End (noun): An outcome worked toward: PURPOSE The object by virtue of or for the sake of which an event takes place The word “end” has multiple meanings. You have to understand a thing’s purpose and design before you can determine if its time has come. What do you do with a volleyball program? Why be a part of a team? It might seem obvious that one joins and plays volleyball because they find some enjoyment in it, or they want to add it as an extracurricular activity on college applications. A coach usually takes the job to teach young people to play volleyball and something something about fitness and making a difference in their lives. These are fine answers, I suppose, but if I’m going to spend as much time doing this as I do and I’m going to ask these students AND their parents to give us their time, I would like to have a better (see: more detailed) answer. Joining a sports team in high school is time-consuming. Someday, I would like to see my children make that choice (it’s okay if they don’t), but five days a week of practices and/or games with some Saturday tournaments and possible summer practices need to amount to more than having fun and making a few friends. Winning itself is not enough, and neither is a college scholarship (but that would definitely sweeten the pot). I would want my children to come back to me better and more mature than when I handed them off. Worse is out of the question. Okay, so what are the specifics? What’s the thesis? What ideas are worth throwing into the crucible to be tested? The THESIS: Participation in a high school volleyball team is best seen as a means by which meaningful ideas, principles, and habits can be cultivated through learning the game, competing, and navigating interpersonal relationships. Corollaries: 1. These ideas, principles, and habits are of PRIMARY importance. They are more important than the game of volleyball. The long-term value lies here. 2. These ideas, principles, and habits can and should be in line with the pursuit of volleyball excellence. They should NOT be sought out at the expense of volleyball itself. Volleyball is the primary ACTIVITY of the volleyball team. 3. Winning matters. When it matters, how it matters, and why it matters might be up for debate, but whether it matters is not. The drive to win and the ability to do so are important qualities for athletes in competitive sports. The above information might lead to more questions than answers. What ideas, principles, and habits should be taught? How should they be taught? What is the relationship between winning and the purpose of the program? What is the proper way to interpret wins and losses? How much of these ideas, principles, and habits are taught implicitly vs. explicitly? In my opinion, these are important (and interesting!) questions, but those will be answered in due time. Perhaps they won’t be answered quickly, but rather through the long-term growth process as a coach. Even if I don’t have all these answers right now, I’m firmly convinced that volleyball is best viewed as a means to an end. It is the same end that defines my career as an educator and one that applies to every facet of life. In my opinion, it is far more important to know why we do things before we start than to recognize the endpoint when it finally arrives. Volleyball, at its best, highlights the art and science of human movement, the importance of character, and the heart of a champion in overcoming adversity. At its worst, it can foster self-centeredness, deflection of responsibility, and animosity between opponents or even teammates. No good endeavor is undertaken purely by accident, and it is the potential of becoming our best that keeps a team vibrant. There are enough things that people do “just for fun,” to “make friends,” or just to “try something new.” I’d prefer not to spend so much of my time building another one of those things. With this in mind, the runway is long and the end need not be imminent. There are plenty of things left to try and a lot of work left to do, but if this thesis provides any sort of clarity, then there is a lot to look forward to. Sometimes, the end is the best beginning.
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