"Those who have the patience to do simple things well will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily" - a quote from Alan Stein Jr, a lauded performance coach in the sports world, serves to be profoundly embossed in every avenue in our lives. His words can resonate more accurately in the intensity-filled arena of our high school's girls' volleyball team. Talent is all too common. Discipline is a rarity.
The division from good to great does not ensue through talent; the line is drawn by discipline, sacrifice, and a relentless drive to improve. This essay aims to persuade you to teach patience and discipline into your daily routine to thrive in volleyball and life.
In volleyball, high skill demands significant time, effort, patience, and discipline to do simple things well. Our society often places a heavy focus on the outcome, the winning shot, and the final score, while the process, the small drills, and the mundane practices that prepare us for that one moment often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Yet, those overlooked practices build and forge us for the big game.
Let's establish this with an example. Serving, a primary technique in volleyball, may seem simple, but mastering it requires patience and discipline. One can serve powerfully and accurately only through consistent drills and repeated service motions. Integrate this patience to master simple serving actions into your routine, and watch as it habitually creates an avenue for acquiring more advanced skills with relative ease.
Success is not an overnight phenomenon nor bestowed upon a lucky few. Instead, it's the product of discipline:
The conscious choice is to wake up early for practice.
The sensible decision is to invest time in the court rather than at a party.
The quiet sacrifice of leisure for practice.
Talent might be inherited, but discipline is cultivated. Anyone could be talented, but those who couple their talents with discipline are the ones who truly succeed.
Look at any lauded sportswoman, and you'll find a tale of relentless drive to improve, a testament to discipline and sacrifice. Stacey Sykora, an acclaimed American volleyball player, didn't become an Olympic medallist overnight. She started as a novice and honed her skills through consistent discipline and tireless practice. Sykora's success story offers a compelling example that establishes the power of patience, discipline, and relentless pursuit of improvement.
Our high school girls' volleyball team can learn and embody these principles. Imagine what we can achieve if we do not stop at being good. Envision where we could reach if we aim at becoming great. The kind of greatness that comes from the patience to master simple things, the discipline to consistently practice, and a relentless drive to improve each day.
There's poise in patience, value in discipline, and majesty in the relentless drive to improve. Embrace them, and the path to short—and long-term success will open up. Remember, as in life, success in volleyball isn't inherently about coming first or winning the game. It's about the discipline of patience and hard work. It's about backing ourselves in every drill, every practice, and every game.
A straight path doesn't mark fellow teammates or our journey to greatness; it's embedded in the curve of our learning, the height of our jump, the depth of our dive, and our unwavering patience and discipline to master not just the grand game of volleyball but also the game of life. Let's usher in an era of keen discipline and relentless drive to revel in our talents and elevate them to be good and strive for greatness.
Our talent is common; our discipline should not be. Let's use our patience to do simple things incredibly well and build the foundation to do difficult things easily. Proper discipline and the relentless drive to improve lead our journey to greatness. Let's be the torchbearers of high school's commitment to excellence in volleyball and every walk of life. Let us be exceptional; let us be great. Remember, the journey to greatness starts with mastering the simple.
Alan Stein Jr had it right. Talent is common. Discipline is not. The true divide from good to great is won by discipline, sacrifice, and a relentless drive to improve.
We are NU Breed, the rumor of something good.
