What I learned about life playing volleyball

April 20, 2021 3 min read

Volleyball has been in my life for more than 20 years and it taught me a lot - here are some takeaways on what I learned about life playing volleyball - I'm talking about indoor volleyball now:

Clean Aces are Money – There are times in life that you get an ace. No one is ready for what you have coming and you get a point – just like that. You may get a string of aces or you may just get one or two in a match, but when the opportunity arises take it, be thankful and let that point to propel you to your next rally. You may not get one again for a while, so strike while the iron is hot.
Hit Hard, Watch Good Things Happen – hit the ball. Stop being afraid to swing hard. You might not be able to power through a three-woman/man block on a low set inside, but it’s gonna sound good no matter the outcome. Swing away when the chance arises!
Life is All About Angles – in order to be able and score consistently you'll need to go outside your approach line and use some angle. Life is about angles. Not everything you encounter will be cut and dry. Not every path is marked off. You’re gonna hit some rocky terrain or stumble across sudden turns and forks in the road; the better you are at adapting to all the angles, the better off you will be.
Still Sometimes You Gotta Hit Line – I can barely even say the words “hit line” but sometimes it must be done. Sometimes you have to go against the sure thing and hit line. That middle is too big, that ball is too low, everything is all wrong. Square your shoulders and hit the line. And you better hit it hard, because if anyone gets a hand on it’s going to end up back in your face. The least you can do is take a pinky off the right side blocker if you don’t get a clean shot and it’s a kill all the same.
Swing at Everything – Whether you hit it out or got blocked or kept thevolleyball ball in play, at least you went down swinging. I embarrassed myself many times swinging at sets that I couldn’t hit, but that’s what eventually made me a good hitter. You have to be willing to take a chance and take a swing. In life or on the court, you’ll never know what you are capable of if you don’t take a swing.
Good Blocks End Plays – Boundaries are good for us. In volleyball, blockers are the first line of defense. Good blocks end plays and even touches take the heat off the ball. In life, relationships, work – you need boundaries. You need to be able to block out the toxic stuff in your life. You’re ability to say “yes” to the things that will make you thrive and “no” to the things that will drag you down can determine your success in so many ways. Remember, even the touches take the heat off thevolleyball ball.
Watch the Setter – Being a great observer will get you everywhere. When you watch the setter, she/he gives you cues on where the ball is going. Outside, middle, over on two. When you observe in life you get cues on your next play. Watch everything. Track nuances. Read emotions and non-verbals. Learn to be an observer and act on what you see.
Don’t look at the bench – Unless you want to end up there, don’t look over there. Especially after a mistake. Trust yourself and the coaches to know when it's time to change a player - and: I have never seen one player in my life who did not make NO mistake. World champions, Olympic champions, everybody makes mistakes - it's part of the game!

Losing Builds Character – Losing is part of the game - and YES , we do learn a lot from it. Most of the time it just fuels the fire to win and sometimes it even makes you cry. This is true in work and in relationships. Losing builds character, but it totally sucks. Everyone has to endure a few losses, it’s just part of the game. Learn from it and move on - one thing I always asked myself after a loss: did I give everything? Was there anything I could have done better? So at least you won't do the same mistake twice.
Winning Feels Amazing – All wins feel amazing. I’ll take an ugly “w” over any loss any day of the week. In the famous words of Ignacio (Nacho Libre) – “I want to WIN!”