What I Learned Outside My Comfort Zone

When I was in fourth year at the University of Ottawa, in 2007 I had to do an internship to get my Honours Degree in Human Kinetics. I was introduced to the head coach of the Ottawa Gee Gee's Women's Volleyball Team, Lionel Woods, and he granted me my internship with his team. I was going to be the "video coach" for the year, and it was the first time that the team had one of those, so it was an evolving position and one of the best opportunities of my life.

It was also one of the hardest things I've ever done and I was uncomfortable just about every single minute. Not because Lionel or anyone else made me feel unwelcome but because I was so afraid that I was going to screw something up and waste someone's time. I didn't want to be the reason we lost. I was responsible for video recording all the games and then uploading those videos to the internet but also into a computer program so that I could make highlight reels or isolate certain skills and/or plays by different players. I was also invited to team practices where at first I observed and made notes about how Lionel was coaching, and his assistant coach Ling Lee, but that evolved into me serving balls during drills, or throwing and hitting balls at the women on the team.

Ling and Lionel were nothing but gold towards me and they have had a huge impact on me personally and professionally. I like to think I'm a pretty good coach because of what I learned from them. And their lessons keep showing up in my life. Any time I am in an uncomfortable situation I say to myself "nothing was more uncomfortable than my time with the Gee Gees, I can do this!" Let me try to clear things up. I wasn't uncomfortable in a bad way. Maybe more accurately, I was out of my comfort zone the entire time. But I can tell you in all earnesty that the best learning happens outside your comfort zone.

I played volleyball in high school, and even went to OFSAA twice, but I was not a major contributing factor to either of those trips. I was tall and somewhat athletic so I was a good choice to play middle on a high school volleyball team. I wasn't completely green when it came to the game itself but I just jumped into an elite volleyball program with both feet and no parachute. Lionel and Ling helped provide a soft landing, but it was a tough jump!

Walking onto this team, and into this program that Lionel had been developing for almost 20 years and being told that the goal was to make it to the National Championship that year was overwhelming and felt daunting. Lionel had so much patience for me, and in my mind's eye I just see this awkward 22 year old kid trying to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do being surrounded by some of the best student athletes in the country, I couldn't help but wonder, "Who do you think you are, Derek, thinking you have something to offer to this team?!"

One of the biggest lessons I took away from that experience was "Always be a student of the game." Lionel was forever learning, and improving. He practiced what he preached and I could tell that he was always thinking about volleyball, and in my mind, he worked as hard, if not harder, for his team than what he expected of his athletes. He may not have been in the gym grinding next to them everyday, but he was definitely putting in cerebral reps every day.

Another value that was impressed upon me by Lionel was humility. Lionel was always the leader of the team, there was never a question about that, but he knew where he needed help and he wasn't afraid to ask for it. He could delegate when he needed to, and he knew how not to spread himself too thin, but he also knew what he didn't know. I remember he brought on a sports psychologist to the team that year that worked with the athletes. I didn't have many interactions with the psychologist but in listening to the athletes I could tell they appreciated the time they spent with her. Also, he took time to work with me and he gave me chances to try things and fail. And while I was scared to mess things up, it wasn't because I was afraid of judgement, it was because I was afraid of letting anyone down. I had so much respect for the athletes, the coaches and the program, I didn't want to be a reason anyone wasn't performing at the top of their game.

I remember being in the team room for the pregame talks, on busses, and in gyms, hotels and restaurants and just being in absolute awe of the people I was surrounded by. Not only did Lionel with OUA Coach of the Year that year, but there was also a number of All-Canadian student athletes in the room. They were such a good team, so talented and hard working, it was intimidating. But not because they were snobs, because they were the opposite. It was an environment where it was okay to be vulnerable, and I think it was the first time in my life I was in a professional environment where vulnerability was encouraged. Of course elite athletes need to take risks and put themselves out there and be vulnerable. The only way to grow, to learn, is to fail and nowhere was it made more clear to me that the best way to win is to try things and fail than on that team. They were a winning team because there weren't afraid to make mistakes. It seems counter-intuitive but it's the truth...I saw it work in real life. I was not only a spectator I was a participant.

There are also some hilarious and some heartfelt stories from those years, especially the time we went to provincials and nationals. Maybe I'll tell those stories here in another post.

I know they say "Never meet your heroes," but for two years in (2007 and 2008) I got to work with mine. Lionel made an impact on me that I keep trying to pay forward. Ling, Amanda and Lenny also left everlasting marks on my character and my career for which I will be forever thankful. I made some friends that I still keep in touch with today on that team and I feel bad that I don't make it to as many GeeGees games these days as I would like, my time with that team has forever had an impact.