Hard work pays off for Beasley

 

Reprinted here in its entirety from The Times-Journal   By Jared Felkins The Times-Journal   Published July 18, 2008 For former Fort Payne volleyball standout Paige Beasley, hard work keeps on paying big dividends. Following a stellar career at Fort Payne and Gadsden State Community College, Beasley decided to take a chance and tried to walk on at Division I Jacksonville State University in January. After all, she was first-team All-State and academic All-Region at Gadsden both years she played. So Beasley started practicing with the Gamecocks in February. “We had worked for about two months,” Beasley said. “My coach told me about a week before the spring season I was a member of the team.” But on this journey, Beasley faced paying for college and housing herself for the first time. It’s getting close to school starting back this week when Beasley’s hard work paid off once again. “My coach had a scholarship open just for this upcoming year,” Beasley said. “He said, ‘Just come to my office and we can talk about it.’ I was expecting bad news. He explained the scholarship came open for this year that begins in August. He had decided I had established myself as part of the team. He said it was all he could give me right now. And I cried. It was awesome.” Beasley said the one-year scholarship was both unexpected and exciting. “I really didn’t think about a scholarship this summer because my coach hasn’t gotten to see me practice and improve,” Beasley said. “Volleyball is one of those few sports where you either get a full ride or nothing. “Really this is the biggest scholarship I’ve ever had. Junior college scholarships don’t include housing. Now that I am going to be living on campus, this will include everything.” But for the 2006 Fort Payne graduate and two-time All-State player, Beasley said it was a dream come true. “I’ve been following JSU volleyball since I was in eighth grade,” she said. “This isn’t just a regular team. This is a team I’ve been going to camps since I was in seventh grade and been going to games since I was in eighth grade. “I really feel honored to be a part of the team and honored to be considered scholarship material. It’s really a blessing.” Beasley credits her junior college career as one of the stepping stones in preparing to play Division I volleyball. “I really feel like my junior college experience has been good experience for where I am now,” Beasley said. “When I came to JSU, I saw some people who were doing some things I couldn’t do. But I said I could learn to do those things. I felt like I could be coached into doing those things well. Everything I have done has changed.” As for the rest of the summer, Beasley said she’s practicing and getting ready to compete on the next level. “Right now, I’m playing defense, so that is what I am focusing on at this time,” Beasley said. “I’ve been running and working out and am ready to play anywhere they put me.” Coaches have told her she will be a defensive specialist when the fall season starts. “It’s just mainly passing, servicing and defense,” she said. “I don’t play front row or anything. Our job is to get the offense started.” The Jacksonville State volleyball season starts at the end of August.

 

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