i've kept the pavement hot between tampa and orlando since january, but it's time to let my tires rest. here's a quick picture recap from the weekend.

stuck in traffic on I-4 translates to reading nicholas sparks

doubletree chocolate chip cookies to welcome me to orlando. heaven.

addi was cold. hence the awkward sharing of my sweatshirt sleeves.

typical cuddle moment with jen and tori. love them.

as usual, the last few months with my kiddos have been a blast, but i'm ready for the return of down time to my daily life. here's to getting sleep, vitamin d, and quality time with the new roomie.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

back in the "show me" state

this past weekend, i was back in the "show me" state. one of my many homes. kansas city, mo played host to hundreds of girls in spandex with hopes of a bid to nationals. and i was in the thick of it, naturally. i loved being back in mo. loved the constant sound of whistles and the sight of volleyballs bouncing like popcorn throughout the convention center.

but as much as i loved those things, i didn't love them nearly as much as i loved spending time with my adopted family and other close friends. i left a lot of my heart in mo when i left last april (as seen here), so it's always a treat to go back and visit. though i'll be the first to admit that it's not often enough. anyway, these are the faces i could barely wait to see and dreaded leaving once again. september can't come fast enough!

LB (y'all, she's only 15!!)

April (the laughter was constant)

 April and LB

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

an object in motion

i'm an object in motion. and i'll be staying in motion for a while. my life is once again defined by boxes, labels, tape guns, and suitcases. besides working and coaching (and the occasional workout), my life is consumed by packing. whether it's packing up my house to move across the bridge to st. petersburg or packing a suitcase for one of the crazy adventures waiting around the corner...i pack. between now and may 26th, here's what i have ahead of me:

kansas city, mo :: volleyball

greenville, nc :: see the sis

chapel hill, nc :: visiting the Davis fam again

moving to st. pete :: mom's coming to help!

new orleans, la :: Kat's wedding

st. augustine, fl :: beach time with Ginny and fam

orlando, fl :: volleyball

yeah, i may just not unpack until June. boxes...yes. suitcases...we shall see. i'm about to be on a whirlwind of a rollercoaster, but i'm so excited for each thing on that list that i can hardly contain myself.

back to the boxes...

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

what few will understand

"It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates. When we miss something, we don't let down an entire state, but we let down our teammates, coaches, and fans. But the hurt is the same. We train hard, lift, throw, run, and go to class. It's about pride, in ourselves, and our alma mater. It's about love and passion for the game. When we walk off the court for the very last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can claim: college athletes."
-unknown

fall 2004

nostalgia has a way of sneaking up on me at the most random times. but i don't mind it one bit. re-living my years in chapel hill with girls i call family usually brings laughter and a big smile to my face. no one can truly understand the crazy dynamic of life with other weirdos that build their entire life and college education around playing games with a ball...unless you're one of us. and then it's this weird bond that can never be duplicated and is misunderstood 9 times out of 10 when you try to explain it.

but for the select few who understand, who actually get it...it's home. these girls frustrated me to no end and encouraged me to no end. we laughed. we cried. we bled. we silently (or not so silently) cursed our very existence and questioned our sanity at times. but we made it. and we're stronger for it. and i wouldn't trade those years or my teammates for anything. my love for my fellow vb heels is unmatched. (ooh, no pun intended there, but that's a good one!).

so here's to my vb heels. may we always RAM IT wherever life takes us.

beks

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

it's why i do what i do

moments like last night are why i do what i do. coaching never gets old. never. sure, there are frustrating moments, but the life impact you have far outweighs the frustration over missed serves or compound errors. that being said, i love when i get to spend time with my players off the court. i love that we can maintain a relationship after i finish coaching them. i can still be a positive voice in their life. and that's why i coach.

last night, i had the privilege of feeding my mexican belly with Kinzie, one of my SJVC 15 Red kiddos. i love this kid and am so grateful for the continued opportunity to speak Truth into her life. love you Kinz!

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

happy #20

tonight i had the chance to sit back and watch a college volleyball match with one of my coworkers, Kaleigh. she played for the University of Tampa and they had a home match, so of course we went! it wasn't the same as watching my beloved Tar Heels in that beautiful shade of blue, but it was still a blast to watch my favorite sport live. it's such a mix of power, finesse, and precision. love this game. :)

happy #20

image

watching a college volleyball match.

[credit to Liza for the idea of posting happies each day]

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

my little tar heel heart

like i said before, i was super stoked to watch Carolina play Florida on Saturday. i miss watching the precision, the finesse, and the power of top level college volleyball. it's absolutely inspiring and simultaneously makes my heart melt and beat 1000x faster. i love when the game is played well and executed at a high level. and i really miss that being part of my everyday life.

but, i was even more excited to see an old teammate Heather. she's on staff with Carolina now and was rockin' her UNC polo like a champ. (she hates polos. don't we all??) anyway, so great to see her. i think i hugged her no less than 6 times and held on for a really long time each time. for real. love love love her and miss her so much. she is a huge joy in my life and a great source of laughter. i love her positive take on life. i also love feeling like a normal height around her. :)

it was also super fun to see erica rocking it in her last ever season opening tournament. senior year is chock full of "last time" moments, so i was proud to see her doing well and being such a great source of positive stability for the team. she's a leader. i'm a big fan of her. and i'll definitely miss sitting by her parents about this time next year. they're a blast and i love that i get to see them once a year for a preseason tourney.

all that to say, my little tar heel heart is full and happy. so, until next time........GO HEELS!!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

kinda like a sorority, but better

i can't tell you how flipping excited i am today!!!!! i'm headed north to gainesville with my friend ali who's in town visiting.

why, you ask? oh, because CAROLINA VOLLEYBALL is playing at UF tonight. and those iz my girlz!! never mind the fact that i never technically played with any of them and only know 10% of their names. eh, they're family. i mean, we're kinda like a sorority, but better. i know the seniors because they were recruits my senior season and i've kept up with them the past 4 years. that counts for something.

image

and........what's really exciting is that one of my teammates is back from playing in italy and she's an assistant coach. hollaaaaa!! can't wait to see my Heather! i'm PUMPED!!!!

i'll be in my carolina blue beaming with pride tonight. let's go heels!! RAM IT!!

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

better than free cupcakes

so far i've been crazy blessed to have four, yes four, of my vb kiddos come visit me in Florida. gosh i love those kids so much it hurts sometimes. they were such a joy to coach. they genuinely loved each other and have continued doing awesome things together after our season has ended (insert jealousy that i'm not there). they were crazy respectful to me and bought into what i was teaching them, which is so refreshing. i'm not sure it gets any better than that. they know i'm crazy about them, but i'll say it again in case they have momentary amnesia. they're better than free gourmet cupcakes.

* * * * * *

sydney started the trend and did a little family vaca in orlando, so i made my way over to downtown disney to hang with them for a night. the thixtons are always an entertaining bunch and up to something. that night was no exception. did i play duck duck goose, wander through lego land, and eat a ginormous cookie? absolutely. i would expect nothing less.

next up was nicole and her fam doing a little sunning in clearwater. naturally, i made my way over to the beach and spent an afternoon in the ocean with her. and then got the privilege of doing lunch with her fam a few days later when they were headed to orlando for their last few days in the sunshine state.

and last but not least, kelsey and maddie flew down and stayed with me for a few days. little maddie that is. not to be confused with big maddie (who, rumor has it, will be down for a visit at the end of august). but, can i just say that i was thrilled that these two wanted to spend some of their summer vaca with their coach? they are quite the pair and are absolutely hysterical. we laughed more than the legal limit i do believe. our only requirement for the weekend was laughter, silliness, and all things awesome. mission accomplished.

all this to say, i miss my kiddos every day and can't wait to get back to missouri to see the rest of them eventually. they will always have a special place in my heart.

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

dance party

what's a weekend with 15 year olds if it doesn't include a dance party in the parking lot? this one makes me giggle. such a perfect picture of everyone's personality. love them. :)

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

bittersweet

well, this weekend proved to be the epitome of bittersweet. we had our last club volleyball tournament and my girls played lights out all weekend. best they've played all season. i was absolutely beaming inside with how stinkin' proud i was to be their coach. they have made HUGE strides this season.


no tears from me after the final point, but the girls made up for it. they love each other so much and it was fun to see the way they pulled together to play this weekend. but it was heart-breaking to see the deep sadness on their faces now that the season is over. they were very real tears. and i'm leaving, so that had something to do with it too. honestly, these girls and their parents make it tempting to bail and stay put. or clone myself and leave one of me here. they're just that awesome. :)


we have our final hurrah team barbeque this weekend, so you can bet your bottom dollar that i'm looking forward to that with every fiber of my being. these girls stole my heart and will always have me as part of their life for as long as they'll let me. below are a few pics from the weekend. enjoy a little glimpse into nine joys of my life.

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

love(s) of my life

i just spent the weekend with these awesome kiddos. love them. note: that's an understatement. i'm more like obsessed. i'd do anything for them. anything. which is why i'm excited about the fact that starting last thursday, i'll see them 6 out of these next 7 days. awesome. love that. love them. love this game.

fried pickles at dinner. minus Kelsey and little Maddie.

Maddie with the remote & Kelsey with the fart machine hidden in her spandex. hilariously entertaining.

Kinzie, Julia, and Sydney...hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.

little Maddie (5'2) and big Maddie (6'2).

Syd and her braid stache...with Nicole creepin' in the background.

Kels, Kylie, and Syd

new friend at Jose Peppers. naturally. ;)

...and this is just a glimpse into why it's going to be insanely hard to leave in a month. i wanna bring them with me to Florida. seriously. 

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.