I am going to start this by saying that I used to be fit and into sports, but as high school went on and I lost interest in most fitness-related things, I grew to like more sedentary activities, video games for example. However, during this pandemic, one of those sedentary hobbies (watching Anime) has led me to a new interest that I am very excited to start and to learn – which is playing Volleyball! I am not going to lie, I definitely did not think or even consider playing volleyball before watching this anime (Haikyuu!!), but it has sparked that kid in me that used to like sports, games, and the thrill of competition. The show is actually really inspirational because it teaches that not giving up and playing to the best of your own ability is really beneficial. The main character is often found saying もう 一回 (mou ikkai) while he practices, which in English, is “One more” or “Again”. He shows how perseverance (practicing on his own after required practice has already happened) is required to truly learn a sport.
For this project, I would like to learn how to play every position that is usually on a volleyball team to a basic level, decide a specific position I like playing, and then get better at said position. Since it is now nice outside, I get to get out of my house and sedentary lifestyle and start this sort of ‘fitness’ journey while also having fun and learning a new sport. I am very excited to start and have already purchased a ball for myself that I’ve kind of used briefly in learning how to bump, set, and serve.
My starting volleyball I bought for myself when I wanted to start playing (in January).
When I was thinking about doing this for the project, I knew it was a perfect time, because I would get to watch the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and be able to understand what was going on in an Olympic level volleyball game, even if my knowledge of the game is low compared to that, it’d be much farther than it would be if I watched it without doing research and playing on my own. I also have an array of YouTube videos and tutorials that I can watch to get myself acquainted with the sport, one specific channel being Victoria Garrick, a former Division I volleyball player. Since the start of the pandemic, she has released a bunch of videos aimed at new players and how to train for Volleyball from home, which I thought was right up my alley!
Welcome to my journey into the sport of Volleyball! もう 一回 !