Team Austin is a vibrant group of young individuals who are passionate about Judaism, community and having a whole lot of fun! One Team Austin volleyball player, Kendall Miller, has been a part of the Jewish community deep in the heart of Texas for her entire life. From attending a Jewish day school through 8th grade, to participating in synagogue and BBYO events, you can say that Kendall has a very strong Jewish identity and enjoys being a part of the Jewish community. One of her favorite parts of being a Jewish teen is having the opportunity to attend the JCC Maccabi Games. In 2004 the JCC Maccabi games were held in Austin Texas. At this time Kendall was just three and her family hosted some teens from Maryland. “My parents told me that when we hosted I drew pictures of them. They also told me that I was angry that they were sleeping in my bed” Kendall said. At that age Kendall didn’t really know what the JCC Maccabi Games were all about but she did get another opportunity in 2013 when the games came back to Austin. At that time Kendall was twelve and decided that she was going to be a swimmer. “The JCC Maccabi Games was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I loved having so many Jewish people in Austin where you cant find so many”. The next time the games came around Kendall knew that she was going to participate but this time it would be different. Kendall was going to be a volleyball player. Because Austin has such great community Kendall was able to bond with the older girls on her team and really felt like they were family. Kendall knew that every year would be just as amazing as the one before, but she also knew that she would grow up and every year she would have a different experience. “So far the JCC Maccabi Games this year have been amazing. I love meeting so many new people. This year there was a surprise though. As I opened my swag bag I found an ad with my face on it. My young twelve year old face. This really made me think about my experiences at the games. I remembered how I have changed and it made me feel proud of my accomplishments”.
Kendall with her twelve year old face