Calamvale Wolves: Varsity Volleyball
Off the Court
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
For the past few weeks, our team from the Calamvale Wolves have been competing against various schools. For the Varsity Girls Volleyball team in particular, it has been a great start to the season.
While constantly competing in these competitions, we wanted to know what motivated the team to be so successful. To answer this question and many more, in this week’s issues, we talk with Jen Dela Cruz and Shelly Kim from the Varsity Girls Volleyball team to provide some insight into their personal motivations and what makes them a great team.
Success always begins with hard work. No matter whether they won or lost, there would always be some challenges that they would have to face. Not every player experienced the same challenges, however.
“Personally, I think it was self-confidence. When my self-confidence was low, it in the end affected my motivation to keep trying.” says Shelly.
However, for Jen, she found that with new experiences, especially when competing against a new school was what impacted them as a team stating,
“We didn’t know what to expect because it was our first time playing with them [Brisbane Bayside]. It was definitely challenging to adjust our strategies as well as compromising.”
No matter the challenges, there is always something positive that comes out of it, later saying,
“I felt pretty good about the competition. Our teamwork definitely improved as well as our communication… Although we initially had a bit of fear, from not knowing what to expect. At the end of the day we still improved and learned more lessons.” said Jen.
Building a team definitely takes time, especially when it comes to sport. It takes trust and a shared effort to really push a team to strive for success. Although these values of teamwork are important within any team, the way they were presented are always different.
Shelly states, “I think communication is the major component that helps our team to succeed… Without it, there’s no guaranteed win”
“We all have different values when it comes to our motivation for the sport, positive or negative. For me for example, I believe having proper sportsmanship and being positive inside and outside the court is important. Even if we all have different reasons or values, being able to combine them to further push us is what makes us our team work well together.”
Since it is the last year for some of the members of this team, it is definitely sad when their final season comes up. However, instead of focusing on the end, Shelly and Jen said that they have specific goals that they want to achieve this year, especially for the team.
“Our team goals for this year is to do our best and have fun because it is our last year.” stated Jen.
For Shelly, she is certainly aiming high, aiming for the team to win the TCE (Competition to compete against different schools) stating,
“My hope for this year is to win the TCE competition. While amazing that would be, the main goal is just have fun and overall getting better at Volleyball… Even if you play a lot, I think there is always something to improve on.”
From this interview, we can see that improvement and having fun is what this team values the most. However, with anything, there will always be some challenging days. To help them overcome these challenges, we asked “What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given about playing Volleyball?”
“That Volleyball isn’t all about you. It takes many people to keep the game going. Volleyball is all about learning which you can always then apply to yourself.” Jen said.
Shelly said, “Although I haven’t gotten much advice, I think when you’re playing a sport, think about what you’re getting out of it. Asking yourself Why? Without any purpose, you don’t get any motivation.”
On the sidelines cheering them on is always a coach or leader. Although they don’t get much recognition, they are an integral part of supporting a team and organising their training. In this case, we wanted to ask “Is there anyone who leads the team? And how do they help you?”
“I really respect our captain Maria… She always makes sure we’re organised by tell people what position they should be playing”
“When you’re wondering what you need to improve on, she lets you know what you need to work on and she basically keeps the team going. I look up to her because of that…”
“I admire her for always being on top and thinking about new training to do as well.” praised Shelly.
Jen mentioned their coach Grace saying,
“She always known our energy and how we’re feeling, and if we’re down, she does everything to keep it up to motivate us…”
Finally, just like us you might be wondering, what is their secret to success?
“Like we’ve said before, Communication. But it’s also important to establish a relationship with your teammates because it really helps everyone when you’re in a tough match. And overall loving the sport” stated Jen.
“Well, it’s difficult to say. It’s all about teamwork and if you only think about yourself, you’re not going to get anywhere. Communication is what makes the team successful. Improving and training on your weakness is what builds your strength.” said Shelly.
To end this week’s issue, on behalf of the Varsity Girls Volleyball team, Jen and Shelly have a message for those who are just starting Volleyball or, are considering to join.
Make sure you practice a lot and have fun in general. It’s okay to make mistakes if you can’t receive the ball. It’s important to not think about it too much. Everyone makes mistakes and it’s not the end of the world. Volleyball, just like any sport, needs to be practised in order for you to improve.
Thank you to Jen and Shelly from the Varsity Girls Volleyball team for letting us interview you. We also thank those of you who have read this week’s article, and just like us, you will be supporting the Calamvale Wolves Volleyball Team for a successful season!