Man, I played the crappiest volleyball game yesterday. Maybe I’m just down because it was my team’s first loss this season. The team we played was one of those teams with a bunch of jumpy, manly, hard-hitting guys. They had the two required females, who obviously felt inferior to the guys’ playing ability. Our team, on the other hand, has all girls and two boys. So, I feel pretty good when we hold our own up against the crazy boy teams.
Anyway, I had a couple of really good hits. But, I’m mostly remembering the stupid hits. The ones where I got a piece of the ball and sent it flying the wrong direction. Or the times I tried to tap it up to the setter, but hit it too hard and gave the manly men a perfect set with which to smash it back in my face. It was indeed a hard game. I know I was capable of better play but it just wasn’t there last night.
I was reflecting on how volleyball, or any sport game for that matter, is kind of like life condensed in a short period of time. You have a good hit and everyone gives you high-fives and you feel all good about yourself. Then a crazy ball comes and you hit it out to the bleachers. Everyone gives you a “it’s okay, better next time!” kind of thing. You try to shake it off. Then you hit another crappy ball and another. Then people start telling you what to do. “Turn your body! Angle to the net!” Blah blah blah. And you know how to hit it, but for some dumb reason you’re just not hitting it right. You start to feel bad. “Why am I playing this???” you ask yourself. But then, you hit another super ball and you’re feeling good. High-fives all around.
And you experience all of these ups and downs in the course of one game. I guess I think playing volleyball has not only been super for me physically, but also in strengthening me mentally. I need to focus on evening out my emotions. Not letting big hits go to my head and bad hits get me down. I need to look at every ball as a new day, a fresh start, and attack it with all I have an know. Then, after it’s hit, learn from it, forget about it, then prep for the next ball. Kind of like life…
Steph Lewis's Blog
Well said, I have many of the same feelings playing any kind of sport. Heh, that night when Josh and I went out and played volleyball while I was visiting was much the same. I USED to play a lot of volleyball during HS, but now a lot of that has been lost, and needs to be regained. So I’d be getting advice on how to hit, etc. and I KNEW all that. My body just needed time to remember how to do it, etc.
And sometimes you have off nights. Those are particularly bad, as you said, when you’re playing against good players. Makes crummy play even worse. And yes, this even applies to gaming. You guys think I own up all the time in that BF 1942 game, but there are others just as good or better. I do fine with them when I’m all there, but the night’s I’m not playing so well? Frustration and anger!
I’d also say sports are a good reason I’m not quite as hard on myself as I used to be. I learned to let things go and improve, which, as you said, applies to life and sports. Mmmmhhhmmmm.
Hey Steph, has the subscription been working?
Star 51 Concert on Halloween night at PBC North! Just to let you know! ~.^