How playing volleyball changed my life
If ever there is one sport I would be playing in my entire lifetime, then it would be volleyball. I would not mind all the bruises and scratches I can get from playing this sport I love. Others may only regard this as nothing more than a mere sport, where one team wins, and the other loses. That after the game, everything else is nothing worthy of existence. But not for me. It is more than a sport, as it should be.
When did it all start
It all started out when I was in Junior High School. Seeing my seniors play the sport I never knew I would love made me envious. And as days went by, where every afternoon, they would gather up to form and make two teams. While playing, I can still remember how happy each and every one of them was. And I wanted to experience that as well, but the opportunity did not come to me back then.
And as soon as I was about to lose the passion that once ignited within me, it rekindled. The opportunity came knocking at my door! It was our school’s intramurals, and every school year level was forming teams for every sport, volleyball included. So the part of me who wanted to experience playing volleyball got excited. And so I tried. Me being fortunate enough, I got accepted and I was given the chance to represent our year level – Sophomore.
And that was when I started playing volleyball. At first, I was nothing better than an elementary student who did not know how to pass the ball properly. Much more to pass it to our designated setter to create a play, and end the rally. But that did not stop me from trying. I strived to be better, and better I became.
Playing this very sport did not only bring me enjoyment inside the court. It also helped me throughout my life not just as a play, but also as a person. And here are some of the life lessons I learned from playing volleyball.
Life is like volleyball…
We always get hurt after saving the ball, we always have bruises after the hard fall. And sometimes, we get scarred, or worse, we get injured. But only if we play it recklessly, and without giving it a second thought. But for the sake of the game, we still give our very best, not just to win but also to gain experiences. Just like volleyball, our lives are like that as well. We get hurt, and every time we do, we learn from it. That is just how life should be, an endless cycle of learning and getting new experiences.
Also, in volleyball, the two teams on each side of the court only have three touches granted for them to pass the ball over the net and into their opponents. This is a way for the sport to have a moderated rally, but an intense one at that. The first touch is meant to receive the ball, second is to set it properly. And the last is for either hitting it hard or not, depending on the situation. That is what the rally in volleyball is like. And life is like that, we are only granted limited chances to shoot our shot! Thus, proper execution of our actions is badly needed. We can not afford to lose the chance granted to us.
We must also expect the opponent to have a play of their own, and spike the ball as hard as they can. And we must do our very best not the let the ball hit the floor. Because once it did, they score. With that, life will do its very best to shake us, and take away our confidence in continuing. We just have to be steadfast and not lose our cool.
Volleyball Takeaway
If ever there is one thing volleyball taught me, it is how to respond to the joy from winning or the knowledge gained from losing. This sport is not all about winning or losing after all. It is more than that.
Sometimes we win, and sometimes we get new experiences and learned from them. Things do not usually go the way you planned, and it is normal. It is the beauty of this sport and life in general. Not everything is predictable, and it is our duty to adjust and cope with the changes. Volleyball after all is more than a sport, it is a platform to share and gain new experiences with others.
