Athlete Check-In: Players talk about the benefits of training at Blockout Academy

*Volleyball athletes from John Carroll Catholic High School share what volleyball means to them, how they find balance, and how they’ve navigated training during the pandemic.*

By Cortney Kynard, John Carroll Catholic High School

Volleyball goes so much deeper than just a sport. The connections you make while on your volleyball journey is what interests us. The support you get no matter what is what keeps an athlete motivated. Elizabeth Boackle says, “We as athletes like to meet new people while also having the chance to let out our competitive sideshow. It’s also a good experience to have.”

Training at BlockOut is unlike training at other facilities. BlockOut continues to push your skills while giving you advice about any mental struggles you might be going through. It teaches you life skills just as much as volleyball skills. It teaches you to push through and that every rep counts. This can teach you to never give up in life.

Volleyball players look for a coach who pushes them to their full potential while encouraging them to do better. Coach Nev motivates us to do better while inspiring us to do things that we never thought we would ever be able to do. Coach Nev also finds ways to incorporate mental skills into our physical skills, which is what makes her such a great coach.

Volleyball has a different effect on people. Courtney Kynard said that volleyball helped her express herself. Elizabeth Boackle said, "Volleyball helped me meet new people and play against people you do not get to see regularly." "Volleyball helped me be more extroverted and outgoing," said Hope Lacy. Poppy Molereng said that volleyball taught her life lessons. No matter what we have been through and where we start from, we can all agree that volleyball changed us. Volleyball made us better people physically, emotionally, and mentally and that is why it is so important.