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I joined the school volleyball team as a junior. I gave 120% of my strength and appetite in order to become the best (of the best). I worked harder than I had for any other sport arriving at practice early to run extra laps and staying after the end of practice or a game to work on plays. Yet, no matter how hard I practiced, I was still just an average player.

Why couldn’t I spike more balls? In school, I knew when I submerged myself completely in the material and devoted extra effort and time to my studies, excellent grades always followed. I had become used to my hard work and dedication yielding rewards. Naturally, I was disappointed when the enormous amount of effort I put forth did not produce similar results.

Why was I continuing to play volleyball? I felt embarrassed and down right humiliated to work so hard and not excel. I became frustrated when I was not a starting player in the game or when my coach yelled at me during practice. I even considered quitting the team because I felt if I was not the best than I was a failure. However, I refused to label myself a quitter.

I was not the team’s best player, nor was I a quitter. The truth was, I enjoyed playing volleyball any and every chance I could. I loved the physical challenge, diving for the balls until my knees were sore, and spiking the ball to score. I found pleasure in rooting for my teammates, often inventing my own silly cheers. I discovered I could not let embarrassment or false pride keep me from any activity I enjoyed and loved. Because I declined to quit, participating in volleyball has come to represent one of the most aggravating yet gratifying experiences of my life. I found the strength and courage to continue with something that was especially frustrating for me. Every goal has always been within my reach if I worked hard enough. Now I understand that I do not have to be “the best” in order to be successful.