04/09/2022
For anyone who thinks volleyball (or sports in general) are all about the wins or losses:
I remember so clearly watching the ball hit the floor & hearing the refs blow their whistles… 𝙢𝙮 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙.
I was heartbroken, to say the least 💔
I’ve spent the past 10 years of my life dedicated to this sport more than anything else in my life…
& it was all over, just like that?
I let myself get bitter because of how much vball took from me.
Like all the missed opportunities to just be a normal “college kid”...
👉 Staying in at night bc of early morning workouts
👉 Never playing hooky bc of the terrifying repercussions of skipping
👉 All the missed house parties from traveling on the weekends
It was easy to think all those years of hard-core 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵 & 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 were all for nothing…
… Until I realized it was for 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙔𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 to this day.
Man, bc of this sport I am exactly who I am today…
✅ I learned I can survive being pushed beyond my physical & mental limits💪
✅ I learned I gotta work for what I want & nothing will be handed to me
✅ I learned taking an L is all part of the game & the best way to learn
✅ I learned I can take an a$$ whooping like a champ 😂
✅ I learned how to lead & influence with actions & words
✅ I learned my genetics & uncontrollable circumstances do NOT dictate my success… but that hard work & the quality of my decisions do💯
✅ I learned that skills take time to develop & that patience is KEY with building anything great
✅ I learned that in order to be different, my decisions & lifestyle should look different
✅ I learned how to manage my emotions, keep composure, & perform under pressure
✅ I learned that my body can do INCREDIBLE things
✅ I learned that in order to be the best, you have to work harder & smarter than the rest
✅ & I’ve developed some of my most valued relationships with people who have become my closest friends for a lifetime ❤️
I’ve joked about forgetting I ever played 😂 & gave vball very little credit for who I’ve grown to be, but quite frankly…
It’s MADE me who I am today & for that I’m thankful ❤️🏐
