Can I Play? (Club)

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“Can I Play? is the kind of book that sticks with you long after the final page. It’s more than a sports story; it’s a vulnerable, often gut-wrenching reflection on what it means to pursue a dream that feels just out of reach. What I appreciated most was the emotional transparency. Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, or just someone who's ever wrestled with “what if,” you’ll find pieces of yourself in this story. That is what makes it powerful!" -- Dan

"It made me laugh out loud and wipe tears away from my eyes!"                                                       --Malia Kauhane, Volleyball Mom

 

Can I Play? By John Dillard

Keli is a small-town high school athlete who feels trapped. She’s the best player her town has, yet she knows there’s more to the game than what she’s been exposed to. Her mom is widowed and works long hours at the town’s only café, leaving little time or money for Keli to have played club sports growing up.

By chance—or fate—Keli gets the opportunity to attend a high-level volleyball camp. Suddenly, she’s surrounded by athletes who seem faster, smarter, and more advanced in their understanding of volleyball. The gaps are real. The doubt is loud. It’s a moment many players experience but rarely talk about. If not for Ashley, Keli may not have lasted the week.

Ashley is confident, skilled, and a natural leader. Instead of judging Keli like some of the others, she sees her—and her raw, freakish talent. A friendship forms, over the course of the week, Ashley pushes Keli to do something that changes everything: leave her comfort zone, leave her school and come play for her team in the city, all to chase her dream of a college scholarship. That decision is where the story truly begins.

What follows feels almost impossible for any teenager. Keli must face her lifelong teammates and friends—especially the boy next door—and tell them she’s changing schools to give herself a better chance. She’s met with complete rejection. The town is shocked and unwilling to accept her decision. Keli has grown up hearing stories of her father’s athletic heroics, and the community longs for a repeat through her and her teammates.

Every day, Keli walks into a massive city school where some players don’t want her there, chants say she isn’t good enough, and tryouts feel stacked against her. Every night, she comes home to the fallout.

Keli’s journey isn’t about instant success. It’s about belief, effort, becoming a student of the game, and learning that growth can be uncomfortable—but worth it. Everything is against her except her work ethic, her determination, and one teammate who showed her a belief that Keli just followed.

Can I Play? shows how some friendships are formed under pressure, how leaders emerge, and how players begin to understand what real development truly requires. It’s why teams use it as a team read. It’s why parents say it opens conversations at home. And it’s why players don’t just finish the book... they carry it with them, onto the court and beyond.

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