How I Conquered My Fear
Have you ever considered playing a sport, but the thought of trying out paralyzed you with fear? How did you overcome this? Or did you? I found myself with that same paralyzing fear in the year of 2016 right before volleyball tryouts. Here is my story on how I conquered my fears AND………. well you will just have to keep reading to see how this story turns out. : )
Power in Positivity
It had been my very first time trying out for any sport and you better believe my emotions were like a roller coaster. I went from feeling excited to feeling nervous to feeling scared and then to a point where I didn’t even want to tryout. I kept telling myself I wasn’t good enough and I would never make the team. I shared my fears with my mom and she suggested going to a volleyball camp. There, she said I would feel better prepared and gain the confidence that I needed to succeed. Once I thought about it, I was excited to go, but still a little scared at the same time. I continued to have negative thoughts like; what if I make a fool of myself? or what if I’m the only one who doesn’t know how to play? These negative thoughts were just creating a bigger fear in my head. One negative thought just kept leading to another negative self- sabotaging thought. If I wanted to succeed I knew I had to change my way of thinking and start thinking more positively. The night before camp I stared into my mirror and repeated to myself, “I CAN do this!” I admit, walking into that gym on the first day of camp was very nerve-racking, but as the day went on I realized everyone was as unsure and as nervous as I was. All that negative talk before was for nothing and caused me unnecessary stress. As soon as I started to believe in myself the fear I had disappeared. Camp gave me a boost of confidence by teaching me all of the necessary skills and knowledge I needed for tryouts. I also created an unexpected and amazing bond with the other girls.
“Volleyball Fam” Camp 2016
Me at camp. Excuse the “I mean business” face. : )
Oh no!!! Tryouts are Today!!
The day I had been preparing for had finally come. TRYOUTS!!! Surprisingly, I wasn’t as terrified as I thought I would be. Thanks to camp, I was going in with with A LOT more knowledge about the game and that made me feel so much better about myself and my ability to succeed. Another added plus was that the girls I had built a strong bond with at camp were also the same girls I was going to try out with. We were all in this together and that made me feel even more at ease. Tryouts lasted for two whole days. Each day was a little different than the other, but they both were WAY more intense and competitive than camp was. When they asked me to perform certain skills, instead of filling my head with fear, I cleared my mind and envisioned myself performing the task correctly then went for it. Most of the time it went perfectly but there were a few times where I didn’t complete certain tasks as I had hoped. I didn’t let that kill my positive vibe though. I focused on what the coached had asked us to do and did my very best.
On top of good skill techniques, the coaches were also looking at each of our fitness levels, stamina, and strengths. I was not as strong as some of the other girls. I struggled with serving and doing certain types of fitness tasks like push-ups and pull- ups, but I refused to let that shake me. There was a moment where a girl had served this amazing serve and I immediately started to panic. Thoughts of not being good enough started to flood my head once again. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and then shear panic flooded over me. I knew I had to stop comparing myself to the other girls. I knew I was just as good in other ways and no one here was perfect. It was hard, but I had to push those thoughts aside and focus on my own strengths if I wanted to make the team.
At the end of the second day our coach told us that we would be handed letters letting us know if we made the team. We were instructed not to open them until we got into our parent’s car. This was to help spare those who didn’t make it. I remember being handed my letter and seeing my hand shake as I reached for it. As fast as I could, I left the gym and walked to my mom’s car. My legs felt like jello. I had no idea what to expect. We had very little feed back and there were a lot of amazing girls trying out. As soon as I sat in the car I put the letter in my lap. I began watching other girls celebrating as they didn’t wait to get into their parent’s car to open their letters. I could feel my mom’s eyes on me as she waited for me to open the letter. I knew she was just as anxious as I was. Finally, like tearing off a band-aide, I ripped open the letter and in big bold letters I saw the words “Congratulations! See you at practice tomorrow…”. I was speechless and felt like I was going to cry tears of joy.
Our 2016 Volleyball Team. I’m #4 : )
My serving skills have much improved since camp! : )
ZERO Regrets
Had I let my fears take over and decided NOT to try out I would have never experienced what camp was like, created a bond with some amazing girls, and best of all made the team! For those girls that did not make the team, they did not fail. Those who failed are the ones who never tried. At least they can walk away from this saying they gave it their all and now they are better prepared for next time. Had I not made the team this time trust me when I say, I would do it all over again. I’m no quitter! So my biggest advise to give to you is, when you start to feel that paralyzing fear creep up inside, replace those negative thoughts with positive ones ASAP! Just like we learned in science class, like attracts like, according to the Law of Attraction. So, the more we think negatively the more negative thoughts comes to us and visa versa! Tell yourself YOU CAN DO THIS and remember that fear is something we create. It is NOT real! You got this! Think positively and the fear WILL pass but the regret of never trying will last a lifetime! Have a similar story to share? Comment below! We love to know how you conquered your fear and succeeded! xoxo Kait
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