“You have to want to want it.” 

My weak-mindedness shortly turned into determination. “I have to want to want it.” I whispered to myself stepping back onto the court. I thought I couldn’t do it—little did I know I just didn’t want it hard enough. 

The whistle blows, the opponent's serve is coming straight for me. 

“I want to want it,” I said one more time as I stepped on the volleyball court. The serve hits my arms perfectly as I pass the ball up flawlessly. 

Coach Jalan was smiling ear to ear on the sidelines as he saw the ball go up in the air along with my energy. I remember going to the bench for a time out and him telling me, “That’s all you! That’s all you!” 

He never allowed me to beat myself up over simple mistakes and always taught me to be the best player I could be.  

Normally when I make mistakes my confidence goes down, typically staying down, and I end up making more mistakes. Coach Jalan never let that happen. He was dedicated to not only make me the best player I could be but also the rest of my teammates. He never stopped. Believing. Understanding. Caring. 

When I first met Coach Jalan, I was a freshman trying out for the Arrowhead volleyball team; in an instant, he immediately became my favorite coach. 

Coach Jalan wasn’t just a coach, he was also a leadership mentor and conducted podcasts, videos, and taught classes all based on being a leader. Not only was he helping others be the best version of themselves, he was also a father to one child and a sibling to six. 

Coach Jalan was different from any other coach I have had. He was the most motivating person I have ever met and still is to this day. He pushed me to be a good volleyball player along with being a good person and role model. He was always there to train me as a volleyball player but also there to listen if I was having a bad day. 

“Care stands for concentration, attitude, respect, and effort,” Coach Jalan preached at us quite often. 

He wanted us to care everyday about how we were playing and how we were performing as a whole team. He taught us how to care by showing us how to care. Coach Jalan is someone I aspire to be in the near future. I will cherish the moments we had together forever, and everyday I will want it.