Free Article: Dear Parents, Enjoy It Before It’s Gone

Dear Parents,

All great things eventually come to an end. We know that in theory. We say it about seasons, about childhood, about phases of life. But nothing quite prepares you for how fast it actually happens — especially in the world of club volleyball.

I'm right there with you. I've been the parent staring at a calendar packed from January through June, wondering how every weekend filled up so quickly. I've packed the same suitcase four tournaments in a row. I've lived out of hotel rooms, eaten late dinners after the last wave, and driven hours home after a long day in the gym. I've felt the exhaustion in my bones on Sunday nights.

It's hard. It's emotionally draining. And yes, it's expensive.

There have been moments when I've sat quietly in the bleachers and thought, Why are we doing this?

I've had many roles in the volleyball world — coaching, running a club, scouting — but nothing has taught me more than being a volleyball parent. Every perspective brings lessons, but the parent seat brings clarity.

And the biggest lesson I've learned this season is simple: enjoy it. Because it's going to fly by. And one day, it's going to be gone.

Right now, it may feel overwhelming. The laundry never ends. The group texts never stop. There's always another practice, another schedule update, another weekend on the road. You joke about never being home. You wonder what a free Saturday even looks like anymore.

But one day, the house will be quiet.

There won't be another early-morning scramble for missing knee pads. No more rushing out the door with folding chairs under your arm. No more scanning convention center looking for the right court number.

And as crazy as it sounds, you'll miss it.

Because what makes club volleyball so special isn't just the competition. It's the connection.

Most of these players don't come from the same school. They walk into tryouts as strangers. Different towns. Different backgrounds. Different high school rivals. And then, over the course of a season, something shifts.

They become teammates.

Then they become friends.

And before you know it, they become each other's safe place.

You watch girls who once lined up across the net from each other now cheering side by side. You see them share memories, secrets, playlists, snacks, and inside jokes that no one else understands. You see the nervous glances before a big match turn into confident nods because they trust each other.

There is something powerful about a group of young athletes choosing to buy into something bigger than themselves.

And the friendships that form? They are real.

They aren't built in classrooms. They're built in warm-ups, in team meals, in long tournament days when emotions are high and energy is low. They're built in shared goals and shared struggles. They're built in moments when one girl steps up for another.

And then there's the big sister and little sister dynamic that naturally forms in clubs.

The older girls who take the younger ones under their wing. The quiet encouragement in the huddle. The text message after a tough practice. The example set not by words, but by work ethic.

You see it in how younger players watch the older ones — how they study their routines, their confidence, their composure. And you see it in how the older players start to understand that someone is always watching them.

Leadership grows in those spaces.

Some of the most beautiful moments happen off the main court. When older girls step into junior coaching roles and help train the next generation. When a 17-year-old kneels down to fix a 10-year-old's platform angle. When high school athletes give back their time to mentor younger players just starting out.

That's culture.

That's legacy.

That's how the game continues long after one season ends.

And parents — we get to witness all of it.

We get to watch our children not only grow as athletes, but grow as people. We see them learn how to communicate, how to compromise, how to support someone else's success. We see them handle adversity. We see them mature.

Growth doesn't always look polished. Sometimes it looks like tears in the car. Sometimes it looks like frustration. Sometimes it looks like a tough lesson learned the hard way.

But it also looks like resilience. It looks like confidence forming. It looks like young girls becoming strong young women.

And we are lucky enough to have a front-row seat.

Yes, there will be weekends when you feel stretched thin. There will be moments when you question the time commitment or the travel. But remember this — you are watching something that will not last forever.

One day, there won't be another practice circled on the calendar.

There won't be another team dinner.

There won't be another huddle with arms locked tight.

One day, you will walk out of a gym for the last time.

And the chaos you once complained about — the early alarms, the hotel stays, the packed schedules — will become the memories you hold closest.

So sit in the bleachers a little longer.

Listen to the laughter between matches.

Take the picture even if they roll their eyes.

Watch the friendships forming. Watch the leadership growing. Watch the big sisters guiding the little sisters. Watch your child become someone stronger than they were yesterday.

Because this season — this beautiful, chaotic, exhausting, unforgettable season — is fleeting.

And when it's gone, you'll realize it was never just about volleyball.

It was about community.

It was about growth.

It was about watching your child find their people.

And that is worth every mile. ~Theresa @prepdigdakotas

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This journey is created by the village—athletes, coaches, families, and subscribers.

Thank you for making it all possible! ~ Theresa Hickman

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