Coasters: This is what fun is all about
Steve Virgen
Though winning matters, the inaugural season for the Orange Coast
College women’s badminton team is all about fun. And that fun couldn’t
have come at a better time for Kelly Overby.
Five months ago, Overby went through a kidney tranplant.
Today, her eyes light up when she talks about the sport she is
learning and the friends she has made because of it.
“We have a lot of laughs,” says the easy-going Overby.
Finally, a team sport is fun. At Calvary Chapel High, she played four
varsity years of volleyball and had been training in the Orange County
Volleyball Club for six years. It was always work, work, work. Everyday
there was a new challenge. But, none came greater than when she realized
her kidney failure in October of 1999. She then underwent dialysis three
days a week.
“That’s when it really hit me,” Overby said of the reality of her
fate. “Before, I really didn’t know what was going on.”
Then, last November, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, she had the kidney
transplant.
She never worried about death, much less her next semester at OCC.
“I just trusted that whatever happened to me was God’s will,” she
said.
Overby discovered badminton when she saw a poster advertising for team
members, while on campus. Yes, she joined for the fun aspect, but she has
come to realize that the sport isn’t like a recreation game at a picnic.
Speed is required. Coordination is a necessity. Intelligence and
technique is what’s separates the elite from the average players. And
like any other sport, courage, the ability to compete without backing
down, is what determines a true athlete.
Overby is no stranger to courage. She wanted to play badminton so she
could maintain her competitive spirit. That’s what’s fun for Overby.
Yet, she takes pleasure in the simple aspects of life. Friends. A new
day. And cookies.
When OCC cruised past visiting San Diego City Friday, 20-1, Overby
brought cookies for everyone. She also shared smiles with her friends.
When it was time for a team photo, she giggled with glee, capturing
the essence of pure joy. Though she is still learning about badminton,
her confident satisfaction causes her to appear as is she were a pro.
This is where she belongs. This is God’s will.
Soon, summer will come and she will experience other activities. She
will take advantage of her new kidney and in the fall she will advance
further in OCC sports.
“I’m going to try golf in the fall at OCC,” Overby said.
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