The key word to focus on in this statement alone is ‘grit.’ We will not be able to win on talent alone. He did not say we are never going to win a game.

If this were the case we may as well all toss in the towel and never look back. The conversation was started with the obvious intention to figure out what we need to do to take games from teams who physically outmatch us, because it is possible.

The trick is to accept that it is not possible to win if we continue on the same path, while keeping faith that if we commit to making change, we can and will win.

The brutal truth is that we are outmatched on paper.

B1G ten volleyball teams are built to be larger than life girls who are great jumpers, with powerful swings, and heavy serves. Winning teams in the B1G ten get the top physical recruits in the nation. We don’t happen to be that team. We’re not going to magically jump touch a foot higher than we do now to match the teams we are playing against.

None of us are going to grow five inches either. These are all things we know to be true. But we went neck and neck with a lot of these teams, falling short time and time again by tiny margins. So what tips the scale in our favor? Every uphill battle to ever exist has been won at the fighting fists of people who not only possess but understand and live their lives through one principle; grit.

Grit calls for a steel backbone and an unwavering and unafraid resolve driven by passion and purpose.

For the uphill battle winners, the saying, “Success comes to those who wait.” is a load of crap. They live their lives knowing that the hill is conquered by those who outwork yesterday’s best today. They continue to strive for this day after day. Yet through this grueling and time consuming process they still possess a level of passion to warrant patience while climbing. Patience is essential for the climb; waiting is not. The reality of the situation is we can no longer wait and stare up in awe from the bottom of the hill at teams who have reached the top. We need a direction to go, preferably up.

In the book Good to Great, by Jim Collins, to become a great team, the right people have to be “on the bus.” I believe the right people are. We’ve done the grueling practices, and long days in the gym, exhausting traveling weekends, staying up until the early hours of the morning in the hotel lobby finishing schoolwork.

However, so have the teams we compete against. Beyond this I am confident the right people are on our bus because above all else, those of us who remain have chosen to stay on board. Our past competition season was the ultimate test. The players struggled, the coaches struggled, some people left the bus, and others were kicked off.

What we are left with is a bus at a stand still, full of people that have chosen not to get off despite these struggles.

For that reason alone the remaining members of this team possess the grit and faith that we need to win. The piece of the puzzle we were missing is now staring us in the face. We will not win on talent alone. Confronted with this truth, we keep the faith that we will win, go back to the drawing board, and figure out how to begin the climb. The only direction left to go is up.

1 in 4 college athletes suffer from depression. I am that one.

The daughter of a pastor, basketball player at Clemson University, a perfectionist, I am that one athlete that suffers from depression.

From a young age, I’ve always lived my life trying to please the people around me, trying to do the right thing, and trying to live that “perfect” life. I’ve always made good grades, I played 3 sports in high school, I went to church every Sunday, and I was on track to graduating college ahead of time. So it might be shocking to some people that I am that 1 athlete that suffers from depression.

You know the nervous feeling you get when you’re about to play in the big game, take the big test, or even make a big decision? What about the lump you get in your throat that makes you feel like you can’t breathe right before the tears start to fall. It’s the empty feeling or confusion that makes it so hard to deal with. It’s the sadness that overcomes you when you know you have to get out of the bed to just try to make it through a day that seems like it will never end.

It’s the feeling of loneliness when you’re sitting by yourself and your thoughts consume you. It’s even the feeling of anger that overtakes you and you don’t understand why it has to be you.

A feeling of hopelessness when you wonder why you even try because nothing good can come out of trying anymore. It’s the feeling of being afraid that you have to finally speak up and find the help that you desperately need.

The weight of embarrassment you carry when in the back of your mind you know that not everyone will understand what’s going on when you try your hardest to explain it to them.

Confusion because you don’t even know what’s wrong. It’s the feeling of the little white pills swirling around in the bottle as you decide if it’s really worth it. “What will my family do? What if my roommate finds me? How will my boyfriend feel? Will it be a cop out? Will I go straight to hell? Do I leave a note?”

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

All these feelings that make me that one college athlete that suffers from anxiety and depression.

I knew that something was wrong when it became a big deal to get out of the bed. This became difficult because I knew that if I got up and left the house, I would be faced with responsibilities that I didn’t think I could handle.

When I would finally muster up the courage to leave, the house I would get a nervous and sad feeling that would overtake me, but I had no idea why I was feeling that way. I would be around so many people, but feel so alone.

I would cry, but nothing was wrong. I had a constant nervous feeling, about what, I had no idea. It was hard to smile and even harder to laugh and I knew that something was really wrong. My days were full of classes, workouts, tutors, and homework; but the depression and anxiety always found a way to work itself into my day.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

I tried to hide these terrible and confusing feelings from everyone that I could, but what was going on inside of me began to show up on the outside. I wasn’t myself anymore. I couldn’t eat. I struggled to sleep. My grades were slipping. I was missing class and suicidal thoughts started to fill my head.

The hardest part of it all was why me.

I couldn’t figure out what I did to deserve what I was going through. I had gotten to the point to where I was just tired of being tired. I was praying and it seemed like God wasn’t even listening.

I tried to remind myself that everything was going to be okay and that I was going to come out of this difficult situation that I was in a bigger and better person than I was, but I didn’t really believe the things that I was telling myself. When I began to have suicidal thoughts I knew that someone needed to know that I was going through so I began to throw hints about what was going on to my boyfriend.

I was praying that he would have the answer to what would make me feel better through this tough time. He finally convinced me to open up to my parents about the things that I was really going through.

I wasn’t sure how I could explain to my parents that I was going through so much without them knowing that anything was going on. I didn’t want them to feel like they weren’t doing an amazing job as parents because they were doing everything and more to make sure that I was well taken care of even while I was in school.

I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have this conversation face to face with my parents so I decided that I would send a text message to my mom to give her an idea of what was really going on behind all the I’m doing great text messages that I was sending every day.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

I decided that I needed the help of a professional and soon after, I began seeing a physiologist who has been such a major part of my recovery.

I decided that I would take a break from basketball to focus on my personal and mental health and just getting better as a whole. I spent time at home surrounded by amazing people like my family, my boyfriend, and my best friend, Makayla.

It made a huge difference. I was surrounded by so many prayers, and a lot of love, and I began to notice a change in my happiness. This time at home was great, but also hard. I was no longer worrying about school, basketball, and everything else that came with college, but my main focus was on having to face what was really going on in my life.

Having the professional help I needed and an amazing support system behind me has gotten me through the most difficult times and brought me closer to the happiness that I’ve always known.

I’ve had some very amazing people that have stuck by my side through everything that has been going on and I’m so thankful for that. My family has understood me on my good days and my not so good days.

My boyfriend has stuck it out through the good, the bad, and the real ugly. My roommate, Victoria, has been more of a blessing than she will ever know. And lastly my amazing friend, Makayla, has been there through everything and she has listened to even the smallest complaints from over 300 miles away. Through everything that has been going on, God has still been doing some amazing things in my life and I am nothing but blessed, for this journey I know that better days are coming.

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

—John 13:7

Someday I will.

(Written by Mitch Everett)

“Hey!! Don’t I know that guy in the Redfoo wig hollering like a maniac? WAIT!!  Isn’t that Mitch?  You know, the guy from Compliance??  What, wait a minute?!!”

“Yes’m that’s me!”  I text back, or Tweet or reply on Facebook with a big grin whenever a friend from church or work, a former boss or friend from my hometown asks why they see my face plastered all over a TV screen or on a billboard as they are driving through Atlanta.

After 30 years in commercial banking, primarily as a senior regulatory compliance officer, I am often asked why I am a member of the rowdy disparate group of people known as the Kia 6^th Man Section of the Atlanta Hawks. If you have been to an Atlanta Hawks home game or watched the Hawks on TV, there is a really good chance you have seen and heard the 6^th Man Section.

Since 2009 I have had the honor of cheering on the Hawks with approximately 100 other crazy super fans.

It is my duty, privilege-JOY- to scream, dance, dress in wigs, costumes, paint my face and do anything asked of me to promote the spirit of the Hawks that brings energy and life to the crowds at every home game.

While it may seem like a simple task, when you get to be 55, standing and yelling for 3 hours straight is a chore. If the players are playing, our mandate is to be yelling.  There have been many days after a game, my colleagues would be concerned that I might have come down with a cold, because I could hardly talk. My response has always been, “No, I just have the Hawks!”

Of course, the Hawks regularly have theme nights, and the Kia 6^th Man Section always supports the cause. Whether its photo bombing an opposing team’s fan, dressing up as a Star Wars character or in 1970’s gear, we are there for our team.

There have been many times over the last 6 years that I would get a text message from my boss, a friend or family member…. “Mitch, I just saw you on TV.” At one point, an executive of the bank would just text “again”. One of my high school buddies from Albany, Georgia, Jimmy Joiner, was recently flying out of the Denver airport. I received a Facebook post from him, “Just walked off the plane, looked up and there was your face plastered all over the TV.”

And while all of this adds a lot of excitement to the game, it also leads to the same question, Mitch why are you participating in this?

In my profession, I deal with anti-money laundering, international sanctions, and consumer protection compliance. Many see my profession as the schoolmarms of a bank, enforcing strict adherence to arbitrary rules. I often have told my friends, that going to the game and being in the section is great for stress reduction.  If you knew me, you know being loud comes very naturally to me.

Being crazy with a crew of college kids is a wonderful escape from the day’s reality too. When my physicians ask me if I get enough exercise, I always tell them that between October and March, sometimes through May, I get in 3 straight hours of aerobics and cardiovascular work outs 2 to 3 times a week.

And being in the Section affords me a great opportunity to look behind the scenes of the Hawks organization as well.  I have had the opportunity to meet almost all of the players.

Over the years, the Kia 6^th Man Section has taken several road trips. On our first trip to Charlotte, Zaza Pachulia tweeted during warm-ups that he could hear us and couldn’t believe we had come. After many games, the players will take the time to stop by and thank us.

As any Hawks fan on Twitter knows, Big Al, Mike Muscala, BAZEMORE! and others always interact with the fans. As a side note, I wish Mike Scott would post Sock Saturday pictures again, I never know what to wear now.

It really blew me away this year, when I asked Mike Muscala if he would help me with my annual Kia 6^th Man Tryouts, and he said yes! Every year everyone wanting to participate in the Kia 6^th Man Section for the season must try out.  You would think after screaming and jumping for more than 200 games, the powers that be would know I can yell! But Mike came, we had “Moose Goggles” prepared and now, if you watch a Hawks game on Fox Sports South, you will more than likely see a promo shot that night.

Of the players, I find Kyle Korver one of the most interactive with the fans, and our crew. A poignant moment happened two years ago.

I attend Passion City Church in Buckhead. The Passion Conferences that are held annually are affiliated with the church, as Louie Giulio, Chris Tomlin, Christy Nockles and a host of others are our leaders. One of our big projects over the last several years is EndIt, a movement to end human trafficking.  During the public awareness campaigns, you might have seen the large red x’s.  Two years ago, Kyle bought everyone in the 6^th Man Section an EndIt shirt and asked that we come down on the court. Having the players show their support really affirms our efforts.

 All of these reasons are the obvious reasons one would expect being a part of a group like this; however, there is an even greater, overriding reason why I love the Kia 6^th Man Section. Over the last 7 years, we have become part of a family. This family extends beyond the members of the section, too.

In December, I was standing in the section and a lady approached me, asking if I was Mitch Everett.  All I could think of was that I had either offended someone with my antics or that she was one of the employees at my new place of work. When I cautiously acknowledged who I was, she stated she and her husband were Mike Muscala’ s parents and they wanted to thank the section for always supporting their son and cheering on the team even when they are losing. That blew me away!

And our family includes the other employees, too. Tigger has always been stationed behind Section 118. This year he was moved into our group. All of his fans certainly add to our nightly fun.

We have gotten to know so many of the Hawks and Philips Arena staff, too. After 6 years I have my favorite ushers who I now consider my friends.

We used to have to be at the games 1 ½ hours before tip-off. That certainly gave us enough free time to get into trouble! To kill the time, I would check in on Foursquare in Section 118. Of course, I soon became the “Mayor”. One of the other members discovered this, and word got out that I was THE MAYOR! I Yelp now, and have been promoted to Duke!

For some unknown reason, we started yelling out various random people’s names as they passed by the 6th Man Section; Jerome Jurenovich, the Stinger, Bob Rathbun and Steve Holman, I’m sure we give them huge headaches.

I can’t remember now why we started yelling at Beth Carter. We just yell a lot!  She was a statistician with the Hawks for the sports broadcasters and had to walk past us multiple times a game. We would scream “ELIZABETH!!!” Over the years we have watched her daughter grow up from a baby, to a Hawks dancer now!

My buddy Ryan Coller, a Senior Group Sales Consultant with the Hawks, used to send me emails all the time, wanting to sell me season tickets. I always thought to myself, dude, I’m not going to buy a ticket, I have the best gig in town! Then I finally met him at church in a small group. This year Ryan and his wife had their first child. And who knew, but Beth and her family go to the same church! In a city the size of Atlanta, the Hawks organization can certainly make it a smaller, happier place\

There are so many other people I could tell you about, Raymond in the Hawk’s Store, the Ladies at the Bar-B-Que restaurant (Melitta got married this year), Jim the camera man, and MOOOOOOOEEEEEE!

I wanted to share some of these stories because as a family, we have lived life together.

This is especially true for the fellow members of 6^th Man Section. If you consider there are approximately 42 homes games a year, and some of us have been a member of the section for 6 years, and our time together for each game is about 4 hours, that’s over 1,000 hours we have invested in each other.

When we first started Jordan Valdes was 13, and the dude’s in college now! Daniel Norton and Jessica Rodriguez started in the section in 2010, were married in 2011 and had their beautiful daughter two years ago. We are growing our own future 6^th Man Members now! Now even Johnny Smallwood’s engaged!

Tyler Cromey and his wife Lydia had a similar story. Last year, however Tyler fought and won a second bout with cancer. True to being a part of the family, Al filmed and posted a great video encouraging our friend.

We have had several families in the section, like Daniel Fu, and his son’s Joshua and Jacob. Stacee Wicks Treasure and her daughter and son were faithful members for years. These days the Riescher clan has taken over, with Russ (tambourine man) and his son’s Joe and Jake. Our resident twins Andrea and Angela bring their husbands and often their children.

All of this provides the context of the real answer to the question, “Mitch why are you a member of the 6^th Man Section?”

It’s more than about cheering on a winning team; any bandwagon fan can do that. It’s more than simply showing up at a game, or meeting a player. The answer is simple – this is my Hawks Family and I care about my crew! We are #HawksBros !!!

How long will I participate? As long as the founder and manager of the Section, Drew Frank picks me and Steve Koonin allows me! #TrueToAtlanta. We are the Atlanta Hawks!

(Written by Zac Cooper)

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear” –George Addair

George Addair explains that in order to get what you want in life you have to face fear directly in the eye. Exit your comfort zone and face the things that scare you the most. What you want in life is out of your comfort zone, by constantly allowing yourself to become uncomfortable is how you grow as a person. Do something that requires courage and calculated risk and you will be likely to find success in your endeavors.

My obstacles were not as serious as living in an underprivileged community or in poverty – my story relates to overcoming shortcomings in competition and overcoming the mental aspect that I struggled with.

So, what does it take to be successful in a pursuit?

Well, before answering that, one must define what the term ‘success’ means to them and what one’s purpose is when aiming for success. The dictionary defines the word success in two prominent ways:

1) The attainment of popularity or profit.

2) The accomplishment of an aim or purpose

 For the most part society synonymously attaches the term success to winning, prosperity or monetary gain as the first definition proclaims, but I believe the point is being missed with that definition. I look at success and identify with the second definition: The accomplishment of an aim or purpose, regardless of money or fame.

 My coach Adam Singer elaborates on the second definition and describes success as the progressive realization of a worthy ideal or goal. The key word here being progressive, I believe that people want success immediately and forget that it comes with a journey of ups and downs.

Successful people have the mindset of accepting failure as a necessary learning process, which allows them to take action and correct themselves in the future and in what they truly believe in and are pursuing. It is only truly a failure if you stop trying.

I am Zac Cooper – failed baseball player, failed wrestler and current Georgia Amateur MMA champion. One of those descriptions does not belong and it’s because of the first two failures.

I only say I was a ‘failure’ because I did not accomplish any goals I set forth and never managed to win anything in my years. Many would consider my career as a baseball player or wrestler as successful but the truth is I never actually won anything.

However, I sure did give a valiant effort in all my pursuits. I AM hard on myself but the statements above are facts.

I constantly came up short and damn near quit in my efforts, but I kept trying with each new venture and when I eventually found my true passion I obtained one of my major goals I set in being a champion.

FAILURE definition – to be unsuccessful in achieving one’s goal.

MY JOURNEY

BASEBALL & WRESTLING

My journey began as most kids did; I bounced around every sport from basketball, soccer and baseball in my free time. In my early teenage years I took interest in baseball over everything and began to focus on that in 7^th grade. I would play countless games throughout the year from spring ball, to summer and then to fall ball. It was a year round endeavor and eventually got old by the time I hit high school and my passion had run out, but I continued because it was all I knew.

I needed a change of pace.

I had been thinking of taking up wrestling my freshman year before baseball but did not due to the fear of the grueling practices and wanting to play fall ball. I had always admired the mental fortitude of wrestlers and the fact that it was an individual sport with no one to blame for failure but yourself. There was something about relying on my efforts and no one elses I found amusing. When the next year rolled around I decided out of nowhere to just join without thinking and that the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.

I fell in love with wrestling and saw success at a JV level early on. In my very first tournament in which comprised of over 20 teams I found myself winning the first two matches on the first day and set up in the semi finals. The next day I would go on to lose 3 straight, place 6^th and not even show up to the podium because of my embarrassment. I knew I had many opportunities in the future to get on the top of that podium, but little did I know I would never step foot there again.

PASSION FOR WRESTLING/BJJ

When my first year of wrestling ended it was back to baseball, but something didn’t feel right. During tryouts I was preparing to field ground balls at second base and I found myself lost. I found my mind wandering and was more focused on my wrestling posture at second base than fielding ground balls.

By junior year I decided to hang up my cleats before the season even began. I was stepping out of my comfort zone. It was especially hard when my baseball coach pulled me in the wrestling room (not knowing what was happening) to talk. I remember to this day what he said after I broke the news I was done playing baseball. Perplexed he went on “Well, do you have fun in here?!,” Saying sarcastically. I looked at him directly in the eye and said, “Yes, I love this room.”

No matter how tough and daunting every practice was I loved every moment of wrestling, there was something to be said about physically and mentally pushing yourself to the limit only to have to go beyond that in order to succeed. I had found my new passion.

Without wrestling I would have never learned the important life lessons in humility, agony, failure, success as well as all of the ups and downs the sport brings to a human.

 I believe it is the most crucial factor in making me who I am today.

WRESTLING CAREER

My second year I was one of the leaders on the JV team yet failed to make the podium once again individually, yet as a team we had massive success.

This still left me unfulfilled, as wrestling is mainly an individual sport. My senior year I expected to start and dominate until my good friend came out of nowhere to beat my handily in the pre-season wrestle offs. I was upset and utterly confused.

Eventually he would injure himself, which allowed me to start the majority of the year. I worked hard all year and saw some success against mediocre wrestlers but got beat by the top notch guys every time. I felt as if I was so close to the capabilities of these top level guys. Physically I was as strong and athletic, but mentally I lacked what the champions had. I was improving and when my friend came back he wrestled me off for the spot once again.

We had one last team tournament as a team I would wrestle in before Josh came back from injury and we had to wrestle off for the starting spot. It was the team regional tournament and the top 3 would move on to the team state tournament.

We found ourselves in the semi-finals and the winner would go on to the state tournament regardless of the finals result and we had our hands full with the team in front of us. It was decided that my weight class would be the very last to compete, which had me just a little bit nervous. Anyway, when the time came we were down by 5 points and we needed a PIN, or we lose and go home. I began by dominating my opponent but struggled to pin him.

I gave everything I had in the moment but came up short in pinning my opponent, only to win 13-11 – which was a win, but not what we needed.

I was devastated. I knew that if my friend Josh (who’s spot I was taking due to injury) would have pinned the man. Now, because of my shortcomings our team was headed home. As they raised my hand in victory, I cried. I did not do what needed to be done and although it was not 100% my fault, I felt like I failed my team.

It was the week before the last tournament and I knew I had to show-out and win or else I would be done. The wrestle-off was intense and I found myself down by 3 when time ran out as I was about to hit a reversal/possible back points which would have put me ahead for the win. Just like that I was done, my career was over. (and worst of all, I found myself injured with a neck problem that wouldn’t allow me to be physically active for months and bad place mentally.)

I had graduated high school and was set to attend Georgia Southern but needed something to fill the void after wrestling. I knew I wasn’t done competing yet – I had only just started 3 years ago in something I became obsessed with. At the end of summer after I healed up from my neck injury I sustained while helping my friend who beat me prepare for the final tournament I started kickboxing two weeks before I left for school.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

When I started at Georgia Southern University I didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do.

I was indecisive with every endeavor from choosing my major to joining a fraternity or continuing wrestling/MMA, I was lost. I went the safe route with my major, decided not to join a fraternity the first semester and I joined the MMA club immediately.

The guys in charge of the club were well-established amateur fighters and coaches. The first day I showed up with no gear. After a tough practice they matched everyone up by size, gave them gloves, shin guards and pretty much said ‘fight.’ I was scared to death. Not only was this the first fight I would ever be in, I was fighting a taller and much bigger individual. But the second they said ‘spar’ I was lost in my own world.

I loved every second of the pure one on one aspect of unarmed combat, who can impose their game plan and come out the victor. There was no one else in there to lay blame on if something went wrong. It was new and it was real. This was the coaches’ test to see if you truly wanted to do this, and boy did I!

Throughout the semester I proved my worth to them and kept improving my standup to go along with my high school wrestling. Mixed Martial Arts became my obsession.

When second semester rolled around I decided join a fraternity, stay sober and was practically non-existent in the club. I was set to have my first fight but that fell through quickly with all of my obligations.

The next summer I trained feverishly and sharpened my tools with them and I knew what I wanted to do now. Although I had just joined a fraternity I was set on giving MMA a crack. Countless hours in the gym and I finally was set up for my first fight, only for my opponent to not show up at weigh ins.

Fortunately the next week I took a late replacement fight in the weight class above my normal one. I went through a tough first minute but came out of my shell and hit my opponent with a flurry of strikes until I rocked him and the ref jumped in. There was no better feeling in the world – nothing compared to the euphoria of winning a fight.

After my fight I partied a lot. After my fight I lost sight of all of the hard work I had put forth. I began partying a lot after I found out I was going to UGA the next semester. I was leaving everything behind and although it was a tough decision, I was excited. Once I settled down in Athens my spark for the sport began to burn just as it had before and fortunately for me Athens was home to the HardCore Gym, which has produced two world champions. I found out I was going to UGA the next semester and was leaving everything I started behind. It was honestly a tough decision but would prove to be a great one. One fight down and I knew I wanted to keep having more. Athens is home to The HardCore Gym, which has produced two world champions.

Once I was on the fight team I fought constantly and improved my record to 3-0. I had found early success but that all came to a screeching halt.

With one more win I would receive a title shot but I ended up losing in the first round and found myself in a rut. I was devastated, I didn’t take the fight seriously and I shouldn’t have looked past him. I learned my first lesson to never look past your opponent and focus on what is front of you. Just like wrestling I came so close but ended up with nothing once again.

I was pissed so I booked another fight in October against the former champion who just lost his belt.

He came in overweight but I did not care. I got a call in the morning of the fight from my coach – the fight was off, my opponent had eye issues. It was not until 6 hours later they said we have a guy; he was cutting to 155 (I’m 145) and is making his debut…but he’s a golden gloves boxing champ at 165 lbs.

I took the fight, I didn’t care, all the work was done and I just wanted to fight. Lesson number two; don’t do that. I ended up losing a decision and took home a huge gash under my eye and huge black eye that didn’t make my mom happy.

I decided to return April and won decisively. I was now set to fight the champion in May and realize my goal but he suffered a concussion and the fight fell through and was set to be re-scheduled for the summer, but I had obligations to study abroad in Australia and missed my shot once again. He then went pro and vacated the belt.

I was then set to face my friend in August for the vacated belt but he ended up getting injured. My patience was running short. Finally on September 13 I had my chance to fight for the vacant title only to find out two weeks before my opponent pulled out for personal reasons. With no challengers stepping up I took a fight at a weight class lower versus a very tough opponent and failed to perform.

A few fights later I found myself in a position to fight for a title in a promotion in South Carolina. Light was coming through the dark tunnel I had put myself in and I was ready to seize the golden opportunity in front of me. The fight was a grueling war between the larger opponent and I which I lost due to lack of activity, something that had haunted me in previous fights. I was absolutely gutted and thought I was done.

But I knew I needed to keep grinding and not give up knowing my potential. Eventually in March a huge promotion rolled around town and co promoted a show with NFC and I was selected to fight an undefeated fighter for the vacant belt I had earned the right to fight for. It was my opportunity on a huge stage, the time was now or never. I busted my ass for 3 months to get ready for this opportunity.

THE FIGHT – FINALLY

The first round I got beat up from every angle. I took his best shots and submission attempts but made it through. The second round I came out and relaxed, I breathed deep and took the fight where I was best, the ground. It was not long before I won via Technical Knockout. The feeling of the ref stepping in gives me the chills every time I think about it. I had never won anything in my life and I finally accomplished something. I was now a champion.

“You don’t deserve anything in life, you deserve what you earn” –T. Brands

When that belt wrapped around my waist the excitement kicked in. I didn’t deserve that win, I earned it. I worked hard, stayed patient and eventually my time came I capitalized on the opportunity. I am now champion with a target on my back.

It was the small changes that made the difference. My coaches Adam and Rory stress the three things we control every morning with the acronym A.P.E. (Attitude, Perspective, Effort)

This coupled with showing up and working hard day in and day out culminates into success. I had struggles and hardships in my career along the way but I reached my goal for once in my athletic career. I defended my belt on June 27 and won via submission in the third round after getting beat the first two rounds.

My future opponents stand no chance when the time comes around after the adversity I have faced.

I just recently dropped weight classes and defeated the 135 pound champion in a dominant unanimous decision victory. It was my final amateur bout and now with my goals being complete I am now set to accomplish a lifelong dream in becoming a professional athlete on February 20, 2016. For my whole life I was sure I would be a professional baseball player, but through my journey I was lead into the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

In every success story there is a struggle that no one sees – it is not an easy path. I learned a lot on the way to the title and failed a lot as well. All of my experiences and each time I failed to meet my expectations/goals I was upset, but I did not quit. I took lessons from each ‘failure’ and learned to apply my knowledge in order to progressively better myself in the future and create a different result. Eventually my time came and I seized the opportunity.

I am far from achieving overall success but I am progressively realizing my goals as they come to fruition with hard work and focus. I celebrate the small victories for now and know they will play a part in my overall goal and have many future successes in the future.

IN CONCLUSION

On what it takes to be successful former World Champion, Chael Sonnen sums it up perfectly. He said, “Between success and failure some say that failure is not an option. I think that is ridiculous. Failure is the most readily available option, but it’s a choice. You can choose to fail or you can choose to succeed.”

It’s a rarity that a successful person has had an easy path to their destination. No matter how hard your journey might be it is all in the mindset and how you approach what is in front of you that will determine your destination. Success comes from fulfillment, if you are not satisfied or happy with what you do or who you are then is it really success?

The Complexity of success can be daunting but at the end of the day success is all a state of mind.

(Written by Kitan Ajanaku)

3 years ago, around this time, I made a decision that would completely change my life.

I was a redshirt freshman volleyball player at Long Beach State University and my dreams of making an impact on that program had been crushed. I was not tall enough for my position, my skills were subpar, I was too stiff, I couldn’t relax, my learning curve was too slow: these were all things that my head coach and my negative self talk had continuously repeated to myself.

Who was I kidding? I wasn’t good enough to compete in the West Coast. My mind had been shattered by anxiety and depression, and the confident, kick-ass athlete that I had always been disintegrated into someone I could not recognize. But my will and strength were not completely gone. I still had my Heavenly Father who had never left me alone.

I prayed for an answer.

I knew what I had to do to get control of my life and continue my dream of playing Division 1 College Volleyball. I decided to transfer. I knew I had to leave but I had a family in Long Beach. My teammates were my sisters and leaving them would be one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do.

I emailed about 20 mid major programs and went on 5 visits within a two-week span. This was hectic but I knew it would be worth it. When I visited Georgia State, the concrete city that is downtown Atlanta was not a selling point as I was used to Palm trees and sunshine in Southern California. It was an option, but definitely not at the top.

I visited schools in Florida and Northern California, and had plans to visit South Carolina. One night, I heard His voice. God told me that Georgia State was where I would find my home.

I was confused.

I had always wanted volleyball to be the number one reason why I would go to a school and GSU had the worst record out of all the schools I was considering, but He was persistent and for the first time in my life I knew it was Him and I listened.

I will forever remember the night that listening to God changed my life. I transferred to Georgia State and my life changed for the best. I returned to my true self and conquered my depression and anxiety.

Not everything was perfect when I moved to Atlanta, because many things were hard, but God provided me with so many blessings in my new home. I was blessed with a new volleyball family and sisters that I could not imagine my life without, I met the love of my life, and discovered my passion for law and child advocacy.

But the biggest blessing was finding my worth outside of being an athlete. I can almost 100% say that none of this would have happened had I not listened to God.

In His will, He holds all of our dreams and desires. His plan for our lives will always be the better plan.

(Written by Madilene Lake)

If you had told me in the fall of 2005 that 10 years later I would have voluntarily run four half marathons and a marathon, my 13-year old self would have said “As if” and gone back to texting on her pink RAZR phone, not so silently judging you for suggesting such a ridiculous idea.

At the time, I hated running. I hated how it made me sweaty, hated the hills, and hated the fact that my parents would drag me through the streets of our neighborhood to run “for fun.” Running wasn’t fun.

It was a self-induced death march that I was unfortunate enough to have to endure in the name of family bonding. Well, that’s how I saw it as a moody teenage girl anyways. Which, was when my mom and brother suggested I run cross-country my freshman year of high school, I was skeptical. Why would I purposely want to run long distances multiple days a week? How is running a sport?

But, because I had decided not to cheer and lacrosse try-outs weren’t until the spring, I didn’t have many options for fall sports. So on August 1, 2006, I laced up my running shoes and reported for practice.

Right away I knew cross-country would be like nothing I had ever experienced.

First off, running is hard. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect there to be such an exact, and often painful, science to running hills or timing splits. Second off, and most importantly, I had coaches who believed in me.

Over the next four years, Coaches Cathi Monk and Christine Dahlhauser would teach me to not only have a love for running, but to have a love for myself. These two incredible women pushed me harder than I had ever been pushed.

They didn’t expect greatness, but they did expect that I would put in my greatest effort to be better than I was the day before. Most days I would do my best, but there were definitely practices and races that I just wasn’t feeling it. Each had an incredibly distinct voice and more than once I heard “Madi Lake, what the heck are you doing? I know you can do better than that!” from across the course. At that moment, the very moment I thought I would rather keel over than run harder, I would close my eyes and dig deeper, somehow finding strength that I didn’t even know I had.

They taught me to be a hill seeker, and that the most important moments in life happen on a “hill.”

While most runners hate hills, hills Coach D reminded me, give you the opportunity to prove to yourself (and others) how strong you really are. There is nothing more satisfying than basking in the descent after conquering a particularly steep hill. They taught me that the last .1 is just as important as the first 100 meters. In cross -country, it is the scores of the top seven runners that makes up the team’s final score, with the lowest team score winning the entire meet.

Therefore, even though you were running your own race, you were really running for six other people. You need to finish your race just as strong as it started, no matter how tired, or downtrodden you might feel.

You must always finish the race. You must always fight the good fight.

Finally, they showed me what it was like to be something larger than myself. At the end of my freshman season, Coach Monk handed me a single chain link. “This link represents our team,” she said. “As the newest members, you are our newest links. Right now they are shiny, but with age, they will dull. This is like a team – it’s easy to be excited when things are “shiny” but much harder when they’re dull. We are only as strong as all of us together and although it might be hard, there isn’t anything that can break us.” Being a link can sometimes be hard, but it’s always worth it in the end.

I am a far cry from the girl I was at 13 – instead I am strong, confident, and determined to succeed.

Because of these women, I am a life long runner, and appreciate what running can do for the soul. It is because of Cathi Monk that I know I can push myself without breaking, and that I’m stronger than I think I am.

It is because of Coach D that I have learned the importance of never giving up and to always have faith, no matter the circumstances. It is because of these two women and their wisdom, grace, and strength that I am who I am today, and for that, I could not be more thankful.

(Written by Ashleigh Shay)

When I first wrote On The Sidelines I was nervous. Bryan contacted me more or less a day after I published my first post on my blog.

That was the first time I was posting personal writing on a public platform. Then he asked me to do the same on his website. And this time it was a story about me, not just things that were going on around me.

Once I sat down to write the words flowed out of me so fast I knew I must have been all over the place. Although after I read it over it made as much sense on the screen as it did in my head.

That was a gratifying and terrifying thought.

It meant I was competent and people we’re actually going to read a story about me. That made me vulnerable, something I don’t like being. But I mustered up all the courage that I could and I hit “submit.”

I linked the story to my blog and from then it was like. Looking back at some statistics, 17 people read the story on my blog. However I’m unsure how many people read it on The Wish Dish. Either way, it made me feel confident about my writing.

I hope that freshmen in college or even just those who want to work in the world of sports have benefitted from my post. I was a regular freshman whose goal was to get on the field of the game. Luck came my way and here I am two years later and I have had field access for every home game.

I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason and you have to work for what you want. I was at the right place at the right time to get me started. But I have worked my butt off since then to make a statement.

My job is early mornings, long days and late hours. I love every since second of it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have made it past the second football game last season.

You know those 12 o’clock kick-offs? While the rest of you are getting up at 8 am I’m already at the football stadium. It’s not an easy life but it’s one that I’ve chosen. I hope what I wrote last spring has inspired others to do the same.

It doesn’t have to do with sports and it doesn’t have to be in college. It can be anything and anytime. The purpose of me sharing my story was to accomplish two things.

The first one was to put myself out there. To be come comfortable with others reading something very personal. It was like publishing part of myself.

The second thing was to show people that if you are determined, you want something, and work hard for it, that you will get it. I had no idea how I was going to obtain what I wanted in the beginning. But I gave up weekends and nights out in order to get it. I love what I do. I hope others will one day too.