To-LA

Okay so I am going to tell you a story about my friend Tola. I first met Tola when she was an incoming freshman at BVNW - she is currently a sophomore at Mary Washington University. I met Tola in the summertime while I was coaching weights and conditioning for all girls that were going to play volleyball or basketball at BVNW. Right away Tola stood out to me because she had amazing strength and stamina for a freshman, and because she had a fantastic attitude. So I just started talking to her and trying to get to know her. I asked her if she was going to play basketball - she was like well I am not very good and I only played last year and was on the 'B' Team. I said well you should think about it, I think that you would be great at it and I might even be able to be your coach. Hey I felt I needed to do what I could do to get this girl to go out for hoops so that I could be around her more. oh and I did really think that she would be a great basketball player. So I got to hang out with her and get to know her more over the summer. I went to watch a few volleyball games of hers also - which she was super great at.

Then came time for basketball and yes my few readers she did go out and made the team. I was correct she was a great hoops player and picked things up quickly. So quickly that during her freshman year she played on the Freshman A team, the Sophomore team, and the Junior Varsity team. She was a natural and a hard worker so she moved up the ladder quickly. She ended up playing volleyball and basketball all four years of her high school. She was a leader in both sports and was also involved in many other things in high school. She was also homecoming queen her senior year! Everyone just loves this girl.

Tola also joined a Bible study that myself and another basketball coach led together. Then one summer Tola and I did a Bible study together. It was really a great opportunity for us to get to know each other even better and also to just grow in the word together. This really was one of my favorite parts of knowing Tola and being friends with her.

Tola decided to go to Mary Washington for college. It had the best program for what she thinks that she wants to do with her life. Its far away but thankfully when she comes home she wants to see me! So we almost always have time to hang out if it is only for an hour. When she went to college one of the courses she had to take was a PE course, so she took a volleyball class. There were a couple of girls that were on the Volleyball Team that were in her class. After a few days of the course, her professor asked her if she was on the University team. Tola said no. He asked why not, she said that since she is far away from home and she wants to focus on grades that it was probably best to not participate in a collegiate sport. Well this professor talked to the Volleyball coach and told her that she should come by class and watch Tola. The coach did, then asked Tola to come and meet with her when she had time. Tola is thinking maybe she wants me to be on the scrimmage team or just a manager. Well as the conversation starts up with just normal things, Tola feels real comfortable. Then the coach starts asking her about her background in volleyball and why she did not try out for the team. Tola explains the same things to her that she did her professor. The coach then said would you want to practice with us and see how it goes and maybe if you want you could be a part of the team in the future. Tola is like sure why not, she is also thinking that if all goes well she can be on the team her sophomore year. Well she practices with the team and gets to know the girls on the team. Then the next day the coach says she can be on the Team THIS YEAR if she wants too. Tola is like heck yeah! She still thinks that surely she will not play much but she is just excited to know people and be involved in sports again. She plays the rest of the season and has a great time, she also plays a ton. It comes time to go home for the summer and she works out all summer and is excited to come back in the fall to start her sophomore year because the team should be successful and she is going to be one of the Captains!! I am not surprised, she has a lot to offer anyone let alone her teammates. Well last week she called me and she got injured, not good! She came down from a huge hit and landed just a tad funny on her left foot and BAM - she tore her MCL and her ACL. Dang - she was crushed when I talked to her. She was sad that it happened but honestly she was mostly sad for her team because they were sad that she was hurt. Figures a great kid like that automatically looks out for others. I was so sad for her and felt helpless. I was happy about one thing - she told me that of all the people that she wanted to talk to you she really wanted to talk to me. I would rather her call to tell me good news but those words really made my heart feel great and it reminded me that athletes do care about coaches. Tola is not sure what the future hold for her right now but she knows that God knows the way and what He wants for her in this season, though it maybe different than what she had planned. She is doing her best to keep her chin up and most likely she is still being a great leader for her team and trying to keep their spirits up and helping them stay focused and still win games even if her position on the team has temporarily changed.

If you have never met Tola I pray that someday the Lord will bring your paths together. She has truly changed my life and continues to all the time. To-LA I think that you are an amazing woman of God and I am very thankful that you are in my life. Continue to press into God's Word and know that He and I are always in the stands cheering you on no matter if you are playing in a game or sitting on the bench. We are your biggest fans. Love you for life my friend.