From Netball to Volleyball: Revisiting the Lessons of Pivoting, Precision, and Progress
In my 2021 blog post on netball, I explored how the sport taught us about pivoting—not just as a technical move on the court, but as a mindset for navigating life and career transitions. At the time, I reflected on how netball demands stability in one foot while the other moves purposefully, a vivid metaphor for how we often must stay grounded in our values while repositioning ourselves in new spaces. I reflected on the lessons I learned from enrolling my pre-schooler in a netball club and mirrored how netball can metaphorically be harnessed to navigate the “new normal”
As I concluded in 2021:
“Falling off after pivoting does not necessarily imply a lack of skills… Falling is a sign that you are making an effort. People who stay still don’t fall. Keep calm and pivot into the future of tomorrow.”
A few years later, those reflections have resurfaced—this time on a different court.
A New Season: Embracing Volleyball
In an effort to continue nurturing my daughter’s fitness, coordination, confidence, and leadership abilities, we have now stepped into the world of volleyball. And almost instantly, the themes from netball—movement, resilience, agility, attentiveness—have evolved into new lessons.
If netball taught us how to pivot, volleyball teaches us how to anticipate.
If netball grounded us, volleyball lifts us—literally and figuratively.
Where netball required a single foot anchored to the floor, volleyball demands continuous motion, quick adjustments, and collaborative awareness. Every touch must be intentional. Every decision matters. And every player contributes to the rhythm of the game.
Lessons for Life, Learning, and Career Growth
Just like netball shaped our understanding of resilience and adaptability, volleyball is now sharpening new dimensions of development:
- Attention to Detail: The slightest angle of the wrist can change the direction of a serve—much like how small habits shape excellence at work.
- Coordination: Volleyball cultivates whole-body awareness and timing, mirroring the coordination we need in multi-layered careers.
- Skill Development: Repetition builds mastery; purposeful practice builds confidence.
- Leadership: Quiet, shared leadership emerges on the court—setters guiding plays, teammates covering one another, communication flowing without ego.
These lessons echo the concerns I raised in 2021 around Generation Alpha—their rapid adaptability, digital fluency, and the future pressure they will face. As I wrote then:
“The definition of diligence, excellence and resilience will be conflated… The interplay between these dynamics will birth new opportunities and possibilities.”
Volleyball reinforces that truth: the future belongs to those who can make calculated and proactive moves, people who can adjust, collaborate, and refocus with intention.
Closing the Loop: Still Moving Forward
Looking back, netball was never just about drills or Tuesday afternoons. It was preparation for a mindset—a way of seeing growth as movement rather than perfection. And today, volleyball feels like the natural continuation of that metaphor.
Share how sports have shaped your being, becoming and/or practices in the comment section.
Do you agree that “people with a high level of learning agility are positioned in a mental state which evokes the capacity to intermittently pivot away from old thinking“?
Abosede Ijabadeniyi (PhD)
Research Director: Regenerate247 Research Solutions
Abosede is a market researcher and project manager who enjoys helping organizations flourish by proactively combating issues that hamper insights-driven customer engagement, business resilience and sustainable business practices. She is passionate about faith, family, and purposeful living. Drawing from her experiences across projects, continents and adventures, she writes reflections that encourage others to live intentionally, stay grounded in Christ, and find meaning in every season of life.