[title subtitle=”WORDS Liesel Schmidt
IMAGES courtesy the Presley family, Terry Buzbee and Bradley Widding”][/title]
“Attitude and effort.” It’s a refreshing change from the oft-espoused mantras of some sports families, with their generational expectations of constantly winning, no matter the cost. Yes, winning is important to being successful in sports—and in life—but for the Presley family, it all really comes down to attitude and effort.
As a family whose days are often tied up with volleyball—be it training, practices, games, or tournaments—the Presleys understand well the sacrifice it takes to be part of a team. But for Darryl and Beth and their daughters MaKenzie and Camryn, that sacrifice has been well worth it, as it has brought them all innumerable blessings that they wouldn’t trade for the world.
“Seeing my daughters participate in volleyball has shown me that they have both developed great leadership skills, both on and off the court,” says Beth, who also played volleyball in her younger years and now cheers her daughters on in their games. “Our family mantra of ’attitude and effort’ has always been our expectation in all that they do and seeing them lead by example is extremely rewarding for us as parents. Volleyball teaches you to never give up, no matter what the score. If you keep a positive attitude towards your teammates and exert maximum effort for the point at hand, you can come back from anything.”
There is wisdom in those words, and to listen to both MaKenzie and Camryn, it’s clear that they each have gained a greater understanding of themselves as well as the importance of thinking beyondthemselves during their volleyball careers.
“I really can’t put into words all that sports have taught me growing up,” says eighteen-year-old Camryn, who began playing at the age of eight and has carried that on into high school, where she helped lead the Greenwood Lady Bulldogs to becoming state champions her sophomore year. Now looking at entering college, she has made a commitment to playing as part of the team Hendrix College, as well.
“I’ve learned that being humble yet confident is key and that failure is one’s best teacher and that you will failat some point. Everyday, you will make mistakes—but it is not the mistake that defines you, it is how you bounce back from them,” she goes on. “Sports have taught me to be a team player and how to rely on someone else for your victories; and one of the biggest takeaways for me has been that you have only a limited time for doing what you love, so make the best of it. Don’t settle for anything other than your best and have fun while doing it.”
Remembering to have fun is certainly important, but so, too, is the overall mindset and maintaining the resolve to keep on going, no matter what the scoreboard might read. “Volleyball has taught me how to be mentally strong,” says twenty-year-old MaKenzie,who is currently in her junior year at Hendrix and was recognized as tournament MVP at The Battle of the Fort—a rarity for the position of libero (defense). “It’s a game of mentality and having a strong mentality can pull you out of the hardest situations. As physically challenging as it can be, the hardest thing about the sport isn’t the skills, it’s mastering the ability to be mentally strong when the times are tough.”
Mental strength and determination are characteristics both girls seem to possess in spades, balancing their busy volleyball schedules with their academics and social lives and whatever else they might have time to fit in. Time management is obviously key—but so, too, is, of course, that attitude and effort. “I’m still learning how to balance my volleyball life and the rest of my life,” admits Camryn. “Having helpful parents is the main key to my success. They’re quick to help me in any situation and never complain about having to leave straight from a Friday night soccer game so that we can drive for hours to a club volleyball tournament early the next morning. I’m very disciplined in my schoolwork and have always prioritized it over volleyball, however, so I’ve never really struggled to keep up in my schooling. I’ve learned that if I just stay organized and use a planner, I will be fine!”
“It’s tough to balance athletics and academics,” MaKenzie says, somewhat conversely to her younger sister. “You must have a great sense of time management and starting things early to get things done. Being a student athlete in college is way more demanding, and time management is key.” Demanding as it might be, however, it’s clear that her ability to balance it all is winning—both on and off the court.
As they go through life and move past their time on the team, their lessons learned on the court will serve them each well in their chosen careers—both of which, interestingly enough, have nothing to do with pro sports, but are rather in the medical field.
“My goals for the future are to earn a position on my collegiate team, lead the team to a championship title, graduate college, get accepted into medical school, and become a successful surgeon!” says Camryn decisively. “I really don’t see a career for myself in professional volleyball because I’m eager to pursue my passion for the medical field and saving lives.”
Her sister shares the vision, her future clearly one on a path that would have her wearing scrubs rather than a volleyball uniform. “I really don’t have any plans of going into professional volleyball,” MaKenzie says without a beat of hesitation. “I want to attend medical school and further my academics in medicine.”
Both girls seem to have a great deal of confidence in themselves and in what they want for their lives, a determination that could certainly be attributed to their time in the sport. They’ve shown themselves to be young women of great character, as well, displaying attributes that others can look up to—and ones that their parents can take great pride in. “I think that some of my greatest moments as their mother have come when another player or parent comes up to us after a game to say that our girls are fun to watch because they always give their all,” says Beth, the pride evident in her words. “Nothing hits the floor without them trying to make a play, and that shows a determined effort.” There’s that family motto, coming to bear on the court.
“Recently, a younger player’s parent told us how much they appreciated that our daughters—both Camryn and MaKenzie at two different times and two different schools—always look out for the younger players and encourage them to be better and include them as members of the team,” Beth continues.
That team mentality is one that comes from being focused on the end goal, of recognizing the importance that others play in the overall picture. These are young women whose focus lies in bettering those around them even as they better themselves. In sports—and in life—that’s a characteristic that doesn’t just win a few rallies. It’s one that wins the game.
