One's Best Life Needs Challenges

I have been teaching 8th grade Reading and Writing for seven years. After lecturing my students about dreaming big and goal-setting, I realized that I was not modeling my own life lessons. Teaching was core of my life, and I needed balance to live my best life.

After some deep soul searching and tackling some confidence hurdles, I set my goal to become a pro beach volleyball player and created a plan to make it happen.

I had been introduced to the game the summer before by a great group of women and found myself battling the elements of wind, heat, and sand just to get through a set. It was the most grueling work out I had ever had, and, aside from the physical challenges, I faced many mental challenges. It's not easy to stick with something that can't be perfected - every play is different. I realized that I was scared of failure but loved trying to get better. Dreams and life goals have to have a little fear to have value, so I embraced that fear to chart a course to discover my potential. I don't know what that will look like, but I enjoy exploring the possibilities.

I hired a trainer who introduced me to the beach volleyball game and some other players; I met with a nutritionist who helped me re-aligned my diet to meet the needs of my workouts; I started yoga to help improve my core and balance, and I got my feet into the sand every day possible hoping they would feel more like feathers and less like cement.

In 2008, I played my first season to see if I could qualify to play pro, and with the help of some supportive partners, I won or came in the top four of every tournament I played. This meant I qualified to enter pro tournaments, but I would certainly be at the bottom of the brackets. There's a lot of self doubt with stepping into a new level, whether it's a sport or life. I had to learn to silence that voice -- still working on it.

This year, 2009, I found a steady partner and committed to a season filled with training and tournaments. We developed a plan to do drills two days and scrimmage one or two days each week to prepare for our Saturday tournaments. Half way through the season, we have had a lot of success, but we walk away from each tournament with new goals and keenly aware that we have a long way to go from the bottom of the bracket to the top. At this point, I know that I need patience and little more expertise to get me there. For starters, I am in my third month with a strength and conditioning coach at Health Track in Glen Ellyn. Love plyos in the pool.


Peace,
Sarah