Beyond a Simple Game
by Je’niyah Brockington-Lane and Brianna Galbreath, Cosmetology juniors (New Castle)
Every year the entire school gets an opportunity to participate in a school-wide volleyball tournament. Mr. Simon, the physical education teacher, took a list of students who signed up to play and grouped them together to make teams. Through tournament play, two final teams were chosen to play in the assembly. The students went head to head, volley for volley, until there were only two teams left. Finally, two remaining teams qualified to play in the final round ~ Teachers vs Students. At the end of the day, laughing and slightly frustrated, the student team was conquered, once again, by the staff, but a valuable lesson had been learned — beyond a simple game.
TEAMWORK Volleyball isn’t a game that can be played individually; after all, the term “volley” means “to return,” and this is a task that requires more than one to accomplish. No matter how good a player is, that person is never good enough to beat six others alone. Don’t pretend you’re the only one on the court. Don’t hog the ball. Don’t be afraid to accept help – or ask others to help.
COMMUNICATION A team should never be silent during the big game. Communicating avoids injury. It avoids error. It avoids miscommunication. However, it can also encourage. If you believe you can get it, say it. If you know your teammate can take it, motivate.
SELF-CONTROL AND AWARENESS Focus avoids allowing the ball to drop. Choose to “do”; don’t let others do all the work. Maintaining control of your emotions allows you to actively focus on the gameplay in a positive way. Control what can be controlled. Maintain control of your reactions and your thoughts: a clear mind permits you to emotionally separate yourself from the situation and determine a positive course of action. Be aware of your and everyone else actions as well. In a like manner, choose to be aware. Understand that even when it’s tough, don’t give up. Know your strengths and weaknesses. You can’t play in your own headspace; pay attention to all that is going on around you and concentrate on what you can do to help.
Take any one of these lessons, and apply it to life beyond the court, and you will succeed. Prosperity will be yours. The teachers and staff aim to teach students the necessary life skills in a variety of ways. For those who choose to learn, a simple game of volleyball is a way to share these lessons – without even realizing you’re learning. After all, that’s the way we do things at LCCTC.
