Gemotions

Sarah slammed her locker shut with a force that rattled the metal. She felt a burning flush creep up her neck. The volleyball coach had just announced, in front of the entire team, that she was being moved from setter to libero. Her primary role, her passion, suddenly ripped away.

She hated the new position. She felt like a reserve player, a second stringer. Every practice, every bump of the ball, felt wrong. She was clumsy, awkward, and slow on the court.

That night, she threw her volleyball at the wall until her arm ached, the thud of the ball against the plaster a muted echo of her frustration. She knew that she could play libero if she wanted to, but she wasn’t going to accept it.