Written by Ryan Jay Owens on Thursday, 20 January 2011. Thinking about becoming a pro volleyball player? Really?! Why? Haha, just kidding. Here's why I did… I hope it can help you in making that leap if you choose to do so.
Is it because of the thrill of victory? Or the challenge of the sport's required skills? Maybe it's because it allows me to focus on one thing and live in those moments while on the court? It could be, maybe, that it gives me pleasure to do something that I'm good at? Or to make money doing it? Perhaps, it's the idea of a foreign place with foreign people and things?
Right! Now I remember why I decided to go pro. It was most of the things above and more but I can 'nail it down' to three specific reasons:
1. Travel the world doing what I love to do.
2. Prove to myself (and a few negative people in my life back then) I could achieve something great in this sport.
3. Volleyball is my 'escape', my passion in life. I didn't want to stop.
Travel the world? Yes, I'm in. Sign me up! I thought "excuse me!? You mean to tell me there's no indoor pro in America? SWEET!!! I'll go to Europe for awhile." (Almost my exact thoughts ;) I yearned for travel and since the day my college buddy and great guy, Soeren Schneider, told me that I could play pro all over Europe, I knew it was for me. He said, that "every country has a league to play (volleyball) " in. I was so focused on getting the heck out of the U.S.A and to a place I had never been before… I knew, for instance I wouldn't speak the language or that I couldn't predict my choices of things to do/see each day or even if I would find a team. Since then I have been to many countries to play volleyball: Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Latvia, Russia, Finland, Greece, Qatar, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, and next… who knows?! I'm loving this decision already… you?
Lesson: I realized something while traveling: Man! We have it REALLY good at home in the US from many perspectives. But, damn, we are missing out on so much in the world and are so 'in the dark' about so many things.
Can I prove it to myself and others? My dream became centered on going to the Olympics after I watched the Sydney Games. It was the first time I had seen volleyball at a higher level than the college in the U.S… The only problem? I wasn't even close to that level. I believed in my heart that I could be. But I was holding myself back. When I realized that, I was in California playing at Orange Coast College… It changed me mentally. My coaches over the years had said every year again and again. "You have so much potential..." what came after the "…" was never clear, but it was always implied that something was holding me back. When I got overseas I realized what that was. I was so scared to perform well. The day I realized it I was mostly in disbelief. How could it be that I wanted to prove to myself I could be one of the best but I was scared of my "potential" my prior coaches had spoken about?
Pro volley in Europe had helped to define who I really wanted to be as a person on and off the court BUT it had also helped me acquire many new skills on the court. National team in 2005 changed who I would be as a player. (NOTE: I'll tell a short story about that in my next blog: "Pro volleyball's UPS..and downs!" on VolleyCountry and why it fed my hunger for more pro experiences.)
Lesson: This sport is a very mental sport and after many ups and downs and constant fighting within myself; I realized that ONLY I could control my willingness to fulfill my 'potential'.
An escape? Around the time I realized volleyball was something that I didn't just like but that I loved.. I was in my first semester of college in the mountains of beautiful, serene and picturesque Southwestern Colorado. Snowboarding and mountain biking every day. Loving it. I got sick..very sick. Iron deficiency and blah blah… I was stressed, out of money, cold, annoyed and of all thing I realized I just wanted to play volleyball. Problem was, this particular school didn't have men's volleyball. So I called my bro Chris, and he told me that I could have a good chance to make it onto his team because they needed someone. Next thing I know I was back home in Chicago and enrolled at his university. I realized out of all the stressful things I had going on, that when I played, I didn't care about anything except playing volleyball… Fast-forward a few years, 3 continents and over 12 countries later. I laced up my Mizuno's, pulled up my knee pads and stood up. This particular training was difficult… The coach was a complete (fill in your choice of words for a below-average coach) and I had no money to buy my train ticket home to my flat after training. I step on the court… As I warm-up, I ease into my volley-mode and from that point until the end of the training I couldn't think of anything better to be doing. Also, I never once thought about the multiple stress factors awaiting me once I came down from my volley-high. I smiled briefly as we finish the last drill and realized it's over. All at once my mind is flooded with this thought: "I love this sport but DAMN…. why does it have to be so hard to play professionally?"
Lesson: Finding your passion in life and following it is priceless… Living out your passion everyday, traveling the world and leaving your "world" behind has it's prices.
Special thanks to Jiri for asking me to be a guest blogger. I hope everyone enjoys it.. Volleycountry.com is a fantastic site.
Next up.. "Pro volleyball's UPS..and downs?!"… stay tuned. :)
-RJO (Ryan Jay Owens)
αναδημοσίευση από την διαδικυακή χώρα του βόλει
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου