Tonight was the start of the 2023 volleyball season. As defending state champions, the girls have a lot of expectations on them: from the coach, from other teams, from parents, from fellow Mauldin High students, and from themselves. Each component of that list has different levels of expectations for the girls, but the most significant component is the girls themselves.

I guess it’s a little inevitable that the girls put pressure on themselves. All athletes do that to some degree or another. There are likely some students putting pressure on them inadvertently with calls to bring another state trophy back to Mauldin. Some parents might be doing the same. And the other schools in the area? They’re probably rooting for them to have a less-than-perfect season.

What are K and I doing? Making sure L knows we love her, we love watching her play, and we want her, above all, to enjoy what she’s doing. I don’t know if that will help with the stress she’s probably putting on herself, but we can hope.