There’s something about sports that unifies people. In the U.S. especially, sports are a central focus of our culture; going to watch a Local Little League game, trying out for your high school football team, or cheering in the stands at an NHL game makes you part of the community.

So, like most kids, I got involved in sports at a young age. I wasn’t forced into them. In fact, I was constantly asking my parents to sign me up for another class, camp or clinic. I wasn’t the kid that fell in love with one sport instantly. I was the kid that tried every sport she could think of until she figured out the one she was best at.

That sport turned out to be volleyball. To be fair, even though it was the sport I was the best at, I still wasn’t that good. I wasn’t terrible, but it I always had to fight just to get on the team. In fact, I got cut the first time I tried out for my middle school volleyball team. Some of the girls that made the team had been playing for years, others were just gifted athletes (several of them are playing D1 volleyball now).

Getting cut just made me determined to make the team the next year. I tried out at a local volleyball club and made the lowest team. I was so pumped. I didn’t care which team I was on- I was excited to have the chance to become a better player. I came to every practice, game, and tournament ready to give my all.

My hard work paid off when I made the team the next year. Because it was middle school, everybody got to play an equal amount of time. I’m proud to say I was a very solid B-team player back in the day.

I loved being on the team. I loved talking in the locker rooms before practice, getting ribbons to wear on game days, and wearing my jersey to school. Did I wish I was good enough to be on the A-team? Definitely, but it was enough for me to make the volleyball team.

That’s the attitude that I continued to have throughout my volleyball career. I always wanted to be better. Not the best, just better. My goal was always to make the team the following year. Every coach I’ve ever had—school or club-- has said that attitude is more important to them than ability. To make up for my lack of natural athleticism, I tried to make sure I always had the best attitude on the court.

Focusing on my attitude taught me a lot about myself. Looking back, I’m glad I needed something besides talent to make the team because the life lessons I learned in volleyball were much more valuable than volleyball itself.

Being an average volleyball player taught me that hard work is everything. Hard work is something anyone can do, whether that means showing up to practice early, selling the most fundraising cookie dough on your team, or just always going hard during practice. Just because something doesn’t come easy doesn’t mean it isn’t worth doing. Now, at school or work, I don’t just give up on something because it’s difficult. Volleyball taught me that if you want something, you have to work for it.

It also taught me a lot about focusing on the good things in life. On days when I was playing worse than usual, I often felt like I was letting my team down and that I was the reason we lost. I learned the hard way that thinking negatively only made me play worse. The same thing is true in life. Getting down on yourself because of the things you can’t do or aren’t doing well just makes everything worse. It’s impossible to enjoy something if you’re always wound up about how well you’re doing compared to everyone else. So, even though I was determined on making the team, I sometimes had to pull back and try to have fun with it.

I played volleyball for four years, and I was a starter for exactly zero of those years. I was never the MVP, I never even came close to playing in college. But I wouldn’t change a single part of my experience. Being just okay at my sport taught me lessons things that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I haven’t played in a few years, and I’ve forgotten a lot about the game. That being said, everything it taught me about attitude, character, and hard work is ingrained in me now just as it was back then.