Some athletes revolve their whole lives around their sport or find it taxing to participate in, but for Madison Carter (12), volleyball has been much more than that. The sport wasn’t just a career or inconvenience for Carter because finding her community and growing as a person was what meant the most to her. As an athlete who managed to be on the varsity team for four years, Carter’s devotion to the team fueled her passion and helped her individually.
“I played volleyball all four years, and I was on varsity all four years. So, now that I’m a senior, it’s crazy that it went by so fast. [Volleyball] has helped me both mentally and physically, keeping me in shape and making sure I do not fall behind in class. It makes me tougher and pushes me to never stop in school,” Carter said.
Carter explains how her teammates were a large part of her support system throughout high school and kept her motivated on and off the court. The volleyball team has given her a steady friend group, which is a rare thing to find, and she now gets to graduate with the girls she has played with for years and grown into adults with.
“The group of girls that we have is really good. They’ve been very supportive throughout everything, no matter what, on and off the court, especially our group of senior girls. We are pretty tight and we always have each other’s backs,” Carter said.
This sport has shown Carter some tough love as well, especially in her difficult freshman year. She was able to grow and advance her skills on the bench and at home.
“During my freshman year on varsity, I got injured during my first game. So, I had to stay back and watch my teammates, but it helped me grow more mentally strong. Then, once I came back for my sophomore season, I went full force,” Carter said.
Now, with the start of senior year and graduation on everyone’s minds, Carter knows she will have to watch her team from the bleachers next year. She isn’t leaving without making her mark, though. Carter has big plans for her future as a mechanical engineer and is considering many Tennessee colleges. She sees herself in the younger teammates that she is leaving behind, as they walk the same path she took and find their strongest selves on the team.
“I’m excited to move on and start my future, but I’m still sad I’m gonna leave some of our younger girls that are on the team, and I’ll miss creating all these memories with them. [A JV member that has really stepped up is] Demi Davidson because of how mentally strong she has become this year, and we’re putting her on varsity. She has really been learning the rhythm and how to grow on the team.”
While her teammates will miss her, Carter will go on to do big things with the social and communication skills she has learned in her sport.
