Michaela Reesor spikes into the big leagues
Tuesday July 1 2008
There’s no telling what you can achieve when a hobby becomes your passion. That’s the realization Alton’s Michaela Reesor quickly came to when she was chosen to represent Canada at the Volleyball Festival in Reno, Nevada.
“It was my friend who told me I was on the Canadian team,” Reesor says, “so I wasn’t really sure [if it was true]. Once my coach told me, I was extremely happy and honoured to have the experience.”
The festival, which runs June 27 to July 3, features teams from across the United States and around the world. Nine other girls from Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta join Reesor on the Canadian team.
“This is one of the strongest 15U teams we have put together since we started the team program three years ago,” Barry McLean of Volleyball Prospects Canada says in a press release. He says team members are focussed and positive role models for future involvement in the volleyball community.
Reesor began playing volleyball only four years ago, citing her sister’s influence as her motivator.
“I jumped trampoline, and my sister played volleyball,” the Grade 10 student says. “I watched her play some games and was inspired, so I started playing volleyball and realized how much I loved it, and it went from there.”
Though her love of the sport was obvious, Reesor never dreamed volleyball would become such an integral part of her life.
“When I started I was doing it for fun,” she recalls, “but when I changed clubs in 2006… got new coaches and started learning new skills, I realized that I had so much more potential then I’d thought.”
Her competitive spirit and dedication to training at the 17U Peel Selects Club gained her recognition at the Eastern Canada Showcase, where she was identified as a candidate for the Canadian team.
With this opportunity to represent her country, and her recent spot on a regional team, Reesor is excited by the potential future prospects the sport can offer.
“I’m hoping to achieve a scholarship to the States or in Canada,” she says, “and I’d love to play in the States or maybe on the Canadian national team.”
Given her young age in the sport, the Alton girl recognizes she still has a lot to learn, but she’s willing to take chances in striving for the best.
“You can only succeed, you can’t fail or go lower then you already play,” she muses. “Just try your hardest; that’s all you can give to the court.”
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