2/10/26
Sometimes the world stops for a moment, and reminds you what actually matters.
The Division III men’s volleyball community has been touched by loss this week. A young man who competed on a collegiate court, someone who loved this game and the people around it, is no longer with us.
But in the quiet that follows news like this, there is something worth recognizing.
How many times this week did something small derail your day? A bad set. A tough loss. A practice that ground you down. A rotation decision you disagreed with. A ranking that felt unfair. A bad grade. We have all been there, and we will all be there again. Those moments feel real and frustrating when they are happening.
And then something like this comes along, and all of it just disappears.
The things we spend the most energy on are often the things that matter the least. Meanwhile, the things that matter most, our health, our families, the teammates sitting next to us on the bench or across from us in the locker room, are so easy to take for granted because we assume they will always be there.
But unfortunately, they won’t always be there.
That is not meant to be dark. It is meant to be a gift, if you let it be. Because when you truly understand that any ordinary day can become the day everything changes, you start paying attention differently. You linger a little longer after a match. You say the thing you have been meaning to say. You look up from your phone and take in the moment, really take it in, because one day you will want it back and it will be gone.
This is not about volleyball. Volleyball is just where we gather. The real game is the one we are playing every single day with the people we love.
If there is someone in your life you have not checked in on, check in on them. If there is something you have been putting off because life keeps getting in the way, stop putting it off. And the next time a small thing tries to steal your peace, whether it is a bad line call or a frustrating week of practice, let it go. Just let it go.
To the family grieving right now: this community sees you, even from a respectful distance. We are holding you in our thoughts.
To everyone else: hold your people a little tighter today.