#SUNWRiteFun Entry

I took a break from illustrating my Mix and Match challenge entries to take part in the #SunWriteFun contest. You can check out all the details and other entries here. 

The challenge: Write a non-fiction of informational fiction piece centered around the theme of "sports(-)ship". 
Word Limit: 200 words

I had an entry all ready about how Pickleball got its name, but when I went to post it, I saw that someone else had already submitted an entry about the same story. So I decided to write something new.

Two topics near and dear to my heart instantly came to mind. 
1) Volleyball. I've played since I was in 5th grade, and my husband John and I met in a league here in Seattle. 
2) Epilepsy. Our son Leo has a form of epilepsy called Doose Syndrome. He's doing well on medication, luckily, but I'd love to see more epileptic characters represented in the kid lit world.
So I thought: maybe there was some famous volleyball player who has epilepsy?

Imagine my surprise when I saw that there is a volleyball tournament that raises funds for epilepsy research. Oh, and it's played in the mud.

​Ding-ding-ding! We had a winning topic.

Since my niece Opal has been spending a lot of time with us this summer, I decided to have her take a starring role in my entry, along with Leo (of course). Here it is, along with a quick Procreate illustration I did.

Mud Angels

199 words

The Dirty Thirty Mud Volleyball for Epilepsy tournament was about to begin.
All 35 courts were ready: 
nets stretched tight, 
boundary lines marked, 
field freshly flooded.
 
Opal watched from the sideline:
ponytail braided,
shoes duct taped to feet, 
nails freshly purpled to match her event t-shirt.
She was finally old enough to play, but wasn’t going out there until absolutely necessary. 
 
---------end excerpt-----------