I Shanked It: Resilience Lessons from the Volleyball Court

---

🏐 I’m Sure I’ve Mentioned I Play Volleyball… Once or Twice

Okay, probably more like a hundred times. (If we’ve ever had coffee, I’ve probably brought it up before your latte even cooled.)

But hear me out—sports and careers really do share a lot of the same lessons. It’s part of why people say organized sports are so good for kids. The court, just like the workplace, is a training ground for resilience, teamwork, and learning from mistakes.

---

🌊 Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos — The Shank Lesson

In volleyball, a bad pass is called a shank—a wild, off-target mess your partner may or may not be able to save. Defense is everything. If you can’t make a solid receive, your chance of making a great play drops fast.

When tournaments get intense—especially near finals—I sometimes hit a “serve receive slump” and can’t pass a ball to save my life. That’s shanks, plural. Failure, plain and simple.

On one trip to Grace Bay, I met a sports psychologist named Dr. J. I told him my problem. He spotted it right away: I was forcing an outcome instead of playing in the moment. I wanted the win so badly that I stopped relying on the basics I already knew—move my feet, get to the ball, make the play—and started overthinking every move.

Dr. J gave me tools to ground myself, and now when those slumps happen, they don’t go nearly as deep.

---

🏆 AVP Grass Nationals 2022 — The Small Win Lesson

In October 2022, my partner and I won our division at AVP Grass Nationals in Chattanooga, TN. We were thrilled—until the comments rolled in:

“It was only B division.”
“There weren’t that many teams.”

Sure, those things were true, but here’s what else was true:

• We worked hard to get there.
• We had no block, no jump serve, and I was the primary hitter on a men’s height net.
• We fought for every point and outplayed every other team in our bracket.

We accomplished something, and no one gets to take that away.

---

💡 What It Means Off the Court

Whether you’re in the workplace or on the court:

• Don’t let anyone take away from your small wins. Success is relative, and it’s worth celebrating where you’re at.
• Learn from your shanks. Mistakes are data. They’re proof you tried, and they teach you how to be better next time.
• Stay present. Wanting the outcome too badly can trip you up. Trust your skills, your training, and your instincts.

---

When you shank it—at work or in sports—don’t spiral. Learn, reset, and play the next point stronger.

And if you want to learn more about the mental side of sports and performance, check out Dr. J’s Instagram here:
Mind Right Sport Psychology