Coaching

 This is my 5th year coaching....although until this year I was only coaching club volleyball which taught me so much along with allowing me to mature as a coach. My first school team has been more than a blessing. Watching them turn into better experienced players over the season is what I enjoy the most. I hope if anything, I have prepared my girls for the next level.
  Volleyball is like football for girls (popularity wise). Besides the fundamentals involved with passing, setting, hitting, blocking and serving they have to learn defense, how to serve positions, transition, covering the hitter, being aware of where they are on the court, different types of hits (hits are spikes for those who don't know) and the list goes on and on. Transition is the hardest for young players in my opinion, but it is so awesome to see when it becomes second nature to them. It is hard work but nothing makes me happier.
  I hope if my girls have learned anything this season, it is that hard work pays off. They were told repeatedly that there is no such thing as an easy game....we have to work to achieve our goals and win. These girls went above and beyond working. I am so impressed with their character, don't get me wrong they are 13 and 14 years old there is occasional drama....but they dug so deep to be successful.
  Last thing I will say is that I am surrounded by awesome people at work and at home. Our coaching staff stays on the same page....we ask questions...we talk about routines in both grade levels so there is consistency. Best of all we make each other laugh...a lot. Then there is that at home factor...my family. I have husband that willingly wants to support our teams and loves that I am a coach. My mother and great-grandmother have been to every game, even tournaments. Teaching and coaching is exhausting....but I love my job. You could say I am right where I need to be. GO EAGLES!!!

Allow Myself to Introduce....Myself

   If I had been told I would go through a divorce...get re-married and have no children at the age of 29, my reaction may have been one of displeasure. However, having lived through these things I can say, obviously, I survived!.... and life has moved on like it always does. They always say God never puts us through anything we cannot handle and I believe I am one, of probably many, living testaments to that phrase.
   Perhaps I should start with my husband John.....long story short we met a lonnnnng time ago and through all those years we both grew up and got married when we were 28...well he was still 27. (yes I am a partial cougar). He is beyond good to me.... We experience a lot of laughter together. I think my brother put it best during his speech at our wedding....

"Christen is very competitive...and John is very patient."

Not to say John isn't competitive..he is just more mature about it than me =)... Of course an introduction would not be complete if I didn't introduce our furry children....Lucy, Hank, and Roxanne.

 Don't let the mellow look fool you =) Lucy has the funnest personality of any dog I have ever known. A million Beggin' strips could not convince her to calm down. I am thankful she is ours because I do not think many people would be patient enough to love a dog like her and give her a chance. She believes she is lap dog even though she weighs 60 pounds. She unintentionally makes the funniest faces you can imagine for any dog. Her favorite thing to do is hug...she places one front leg over each shoulder and licks your face forever. I thought we had lost her once and it was the worst feeling walking up and down our neighborhood crying and calling her name. Luckily, our neighbor's oldest daughter saw her and put her in a kennel until we made it back home. I can't imagine life without her.

I love my Lucy!

Hank is special for numerous reasons. A couple Summers ago, John called me and just kept saying "there's this dog....I can't leave him" Now mind you John is a FedEx delivery man and he runs across many abandoned/lost dogs all the time. I asked if he wanted me to come get the dog and he said "YES!" So, I drove 45 minutes to Olney, Texas where I first met this little guy and immediately knew his name should be Hank. He was very thin and covered in fleas and ticks. Three baths later and a trip to our amazing vet he was on the road to being a happy dog. Our lives have been blessed =)



 And then there's Roxanne...who is (most of the time) as pleasant as she looks in her picture. She was a good friend and former roommate's pet....I should have thought about the reasons my roommate wanted to get ride of her... ;) On a serious note, although she is a pain in the butt, she does like to be pampered and loved. Like any cat she has a personality and mood swings. Our family would not be the same without her...meaning she wouldn't annoyingly wake us up in the morning or leave hair balls and massive clumps of hair all around our house. All her quirks aside...it would feel strange not having her around.