The WP Training Blog

Welcome to the WP Training Blog. A wide variety of topics will be covered here, from training principles, to science based breakdowns of jumping, to sports psychology and mental training. This blog will hopefully serve as a tool for you in your push towards excellence.

I started getting into the sport relatively late, and due to my childhood preferences for video games and eating instead of sports, I was the antithesis of a volleyball athlete. Slow, uncoordinated, weak, and injury prone. My technique was all over the place, not being able to apply any kind of coaching. Especially since college was approaching, I was never able to get the required 1 on 1 coaching needed to address my problems. All I had was the desire to be really good. While that desire led me to some gains by playing as much as I could and watching the professionals, eventually I hit a hard cap.

As athletes, we can only go so far without addressing the issues in our bodies, minds, and technique. After 3 years of following this same path, I found myself in a really difficult position. My body was breaking down. I had terrible knee pain that made it hard for me to stand up. Every time I hit the ball, my shoulder screamed at me to stop. I had severe back pain that prevented me from doing any training. I would take breaks from playing to try to relieve my body, but these issues would come back with a vengeance when I returned. The mental toll was even worse. I would spend all my time still thinking about volleyball and yearning to play. My level dropped significantly however, and I would question my resolve. "What's the point of all this" "I waste all this time on this sport, and I still suck at it" "There's people that started after me and are already better than me" "Why am I so bad" "I wasn't meant for this sport"

These thoughts plagued my mind after every practice I was able to attend with my injuries, and along with my struggles academically in college, I was in a horrible mental state. By late 2019, I had basically given up on volleyball. I still played here and there, but I accepted that I wasn't cut out for this sport, that my mind and body couldn't handle this kind of abuse anymore. I would never be able to get good at it. Bodybuilding then became my main passion, with volleyball fading to the past.

Work smarter, not harder. The age old saying that we hear, but may never be able to understand in the context of our own lives. I was a hard worker through most of my volleyball career. However, I wasn't using my energy on the correct aspects, leading to it all being wasted on a cycle of mediocrity and injury. I was thankfully able to learn why this was true. During the COVID Pandemic, a lot of variable lined up and I was able to return to the sport, and I was able to follow a path that allowed me to slowly but surely figure out of my issues.

Through years of trial and error since then, doing my own research and applying what I learned to myself, I was able to reach a level that I never thought was possible when I was in high school and early college. I became way faster and stronger, increased my vertical jump by more than 10 inches, and turned into the athlete that I always wished I could be. That however, wasn't enough for the new me. It did however, lead me to a lifelong pursuit of excellence as a volleyball player and as a person.

This journey has been filled with ups and downs, but I firmly believe that it has been the most satisfying thing I've done so far in my 24 years on this planet. A sport that I picked up on a pure whim, because my high school PE teacher Mr. Lowe told me I should try out for, has become such a crucial part of my life. I pursued this career path because of it, and I'm still trying to improve my game and compete at as high of a level I can reach.

These blog posts are blueprints of my own career, through countless hours of playing, coaching, training, and studying. I hope that it can help you on your journey as well.