Volleyball

Simply put, volleyball taught me more than what I could have learnt by doing other things life. My experiences in volleyball were often independent of my experiences in life and work. Therefore, volleyball contributes to a robust portfolio of life, hobbies, interests and career. I may sound poetic in few places, but it’s purely (un)intentional.

One of the most important traits I learnt from volleyball is to be obsessed with winning, and not to be obsessed with any victory. The rules of the sport are simple, yet there are players, teams, matches and tournaments with distinct “personalities”. On one side of the court there are teammates, on the other side there are rivals (not enemies). It’s nearly impossible to win every set or every game with every team, but stepping into the court without the will to win (and of course, the intent to have fun) is unforgivable.

Of the available positions, the outsides and opposites garner the most attention from people through their powerful serves, explosive spikes and stuff blocks. Middle blockers garner attention through their occasional kills and stuff blocks. Setters and liberos have the most boring job of distributing the ball to the finishers - after all what’s in it when you can’t score? Page 6 of this document suggests that on an average a rally is expected to be ‘explosive’.

Well, this view is only partially right. If the sport was only about a team of powerful men beating the air out of a poor ball with their bare hands, most teams will be equal in the international stage.

Here are some of my stories:

• From 13-24 to 27-25