This Cook Confession isn’t coming from the most famous Cook, John. It isn’t even coming from the second most famous Cook, Wendy. It is coming from me, Lauren, and I have a lot to say in this week’s Lo-Down.
Since we began the Lo-Down a couple of years ago, I have never really taken the time to write a post about how appreciative I am for everyone who has made this successful. From the managing editor of Hail Varsity, to my parents, my husband and all of the loyal readers, I have a lot of people to thank.
A few years ago, when Brandon Vogel asked me about potentially writing a column all about volleyball at Nebraska to help the fans understand the terminology and complexity of the game better, I thought he was crazy. I always had a hard time in writing classes and I never ever pictured myself as a writer. However, long story short, all you need is someone who believes in you and anything can happen.
That person was Brandon and he is one of the reasons why Hail Varsity does what they do so well. He has helped brainstorm topics for the Lo-Down, he has read every single one, probably multiple times, he makes edits, he even has taken the time to give me feedback. He is truly one of the most selfless and talented individuals that I know. Thank you, Brandon, for making all of this a reality.
The next few people I need to thank include family members. From Coach Cook, who retweeted and commented on almost every Lo-Down. To my mom, Wendy, who always asked me to text her the link to the articles, so she could read them and send them to her friends. And, finally, to my husband Jason who would always help me brainstorm topics and read over what I wrote before I sent it off to Brandon, thank you. I believe I have one of the best support systems around and they truly push me to take on new challenges and have helped me to be a better version of myself every single day.
Finally, I need to thank you all who continued to read the Lo-Down week after week and Union Bank for finding enough value in my work to sponsor it. Without your support, we could not have kept the Lo-Down going on for this long. From every comment to every critique, I saw it and I appreciated it. Nothing brings me more joy than knowing that we have so many people who care about the sport and Nebraska volleyball as a program. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My whole goal when the Lo-Down began was to simply inform volleyball enthusiasts more about the game and bring to light some of the “behind the scenes” people and terminology that isn’t used every day. I hope that I have provided that to you all and that I have shed more light on a sport that means so much to me.
