Being an athlete and a competitor, we are put in lots of situations that leave us frustrated, angry, overwhelmed, or let down. But how we react to those situations and how we handle ourselves during these tough situations are what defines us as athletes and people. We are going to run through a few comparisons that can both describe an athlete – but hopefully you’ll choose to be the better of the two!
1. Whiner VS Winner. Imagine you are in a situation where your team is neck and neck with another team and the score is 24-24. The other team just scored a point because the ref called a double on your setter even though you didn’t think the setter doubled and the other team now has the lead 25-24. What do you do? Are you going to whine and argue the ref about his “bogus” call? Or are you going to shake it off, buckle down, and do everything you can to make sure your opponent does not get the next point and win the game? The second option is better! You can’t change what the ref or your opponents or even your opponents do – you can only control what you do – “winners” focus on that!
2. Chump VS Champ. Are you easily distracted by the skill of your opponents? Do you let outside forces, like drama and relationships, distract you from succeeding at volleyball? If you do, you might be a “chump” unfortunately, because a “chump” is someone who acts foolish or is easily distracted by things. You don’t want to be a “chump”! You want to be a “champ”! Being a “champ” means that you can succeed despite playing a tough team or dealing with things outside of your volleyball environment. A “champ” can distinguish what’s important during certain situations and can assign their energy and focus appropriately.
3. Victim VS Victor. Being a “victim” is similar to being a “whiner” like in the first comparison. Being a “victim” means that you always blame somebody or something else during hard times like a loss or setback. Complaining that the line judges were unfair, complaining that you didn’t get good enough sets, complaining that the other team just had way too good of serves – these are all examples of things that “victims” do. On the other hand, “victors” don’t worry about these kinds of things. They keep their heads level and focus on using their volleyball skills to be successful. So the other team has really good servers? All that means is you need to step up your serve receive game! This is the kind of mentality that “victors” have!
4. Worrier VS Warrior. Being a “worrier” is super unhelpful to athletes because it is the root of self-doubt, anxiety, and low confidence amongst athletes. Worrying that your hits aren’t good enough or that your teammates don’t like you or that your coach is disappointed in you does not help you improve as an athlete – in fact, it does the opposite! However, being a “warrior” allows you to recognize any shortcomings you might have, embrace them, and work on improving them. A “warrior” knows that not everyone is perfect and there is always room for improvement – so using every opportunity to improve is a “warrior’s” specialty!
5. Goat VS G.O.A.T. I’m not sure if anyone has ever called me a “goat” before but I’m sure I wouldn’t like it if they did! Especially because the flipside of a “goat” is “G.O.A.T.” which stands for “Greatest Of All Time.” Now when choosing between being a “goat” or “G.O.A.T.”, I’m sure most athletes would choose the latter option! We all want to be remembered for something we were great at and create a way to leave a legacy on our sport. That’s why it’s important to strive for the “G.O.A.T.” title because that means you’re trying everything possible to live up to that title. Put in the effort and you will see the results!
These comparisons are pretty self-explanatory, but sometimes it helps to see them explained in detail. We’ve all been in situations where we worried about a tournament or didn’t agree with a ref’s call, but we excel as volleyball players when we push past those feelings. Start today!