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Leaving Was the Hardest Decision I Ever Made
Read more: Leaving Was the Hardest Decision I Ever MadePeople assumed I left because I wanted a better partner. The truth was much harder to…
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Monday, August 24, 2026
Read more: Monday, August 24, 2026The referee called it out. Fourteen–thirteen. Match point. Brittney turned with both fists raised. Taylor didn’t…
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The Cost of Honesty
Read more: The Cost of HonestyTaylor felt the ball touch one finger. Barely. The referee called it out. The scorekeeper flipped…
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Thursday, August 20, 2026
Read more: Thursday, August 20, 2026Taylor knew they were in trouble when Brittney arrived to the tournament carrying only a watermelon. Not sliced…
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Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Read more: Wednesday, August 19, 2026Brittney missed the same serve six times. The first one landed long. The second hit the…
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Friday, August 14, 2026
Read more: Friday, August 14, 2026Taylor stopped keeping score when she was losing 17–8. “What’s the score?” “You know.” “I want…
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Thursday, August 13, 2026
Read more: Thursday, August 13, 2026Brittney knew Maya was going to ask before Maya opened her mouth. They were sitting on…
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Read more: Wednesday, August 12, 2026Taylor knew Maya was lying because she had heard the same lie from herself. “I’m not…
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Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Read more: Tuesday, August 11, 2026The text came at 9:14 on Friday night. Can’t play tomorrow. Sorry. Maya stared at it…
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Thursday, August 6, 2026
Read more: Thursday, August 6, 2026It was early, the fog hadn’t lifted yet, and the beach was still quiet except for…
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Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Read more: Wednesday, August 5, 2026The partnership ended in the middle of a parking lot. There wasn’t a fight. No yelling.…
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Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Read more: Tuesday, August 4, 2026The first serve missed by almost twenty feet. Tyler watched the volleyball bounce twice before rolling…
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Monday, August 3, 2026
Read more: Monday, August 3, 2026Every Tuesday after practice she walked past the same weathered lifeguard tower before heading back to…
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Friday, July 31, 2026
Read more: Friday, July 31, 2026The old man never watched the scoreboard. Coach Tyler noticed it during a local tournament in Hermosa Beach.…
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Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Read more: Wednesday, July 29, 2026Coach Tyler was never the first person to arrive Saturday mornings. Most people thought it was.…
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Monday, July 27th, 2026
Read more: Monday, July 27th, 2026Coach Tyler knew something was wrong the moment he arrived. The fog hung lower than usual,…
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The Court
Read more: The CourtIt isn’t marked on a tournament map. It doesn’t have better sand. It isn’t closer to…
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It’s Not Finished Yet
Read more: It’s Not Finished YetCoach Tyler arrived before anyone else because he liked seeing the beach before it became busy.…
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Borrowing Drills
Read more: Borrowing DrillsEvery practice looked the same. Not because the athletes lacked effort. Not because the coaches lacked…
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Missing The Point
Read more: Missing The PointCoach Tyler had a habit that drove everyone crazy. After every match, win or lose, he…
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The Bottom Court
Read more: The Bottom CourtEvery Saturday morning, the first question was always the same. “What court did we get?” Nobody…
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Missing Boundaries
Read more: Missing BoundariesBy seven o’clock Saturday morning, every court but one was finished. The poles stood straight against…
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Read It
Read more: Read ItEvery player at Dockweiler Beach complained about the wind. Some complained before warm-ups. Some blamed it…
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Building Sandcastles
Read more: Building SandcastlesThe first sandcastle appeared because practice started twenty minutes late. A maintenance truck had broken down…
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The Last Person to Leave
Read more: The Last Person to LeaveWhen I first started coaching, I thought the best coaches were always the first ones to…
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Chasing Every Breaking Wave
Read more: Chasing Every Breaking WaveBy the time I arrived at Shyn-Zyn Beach Volleyball Club, everyone already had an opinion. “The…
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Empty Chair(s)
Read more: Empty Chair(s)The first time I noticed the empty chair, I assumed someone was running late. It sat…
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QUIET ON THE SET- A Directors Cut
Read more: QUIET ON THE SET- A Directors CutEvery beach volleyball club has two scoreboards. One hangs beside the court. The other exists only…
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One Grain at a Time
Read more: One Grain at a TimeMy notebook began with a lie. I am a disciplined athlete. I wrote the sentence at…
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I Thought She Quit on Me
Read more: I Thought She Quit on MeEveryone thinks a beach volleyball partnership ends because of one big fight. Mine ended because we…
