An athlete works for the majority of his/her life to be the best that they can be, whether that means making Varsity or playing at the next level. No matter the level of skill, all athletes have goals. Junior Katherine Barr is a prime example of an athlete that has goals and then achieves those goals. Barr has recently accepted a full-ride scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa to play volleyball.

It is common for athletes to start playing sports at a young age, however, Barr did not begin playing volleyball until her first year of middle school.

“I started playing volleyball at Emmons in sixth grade,” Barr said. “I was an active kid and wanted to try every sport I could, and volleyball was one of them.”

Whether she realized it or not, Barr was making a life-changing decision when she decided to try something new that day. Volleyball has taught Barr many life lessons that she never thought would become so valuable. Learning the importance of hard work and relationships with teammates has helped shape Barr into the person she is today.

“Volleyball requires you to always be at your best and to rely on your teammates being on theirs as well,” Barr said. “This has taught me how to work well with a team and that hard work truly does pay off.”

While it is uncommon for an athlete to receive a full-ride scholarship, it is even more rare for that athlete to only be a junior in high school. Barr shows what being an athlete is; her work ethic and skill on the volleyball court is what helped her to receive this scholarship, and she deserves it. Barr cannot wait to play at the next level.

“It feels amazing to know that I get to continue doing what I love and to do it somewhere that is also going to prepare me best for my future,” Barr said. “It’s exciting that it is my junior year because it takes the pressure of being recruited away and allows me to play to have fun and to have a successful season.”