haley cox

If there’s anything I’ve learned about being successful in life at the young age of 18, it’s that you have to learn to perform under spouts of pressure, and push through hard situations to reach your goals. Whether you’re an athlete, a marine, a surgeon, or simply interviewing for job, you’re going to face pressured situations at some point in your life. I’ve learned this skill through my past experiences over the years, particularly through sports. My volleyball career started when I was 12. After one season I was hooked on the sport. I continued playing until my senior year. Although I don’t play anymore, it shaped my character in which I still use many of the skills I learned through playing.

Over the course of playing competitive volleyball, I learned how to play under pressure. Actually, I learned to use it as a motivation. The National Championship Qualifier was probably the best game I ever played, and the most pressured. Volleyball also taught me how to commit to something. I practiced 5 nights a week, an hour from my house, with tournaments and qualifiers on the weekends. Why? I asked myself this a few times. I did it because I had specific goals for myself and staying committed and putting the work in is the only way to do it. The sport also taught me how to push myself instead of giving up. There were many times that my position was taken from me and I thought I’d never get it back. However, I decided to put in the extra work and push myself harder. In turn, I earned my position back. Volleyball showed me that if you go beyond the minimum and stay focused on your goals, your hard work really will pay off.

My volleyball years are over now that I’m in college. However, I still find myself using these skills. The sport shaped who I am today. I will always have the competitive drive to succeed that sparked during volleyball. Whether it’s studying for a really hard test while trying to balance class work, or making myself exercise, or trying to prepare for my career and my future, I push myself because I know that focusing under the pressure and the hard work will move me closer to my goals.