Tardus Beach Volleyball Scholarship

Hi, my name is Rebecca Boone. Ever since I was 12 years old, I’ve been passionate about playing beach volleyball. The beach has always been a place where I feel at home, and my love for the sport has grown over the years. I am thrilled to announce that I will be attending Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, where I will have the incredible opportunity to play for their beach volleyball team. Beach volleyball is more than just a sport to me; it’s a way of life. Over the years, I have dedicated countless hours to training and improving my skills, always striving to be the best player I can be. This dedication has paid off, and I am honored to join the Eckerd College beach volleyball team. I am excited to contribute to the team and to continue growing as an athlete. While my dedication to beach volleyball is strong, my academic and professional aspirations are equally important to me. I have always been fascinated by the field of dentistry. The ability to help people maintain their oral health and improve their smiles is something that I find incredibly rewarding. My goal is to pursue a career in dentistry, with the ultimate aim of opening my own general dentistry practice across America. This ambition drives me to excel both on and off the court, as I work towards making a meaningful impact in the field of dental health. Attending Eckerd College is a significant step towards achieving my dreams. The college offers a unique combination of high-level athletics and a robust academic environment, which will provide me with the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in my future endeavors. The opportunity to play beach volleyball at a collegiate level is a dream come true, and I am eager to take on the challenges and opportunities that come with it. At the same time, I am committed to excelling in my academic studies and preparing for a successful career in dentistry. One of the things that excites me most about attending Eckerd College is the sense of community. I look forward to being part of a supportive and dynamic environment where I can grow both as an athlete and as a student. The college’s emphasis on experiential learning and community engagement aligns perfectly with my own values and goals. I am eager to participate in community service projects and to make a positive impact on the local community while pursuing my studies. In addition to the academic and athletic opportunities, I am excited about the personal growth that I will experience at Eckerd College. College is a time for exploration and self-discovery, and I am looking forward to meeting new people, trying new things, and broadening my horizons. The experiences and lessons I gain during my time at Eckerd will undoubtedly shape me into a well-rounded individual, ready to take on the challenges of the future. As I prepare to embark on this new chapter of my life, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and anticipation. I am grateful for the support of my family, friends, and coaches who have helped me reach this point. Their encouragement and belief in me have been instrumental in my journey. I am ready to embrace the challenges, to work hard, and to make the most of every moment. In conclusion, attending Eckerd College and playing for their beach volleyball team is a dream come true. It is an opportunity to pursue my passion for volleyball while also working towards my academic and professional goals in dentistry.

I fell in love with indoor volleyball and decided that I was going to play in college as a freshman in high school. At this time, I started doing all of the things to be recruited including spending thousands of dollars paying and travelling to play club volleyball. Everything changed my sophomore year when covid swept through the nation cancelling the season. It was at this point that I tried to find a beach volleyball club near me that could satisfy my need to play. I found one located 45 minutes away but was very nervous and skeptical. They had a tournament, and I signed up with my sister, just to give it a go and see what could happen. These people were instantly loving, caring, and accepting of the two stranger that walked onto their courts. After talking to the owners, I began taking privates, and it was evident that beach came much more naturally than indoor. I was always told my hands were too slow for indoor, but I never actually understood what that meant until I was playing beach volleyball. I began playing more and more, traveling all over Texas playing and meeting people. I played coed, Women's, juniors, doubles, fours, or grass. I just was addicted to the sport. In fall of 2021 I was recruited to play beach at Missouri State University, but that was when my relationship with the sport began to fall apart. The summer of my freshman year I hated it, I felt like no matter what I did, I wasn't getting better, and I wasn't having fun. My sophomore year I was diagnosed with depression, and was given pills that "would solve my problem". The summer after my sophomore year I stopped taking the pills and I focused on happiness and realized that my happiness came from playing beach volleyball back home, and I was once again in love with the sport. I met many amazing people that wanted my success and happiness, this support rebuilt my confidence and helped me become motivated again. I am deciding to transfer to UMHB, which is back home, close to my friends, family, and the club that built my foundation with beach volleyball. My fiancé and I want to have our own beach club where we host events and coach juniors to adults and create the same environment that was created for us when we first started playing the sport. We will keep this club/location until it has really succeeded and can pay for itself. At that point we will then work on different careers and keep the beach volleyball club as a hobby and a way to feel positive energy from doing something we love. He wants to be an NFL recruiter, and I want to be a Paramedic.

Why do I want to play beach volleyball in college? If I could, I would play it all day, every day! I feel incredibly blessed that I get to play the best sport in the world. Nothing beats it. However, I am from Colorado and that has its challenges. A landlocked state with 5 months of winter. Don’t get me wrong, we have warm days and can be outside, but often the snow is falling. My love for beach volleyball started in 7th grade, it was 2020. No one was playing their sport, but in the foothills of the mountains, there were 40 kids learning this crazy sport called beach volleyball. My mom took me one day to the Flourish Club and I was hooked. That summer I was there 4 days a week, 3 hours a day. Loving every second! In the winter of 2021, I decided to give up indoor volleyball and pursue beach 100%. With beach I get to use all my skills…serve, pass, set, block, and kill! It’s just my partner and me. No one subbing in. I have learned and continue to perfect the mental strategy of the game. So, I have come across many challenges. The club Flourish eventually closed, court availability is limited and finding high level training is difficult. I have found ways around these challenges by traveling for training, competing in big tournaments, partnering with girls from other states, training with women and doing semi-private lessons. I work out at 5:45am to increase my strength, endurance and vertical jump. The challenges have not stopped me from pursuing my dreams of playing beach volleyball at the Division 1 level. I am proud to share that I am committed to the University of North Alabama and will be starting there this August. I decided to play beach volleyball in college because it’s my passion. Being part of the fastest growing NCAA collegiate sport is exciting. I want to play at the highest level, be challenged, do my best, perform every skill and compete on a team. Another challenge is Colorado has one university with a beach program. It is a strong D2 program, but I want to play D1. By attending UNA I will be 1,200 miles away from home. Education is expensive itself, but the travel costs will add up. My parents have been my biggest supporters with their time and covering the expenses endured these past five years for me to pursue my dream. However, my dad retired from the steel industry and is on a fixed income. My mom, who works with older adults, was forced out of her job two years ago. She’s never made much money, but now her income is significantly lower. By applying for scholarships, I am doing my part to help cover the cost for my education. I plan to study Sports Management and have a career in sports. I love athletics! Currently I am a member of the Colorado Women’s Sport Collective. At events I meet women in the sports industry which are opening my eyes to different opportunities. I am the 2025 Ambassador for Team Speed, the gym where I work out at. Lastly, I am coaching beach volleyball to 14U girls. I am still figuring out the exact direction my career will go, whether it’s management, marketing, events or media, but ultimately, I want to coach! My goal is to help beach volleyball to continue growing and make a lasting impression on youth and young adults. Just like those who coached and helped shape me to who I am today.

I LOVE beach volleyball and in 8th grade I made a promise to myself to do whatever was needed to play in college. I became intensely focused and committed to this sport. Stepping away from indoor club volleyball to focus on beach was one of the hardest decisions of my life - but my hard work and determination paid off! Last October I committed to a D1 beach program at the University of Pacific. However, this is a very expensive institution, and like many in our under-served area of El Dorado County, we need help paying for college. Looking back at countless practices and workouts, tournaments in the LA area, and missed social events, I have no regrets and would do it all over again! Nothing in life beats the feeling of being completely locked in during competition. It's a euphoric feeling when getting an insane dig, only to pop up immediately to take a nasty swing at the ball your partner has perfectly set up. After those plays, all you seem to hear are the waves, the screaming seagulls, and cheers from your parents and partner. There is no doubt in my mind that this is where I'm meant to be! The feeling is head-and-shoulders above other sports - and surpasses anything that can happen in an indoor tournament with 100s of clubs stuffed into a room with a ceiling. Another beautiful thing about beach volleyball is that you don't have to be great to enjoy it. No matter the skill level, smiles and laughter are always surrounding a beach game, be it at a random park with low nets and no lines set up, or at the Hermosa stop of the AVP tour with Olympians battling for points (Something I was able to witness a couple summers ago, making me fall more in love with the sport!). Being on the sand is just better. Beach volleyball seems like it was always a constant for me. Something I could turn to no matter what was happening in my life. The feeling of being on a beach competing and glancing out at the ocean always puts things into perspective for me. It reminds me of how large the world truly is, how many people there are to meet, and of the life-changing experiences waiting for me. This also makes me realize we are truly small - though this realization didn't come with feelings of despair. It made me realize that after graduation I didn't want to sit and look back at my collegiate career, being never able to move forward, missing all the experiences and people that could change who I am for the better. I plan to use my grit and determination earned through my recruiting process (and while competing as a D1 athlete) to propel myself into medical school as a Naval Officer. These aspirations complement my passions and values (like working hard while being a positive force in the world). A career in the military will provide an opportunity to keep improving myself and those around me. The process of getting through medical school and becoming a certified doctor will take constant discipline - but I am up for the challenge! It is a plan that may be daunting to others, but to me it fuels me with excitement and inspiration. If chosen for the Tardus Beach Volleyball Scholarship, I will work tirelessly to honor your decision and act proudly as an ambassador on the beach for this great sport.