From a MOM's heart...............

After 12 years of following Kate across the state of Iowa playing volleyball....tonight may have been her last season....As I went down the bleachers to be there if she needed me I had mixed emotions. As I saw the big eyes fill with tears, I blinked and  I saw the tall skinny 5th grader get her first all tournament medal ......the tears were the same because her team had lost the championship game......she has always put team first.... I saw the girls hugging her and I remembered all the friendships she has made all over the state of Iowa. Parents came to her and thanked her for taking care of their own daughters...that reminded me of some of the wonderful friendships we have made over the last 12 years. We traveled to conference games.....AAU games.....Club ball games and now college games. We have met wonderful people.

I think back to all the accomplishments and honors that Kate has recieved.....the papers filled with photos and interviews....the all tournament teams she has been apart  of.....the State tournament championships that she has been a part of....the club ball sucess that came from a few girls ...a devoted  coach and a couple of practices. The Jr Olympic team that put together a few Iowa girls and played teams from countries all over the world. These things were all wonderful and fun and I am proud of her for all the accomplishments BUT I am even more proud of her for having such a love and compassion for all the people that were with her on this journey..... To see her help her injured teammate off the floor...to see her cry with a teammate who  has tough things going on in her life..... to see her celebrate with and for those around her....... I love to watch all the little girls from camps come and find her after  a game  knowing that she will take time for them......I am proud that she kept her love and passion for the game even though things were sometimes very difficult........ I saw her reach for every ounce of courage and strength with in her  to stand on the sidelines for the first time in her life and cheer for her team after she  she tore her ACL... ...the long hard rehab it took to come back and fight for a position on the team...... I am proud of her for putting others ahead of herself......and  having a servant heart. At  Kate's wedding her husband gave a wonderful speech that thanked all of those people at the wedding that were a part of kate's life that made her in to the person she was today....... I too want to thank  all the volleyball people that supported and encouraged her  on this journey.

  So...all the hardware is on a shelf....all .her medals are all in a box..... volleyball is now over....... but who she has become because of it all is just beginning........  I wasn't ready to shut the chapter of this book but tonight I realized that the book is actually just beginning and I can't wait to see what is next for Kate Buyert Boersma.!