Joseph Myers

Volleyball teaches balance in more ways that one. You might be thinking what? Doesn't volleyball like most sports just require balance? Well, yes. However, that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about the different kinds of balance that you learn from playing volleyball for years. That includes physical balance of course but also emotional balance, the ability to balance school, and the ability to balance multiple tasks (multi-tasking).

Yes, of course it is true that volleyball teaches physical balance because you have to be positioned properly with a solid foundation in order to hit the ball where you want it to go. You also have to be able to get to the ball in what can sometimes be a really awkward position. With that said, physical balance is just one requirement and it alone is not going to make you a great player (lots of people have physical balance).

The emotional balance it takes to stay calm under pressure while at the same time playing at your best level is something volleyball definitely teaches you. Whether you are playing from behind or the game is super close you have to have an incredible amount of focus and the ability to not let the game get away from you. You also have to keep your team and teammates up when maybe the game or their specific game isn't going so well. There are a lot of emotions on the volleyball court from being nervous, angry, and scared to feeling really happy. Staying balanced enough to play at your highest level and keep your emotions in check until the celebration at the end is important.

Volleyball also teaches you the importance of balancing school, church, and other activities while at the same time keeping volleyball a priority. You have to work hard to keep good grades striving at all times for a 4.0 as that will eventually make it much easier to get into the college of your choice (plus good grades keep you from having to sit out any games for academic reasons). It's actually not always easy as you may have to stay up really late to get your AP homework done on a regular basis. With that said, knowing that several things are important in your life is definitely a lesson that playing volleyball can teach you.

With that said the last thing is multi-tasking because when you are playing volleyball you have to focus on many things. Where is the ball? Where are you on the court? Where are your teammates? Where are your opponents? What play are we running? What is our defensive position for this serve? What did coach just say? Who has the best angle on this ball? Who is supposed to get this ball? What am I going to do if my teammate misses? You have to be constantly thinking in order to play volleyball at a high level.

So volleyball definitely helps to teach and grow your ability to balance in lots of different ways. I'm certainly grateful for this volleyball life lesson.