Volleyball

Volleyball is crucial in my professional journey as it has taught me some of the most important lessons I have implemented into my work life. When I started volleyball, I was far from good, in fact, I was a BAD player. This led me to feel incompetent, demotivated, and honestly left wanting to give up. As funny as this sounds, I remember watching the anime titled 'Haikyuu', a volleyball-themed anime that spoke about the struggles of becoming a better player and dealing with the emotions that come with it. I decided to change my mindset and view the sport as a learning curve, staying dedicated, motivated, and determined.  I used my negative emotions as fuel to amplify learning, from watching YouTube videos to asking my coach for extra instructions and practicing outside training during my free time. I remember my 6 ft 5 coach asking me to serve the ball over his head to improve my serves, you can imagine 5 ft 7 me was very reluctant to do so because, for one, I wasn't interested in the thought of slamming a volleyball into the back of my coach's head. He's an amazing coach but he's known to be quite...scary at times. I got over this fear and week after week he asked me to repeat this process because he would always say "Practice is the only way to improvement". Although scary to overcome, his methods are what got me to where I am today, bless his heart. Like any proud parent, he tells this story to every individual willing to listen! The repetition, determination, and focus are what led me to become a top player in my team and receive the "Volleyball Rising Star" Award at the University Student Awards. I will always cite volleyball as what pushed me to become the determined, relentless, and dedicated person I am today.