聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Well the season with the Vipers has come to a close. Recently we competed in Calgary for Westerns, and while there a cute story developed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Two of my friends I had gone to school with showed up with their niece to watch a couple of games. Their niece is only five-years-old and watched the game quite intently.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Following the game I went over and sat with them for a little while and her auntie asked the little girl if she had a favourite player on the team. The young girl smiled and said that the girl had something in her hair, making a twisting motion for a braid.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Eugene Brown had come over to say hi and we mentioned that if this little girl really wanted she could meet her favourite player. A shy smile spread across the girl鈥檚 face and a few quick nods of the head by this youngster had Eugene running off to go grab a piece of paper, a pen, and the young girl鈥檚 favourite player, Hailee Fleck.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Initially Hailee thought Eugene was attempting to play a practical joke on her. Send her to some random little girl and ask if she wanted an autograph; would have been a good one. Although he exclaimed this was not the case.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hailee came over and it was the cutest thing in the world. The young five-year-old was star struck and could barely talk, after all she had just met her favourite player. The little girl sat with her aunt and when asked how to spell her name got out the first letter, but was so shy she needed her aunt to help her finish.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I asked if the girl wanted a photo with Hailee and immediately the youngster started nodding her head. She didn鈥檛 want her auntie in the photo with her, but still shy remained seated on her auntie鈥檚 lap, which made me laugh.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Following the photo and autograph, which I think likely made Hailee鈥檚 day too, the young girl watched another match of ours. Although she had a tough time talking to her favourite player at the time, she made sure her aunt told me to tell Hailee, 鈥淵ou are a good jumper! You hit the ball all the way over the fence [the net]! You鈥檙e so awesome!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 During the second game the young girl, now knowing Hailee鈥檚 name, watched, completely invested: 鈥淗ailee can jump so high.鈥� 鈥淗ailee just hit the ball.鈥� 鈥淒id you see Hailee鈥︹�� I even laughed to myself as I saw the young girl turned, talking to her aunties, spin around in excitement when Hailee was going back to serve.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 What made this even better was that Hailee鈥檚 mom, Janine, was sitting near them and got to enjoy this little girl so excited to watch her favourite player, which of course is Janine鈥檚 favourite player too.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The next day the auntie texted me again, this time with fan mail for Hailee, it was a photo of the five-year-old girl with a picture she drew of a kitten with writing on it, 鈥淟ove you. Good luck, Hailee!鈥� My friend then texted me later in the day saying her niece talked non-stop at breakfast with her grandpa about volleyball.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although she had enjoyed watching, Hailee going over to the little girl definitely made an impression. Her auntie said that we had likely created a future volleyball player, especially after we sent a tennis ball sized volleyball home to her later with each of the girls鈥� autographs on it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Her aunt let me know she was thrilled with the gift and was immediately practicing her serve: 鈥淭he whole team signed it! You are the best team and my favourite. You are my team. I鈥檓 going to love you forever.鈥�
