So, I had this bright idea last week. Really bright. I thought, “Hey, why not try volleyball again?” It’s been, what, a decade? Maybe more. I used to be okay, you know, back in the day. Or at least, that’s what my memory decided to tell me.
Man, oh man. What a reality check. I got out there, found an old ball, and just started trying some basic stuff. Serving, first. You’d think serving would be simple enough. Nope. Half my serves barely cleared my side of the imaginary net, and the other half went sailing off into the neighbor’s yard. My arms felt like lead after about ten minutes. My timing? Completely off. I was swinging at air more often than not.
Then I tried a bit of bumping. Or, what I thought was bumping. The ball was going everywhere but where I wanted it. My knees were already complaining. I felt like a newborn giraffe trying to walk. It was, to put it mildly, a humbling experience. Totally humbling.
It really got me thinking, though. When you watch professionals, any professional athlete really, they make it look so darn easy. Smooth, powerful, effortless. But trying it yourself, even a little bit, after a long break? It just smacks you in the face how much work and dedication goes into that. Hours and hours of practice, day in, day out. That’s some serious commitment.
And my mind wandered to those super-driven athletes, the ones who just seem to have that extra gear. Carli Lloyd, for instance. Now, I know, I know, she’s a soccer icon. A legend. Total powerhouse on the field. But for a moment there, as I was flailing around with that volleyball, I actually found myself thinking, “I wonder if someone like Carli Lloyd ever played volleyball?”
It was just a thought, you know? Someone with that kind of intense focus, that raw athletic ability, you just imagine they could pick up almost any sport and be pretty darn good at it. I could just picture that same intensity she brought to soccer, but on a volleyball court. Spiking the ball with that fierce determination. It’s funny the things you think about when you’re trying not to trip over your own feet.
Of course, she made her mark in soccer, and what a mark it was. But the whole experience, my own sad attempt at volleyball, it just reminded me of the kind of grit it takes to be great at anything. Not just sports, but anything. It’s not just talent; it’s the grind. And seeing that in athletes like her, well, it’s inspiring, even if my own volleyball “practice” was mostly a record of what not to do. Definitely a lesson learned. Maybe I’ll stick to just watching for a while.