The Power of Pushing Past what you believe is Possible – a Lesson from College Athletics at UNC
I had a memory come up last week from my time as a college volleyball athlete at UNC-Chapel Hill which reminded me of a time in my life where I was trained to push past what I believe possible and develop resiliency.
Our Head Coach, Joe Sagula, always challenged the team to make an effort for every ball. If a teammate “shanks” a pass (meaning it bounces off their arms in the direction they didn’t intend), the team should make an effort to save the ball and play.
In some instances, the play seemed to be within reason of being saved and logically, most people would make an effort for the ball. When the shanked ball was slightly beyond what the mind would believe is possible to save, naturally, the team member may not push themselves to make the attempt.
If an effort to save the ball was not made, Coach would have the team member, who did not make an attempt, stand in the court while throwing or hitting the ball all around the gym. They would attempt to get a touch on any ball he threw and, as soon as you touch one, you better look up because another is coming – at times to the other side of Carmichael Arena.
Not only does this exercise incentivize the team to always make an effort, it expands the mind to what is possible. And, over time, you see the growth of the person who has continually pushed through the resistance.
When you see the impossible become possible in sports (or in life), it is due to the person believing it was possible. It’s all in our mind.
Looking back at my life and time at UNC, this experience was one where my drive, resiliency, and belief that anything is possible was developed.
My hope in sharing this is that it inspires a mindset shift around what is possible in your life and encourage you to always push through resistance and challenges.
What experiences in your life have supported you in developing resiliency and belief in what is possible? Leave your experience in the comments below!