
Both occasions left me feeling proud and grateful, but a little uneasy. Did the translator have questions while working on this project and, if so, who answered them? Did they get the translation right? Was my worldview big enough when I was writing to include audiences around the world? What am I supposed to do with 10 copies of a book about volleyball written in Greek and Chinese?
One of the reasons I was excited to write this book in the first place was the image of a parent reading it in order to help coach their child’s team; the image of a student in an activity class learning to love a new game they never had the opportunity to play competitively; the image of a young boy or girl unwrapping it as a present on Christmas morning eager to learn more about a sport they love. Those are not images unique to those who speak English but occur in cultures around the world. I am glad that they have access to this book and hope that it helps cultivate a love for sport and play that can’t be confined to specific characters or punctuation.
