Serving with Deer – A Wild Morning with Coach Chijo 🏐🦌

It was early FRIDAY  morning, and the air smelled like pine needles and fresh determination. Coach Chijo was already at the court, bouncing a volleyball in his hand like it owed him money.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Bring that energy! Today’s all about precision serving!” he shouted, spinning his whistle around his neck with flair. “We’re aiming zones. Corners. Short balls. Deep lines. No lazy serves today!”

The girls groaned playfully as they jogged onto the court.

“Coach, it’s 7 A.M.,” said Mikayla, still yawning.
“Exactly!” Coach Chijo grinned. “That’s when legends are made.”

Everyone started warming up. The net was tight. The lines were chalked. The sun was rising over the treeline behind the court, golden rays streaking through the trees like spotlight beams.

Coach Chijo clapped twice. “Alright! ‘Serve the Zone’ drill. Each of you gets three serves. Miss your spot, drop and give me five pushups!”

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the trees.

The players froze.

Coach Chijo’s head snapped toward the sound like a hawk.

Then out of the trees... stepped a massive, antlered deer.

For a moment, nobody said a word. The deer stood right on the edge of the court, blinking slowly like he owned the place.

“Whoa…” whispered Janiyah. “Is that real?”

“Nahhh,” Coach Chijo said slowly. “That’s not just a deer. That’s a serving spirit.”

The girls stared at him.

“You heard me!” he pointed at the deer. “That right there is nature’s referee. You miss your serve while he’s watching, you disrespect the forest gods!”

The players giggled nervously.

Coach Chijo walked to the sideline, squatted down like he was in a coaching movie, and pointed to the deer. “That’s Buckimus. Guardian of the Back Line.”

The deer sniffed the air, then sat down right beside the court—literally sitting down like a calm dog—watching them.

Coach Chijo turned back. “What y’all waiting for? Serve like your volleyball future depends on it!”

The drill began. Serve after serve, the girls found their rhythm. Janiyah hit a perfect corner shot. Laila dropped a short serve right on the line. Even Tamika, who usually overpowered the ball, placed a smooth floater that kissed the end zone.

Every time someone missed, they looked over at the deer, as if expecting judgment. One time, the deer actually stood up, and everyone screamed like a referee had thrown a red card.

Coach Chijo fell on the floor laughing.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” he hollered. “He’s in your head! He’s coaching y’all better than me!”

The energy was wild. Focused. Magical.

And then, just as quickly as he came, the deer stood up, looked around one last time, and trotted off into the woods.

The team stood still.

Coach Chijo took off his cap and placed it over his heart. “We honor you, Buckimus. Go with peace. We’ll serve with purpose.”

The players burst out laughing.

That day, they didn’t just improve their serves—they got a story to tell forever.

From then on, whenever someone was struggling with accuracy, Coach Chijo would just say, “Serve like Buckimus is watching.”

And they always delivered.

Under Coach Chijo, even a surprise deer visit turns into a legendary training session. Whether it’s a drill or a moment of magic, you better bring your best… because nature might be watching. 🏐🦌