SAFUN

For those of you that know my history, I started my career off at Rackspace back in 2003. I left Rackspace to work for PEER 1 in 2005 and spent the last 4 years at PEER 1. I have had the opportunity to work with some outstanding individuals (clients and employees) and have been a part of some great things. But business changes and sometimes you have to make change for yourself. Your gut will tell you when that time is.

I’d like to share a story that serves somewhat as analogy to my situation today.

If you look back on your childhood, I am sure you can name persons that had an impact on your life (positive or negative) that have helped you develop into what you are today. Persons that brought out the best or worst in you, helping you find the path you are suppose to be on. You didn’t know it then but you know it more than ever when you are out there in the real world trying to make some tough decisions. You have to sit down and take a look back on your life. Who are you? What makes you happy? What drives you?

How volleyball fits in

I grew up playing volleyball, playing since I was in 2nd grade. I am very passionate about the sport. From 5th to 8th grade, my school team didn’t lose one game in all 4 seasons. Her name was “Coach Debbie” and man, we thought she was so mean! She made girls cry all the time.
I also played club volleyball and my team made the Junior Olympics twice – once in San Jose, California and once in Orlando, Florida. I wasn’t the star player but I was always the dependable player. Volleyball taught me about discipline, gave me that competitive spirit and showed me what being a team player meant.
As a freshman in high school, I made the varsity volleyball team. I was excited and proud to have made the varsity volleyball team. Granted, I went to a private school but still, I was the only freshman on the varsity team.  As the season progressed, I noticed that we weren’t very good and I hardly received any playing time. My coach would put me in 2 points away from the other team winning game. I didn’t have the chance to make a huge difference on the team.

The confrontation

I decided to approach my coach about it. I was nervous of course, I was just a freshman. She taught a geography class so I went to her classroom one day after her class let out. I asked for a few minutes of her time. I let her know my concerns about not receiving playing time and asked her what I could do to improve so I can play more often. All I wanted to do was help our team get some wins. She said this “Well, we have a lot of seniors on the team and it’s their last year to play.” I was so turned off by this and actually replied right back with “ Well, I didn’t realize the varsity team was built based on tenure, I thought it was built based on attitude and skill. If that is the case, then I want to be put on the Junior Varsity team where I know I will get some playing time so I can improve for the years ahead.” She was really caught off guard with my comment (and so was I) but she respected my comment and said that she wanted to keep me on the team.
She did end up playing me a tad bit more and I was able to get some solid playing time in. But it wasn’t enough. I didn’t feel that the team shared the same passion I did for the sport. Nothing against the team but my heart wasn’t it and it wasn’t a good feeling. I spent the next year there and decided that I wanted to leave the high school for a better opportunity.

The transfer

My parents accepted my decision and I transferred to another school my Junior year. I made the varsity volleyball team there. This was a solid group of girls that were passionate about volleyball, about their teammates and about having a good attitude. I will never forget our coach, “Coach Joyce.” She was tough. We practiced everyday except Sundays. We did pool workouts, weight work outs and speed workouts. She had us on a diet and that’s when I learned about protein shakes. I remember being in so much pain. But at the end of the day, we all wanted to feel that pain because we knew it would bring us to that win. We went on to win the state championship. It was the best decision I ever made.

The purpose of me telling this story is that first, I remembered it so I had to write it down so I never forget it. But when I think about it, I realized that my volleyball journey gave me the opportunity to know what it felt like to be passionate about something. When that passion was gone, I felt it and was more inclined to do something about it. Today, I am passionate about many other things and it all revolves around helping others and improving my well being. I want be part of a team that shares that same passion.

Rackspace had a great opportunity that I was fortunate enough to have offered to me. Sometimes change is good and I don’t see this transition being any different.

I hope I can inspire others see the opportunity for a change and embrace it.