I walked into freshman year so ambitious but I had no idea what was coming at me.
“Alanna, sit down.” My biology teacher said. I looked around to see who she meant and I realized she was talking to me.
“That’s not my name.” I told her, afraid to speak louder because my classmates were already looking at me and I could feel myself blushing.
“Well what is your name?” She yelled back at me while I sat in my assigned desk.
“It’s Aliah” I said but I didn’t say it loud enough for her to hear.
“What?!” she replied for me to talk louder
“Her name is Aliah and that is very rude to be talking to a student like that. She is very nice and you have no right to bully her like that” My cousin said as she stood up for me.
“Everyone sit down so we can start the lesson” She said right before she glared at me like I was the one who started it.
I didn’t really think that that was going to be how my first biology class was going to be but I was very thankful that my cousin had my back like that. For the rest of the day she sat by me in every class we had together and made sure I was okay right before I went to a class that she wasn’t in. She was the highlight of my day for doing that for me but none of my other classes were like.
That night, I rode the bus home from volleyball practice and like always, I fell asleep. When I got home, I ate then went to my room to start on my homework. I had 6 assignments from one day and I only got 4 done. I stayed up till 11 and worked on what I could. I then fell asleep mid assignment then woke up a half an hour passed my alarm. I shot out of bed and ran to go get in the shower. When I got out of the shower I just braided my hair and grabbed a granola bar and went to my car. When I am the first one outside, I pull out of the driveway and wait for my siblings. That day my siblings were running a little later than me and I thought I was gonna make us miss the bus.
By the time that games started coming around, I had nothing below a C+. I was really proud of myself because I never had grades like this since 6th grade because moving from Rockyford to Red Cloud was really hard and it took me three years to get with it. I can’t talk about my freshman year unless I talk about volleyball because it was such a huge part of it since I was in 4th grade. In the first couple of practices I wasn’t able to show the coaches my worth and that I could be able to be a starter. So I ended up just playing in the second set and it upset me so bad. I was so upset that after our first game, I cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, I thought to myself “I refuse to go through the rest of the volleyball season like this.” So I worked harder than I have ever. I ran all the sprints and I showed my coach that I was worthy. I ran everyday before and after school when I could and forced myself not to eat or drink anything that wasn’t healthy for my body.
Eventually a starter got moved up to JV and there was an opening for a starter and my coach held a practice on the next Saturday and I knew that it was for someone to prove that they were worthy of the spot as a starter. I got there a half an hour early and ran laps and stretched. When the coach walked in and seen me with my headphones in running 16’s, she stopped me and told me that practice didn’t start till 2 and I told her that I wanted to get a headstart on practice. She looked at me and told me right there that I got the spot as a starter. I got the biggest smile on my face and started hopping around like a bunny. She told me to settle down and get back to my practice. I smiled and kept going. When practice started, I didn’t want to say anything to any of the girls because I didn’t want to shove it in their faces that I already got it but the coach told everyone what I did and how she told everyone how dedicated I was to this team.
So for the rest of the season no one was able to take that spot away from me and I was super happy that I got that spot because my parents weren’t really sure if I was good enough to be playing but when I got to be a starter they encouraged me to keep playing because I was able to prove that I loved the sport and I was able to prove my worth as a starter because I gave 110% every practice and it showed when we played in the games. I was very proud of myself and I am very happy about how the season ended. It wasn’t good but it wasn’t bad. At the end of the season, the coach told us that we did better than last years C team because they ended the season at 2 - 12 and we ended the season at 7 - 7. I was very proud that we did so well compared to the team from before!
At the beginning of the season, it wasn’t so easy. I could barely run and I had a hard time breathing. I didn’t realize how out of shape I had gotten and I knew I wasn’t helping myself with eating a lot of unhealthy food. So I cut myself off. It was hard at first because I had a lot of cravings and it was especially hard to be going to the weight room as well. I went on and ran on my own at home. At first it was very antagonizing and very very difficult because when I would run, I would take one step and have to force my other to take another. I took me awhile but I finally got to the point where I would just run. Run without any struggle to catch my breath or no to trip over my own feet. At the beginning of the season, when we did warm ups, girls would be passing me up and I’d take two brakes and start to walk. By mid season, I was passing other girls up, I didn’t take no brakes and if I was all the way across the gym by the time the buzzer went off, I would finish my lap and then I would start stretching to kind of impress the coach but also to impress myself on how well I am doing.
LAKOTA
Ohaŋ, Mitákuyepi. Čhanté waštéya napé čhiyúzapi kštó.
Wašíčuya Aliah Steele emáčiyapi kštó.
Waníyetu maáke tópa.
Iná wayé kiŋ Lisa Steele ečiyapi.
Até wayé kiŋ Donovan Steele ečiyapi.
Uŋčí wayé kiŋ Debbie Hall ečiyapi.
Kaká wayé kiŋ Jackson Janis ečiyapi.
Kȟuŋší wayé kiŋ Darla Swain ečiyapi.
Tȟuŋkášíla wayé kiŋ Franklin Steele ečiyapi.
Oyúȟpe él wathí.
Mnilúzahe Otȟúŋwahe emátaŋhaŋ.
Janis and Steele thiyóšpaye emátaŋhaŋ.
Maȟpiya Lúta owáyawa él wabláwa.
TRANSLATION
Hello, all her relations. She gives you a good hearted hand shake.
Her name is Aliah Steele.
She is 14 years old.
Her mother’s name is Lisa Steele.
Her father’s name is Donovan Steele.
Her mother’s mom is Debbie Hall.
Her mother’s dad is Jackson Janis.
Her father’s mom is Darla Swain.
Her father’s dad is Franklin Steele.
She lives in Manderson.
She is from Rapid City.
Her relative band is Janis and Steele.
She goes to school at Red Cloud School.