Redefining myself after Division 1 volleyball

From earlier this year — me with the volleyball team I coached.

I’ve talked about my Division I athlete past life on this blog before, but today I want to discuss the aftermath of that experience.

When I was a collegiate volleyball player, there was a term we used to describe nonathletes: narp.

I honestly couldn’t tell you where that word came from, but I know that as athletes, we definitely used it in a condescending way. So, naturally, when I made the decision to quit volleyball, my pride made it hard to accept that I was about to become a narp.

Finding the Cal State Fullerton Public Relations Student Society of America helped me a lot during that transition. It gave me a new way to dedicate my time and energy to something I cared about.

For a while, I assumed that my leadership involvement in PRSSA would fill the hole in myself that quitting volleyball left behind. But now I realize that it only played a small part in finding self-fulfillment again.

I documented my first pickleball experience on TikTok.

I’ve always loved the game of volleyball, but my pride kept me from playing recreationally for a long time. Instead, I redirected that energy into coaching. I knew right away that it wouldn’t scratch the same itch as playing, but I couldn’t bring myself to compete at a lower level than NCAA Division I.

Until now.

This semester, I’ve learned to let go of my ego, and I joined intramural volleyball. I’ve also joined a pickleball league, started playing tennis every week with a couple of friends and even took a golf lesson last week.

What I’m trying to get at here is this: Don’t let your failed past experiences — or your pride — hold you back from trying new things.

Learning something new always leads to growth. After playing tennis only three times, I have a deep appreciation for tennis players and their skill. I never thought I’d get into tennis, but it’s become one of the many sports I dream of working for in the future.

Stepping away from volleyball used to feel like losing a part of myself, but now I see it as making space for new passions.

Letting go of the labels that once defined me — athlete or narp — has given me room to rediscover why I fell in love with sports in the first place. Moving on doesn’t mean leaving something behind. It means learning how to carry that same drive into a new chapter.

So go and try something new today. You never know how many doors it'll open for you in your journey of pursuing your passions.