When Your Opinion Matters.

There was a time when I had to make a very important decision, which led into me making a case and my opinion was very important, because it was a decision that would essential change my life.  I played very competitive volleyball throughout my whole life up until my senior year in high school.  I decided to quit playing competitively going into my senior year in high school.  I was burnt out by this time, and I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore.  I felt like I didn’t have the time, I didn’t have enough desire, and spending time doing other social activities had become more important to me.  When I told my coach this for the first time, he honestly thought I was joking around with him. This made my case even harder to justify.  I had my reasons that I just described above and he argued back with me saying that it would be beneficial to continue especially since I was a senior and recruiters would be doing their final looks.  This again wasn’t what I wanted; I wasn’t interested in the recruiters, or playing volleyball at the college level period.  He finally gave in and accepted my decision.  It was hard and I do miss it every once in a while, but knowing that I made the right decision comforts me.  I just keep telling myself if I played one more year I would not only ruin the experience for myself, but also for my teammates because I wouldn’t be putting all my attention and effort into the game.  There are times when I look back and think, “I should have said something different,” but this was not one of those times.  I knew I was ready to quit playing and knew my reasoning.  Usually the times I wish I would have said something different are over very minor issues, that I realize later were dumb to get upset over.