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May 01, 2011 | By Rich
Yesterday was the qualification tournament for the FIVB event here in China. The draw the night before made it abundantly clear that we were in for a tough day against two very strong teams that would expect to beat us. Our first match was against Brazil’s 2008 Olympic silver medalist, Fabio, and his new partner, Billy Maciel, a great partner in his own right. Excited at this opportunity, Josh and I showed what I’ve known from day one when I asked Josh to partner up with me. We cruised to an overwhelming victory against the Brazilians 21-18, 21-13. One more win and we would be in the main draw. Our opponent in the afternoon was Estonia. Rivo Vesik (him and I refer to each other as long-lost brothers from birth -of course Im the better looking version…) competed in the Beijing Olympics and has since picked up a crafty defender, Karl. Once again Josh and I played solid defense with blocks and digs and a consistent sideout cruising to a 21-15 first set win. The second began in the same manor with us in complete control on defense and sideout. Estonia, however, chipped away and found their way back into the match with some great plays and improved sideout. They bettered our performance and after the dust settled, ended up on top.
There were a few painful hours spent last night before we went to bed. A lot of questions. Another slipped opportunity. Do we belong? What’s missing?
Choosing our response to this challenge will ultimately be what best prepares us for Prague FIVB in two weeks. Each moment spent in doubt chips away at our result in Prague because doubt lays the foundation for failure. Each moment spent in inspiration will build courage and strength and will prepare us for excellence in Prague. When I really see the truth in this, what choice do I really have?
My favourite song is Bob Segar’s “Like a Rock”. The lyrics confirm with me the kind of person that I want to be and when I am inspired and focused rather than distracted, this song seems to be humming in the back ground. I refer to it as my “anchor song”.
Jessica, my girlfriend, pointed me in the direction of that song on the phone last night. These moments now, when doubt is the easiest emotion to access, are the most important moments for Josh and I to be watchful of how we spend our time and where our thoughts wander. As every athlete instinctively knows, most of the work and certainly the most disciplined work is done off the court when you are simply living your day. These are the moments, if spent doing what is right, can truly contribute to success in Prague. To quote Bob, “I held firm to what I felt was right….like a rock”.
