The Happiest Place on Earth

I have finally found it. You could say its the holy grail of human expression. The place where dreams come true, a place where the human spirit reaches incalculable peaks of excitement, fulfillment, and happiness. Where is this place you ask? At a competitive girls USA Volleyball club tournament...

I am a proud father of a daughter that is fully invested in the Club volleyball scene the past few years and have attended many in state and out of state tournaments. Most recently I spent 4 days in Reno, Nevada watching and screaming at the top of my lungs for my daughter’s "Club V" team. There are hundreds and hundreds of teams competing from ages 12-18.

If you have not experienced one of these large tournaments, you need to. It is hard to describe the magic in the air. It’s a happy place. Why? Well, I’m going to attempt to explain it so that maybe by dicing it up, it can be duplicated in the business world more prevalently. This kind of energetic atmosphere, teamwork, and achievement is fairly rare.

I will name a couple major observations:

1.  Teamwork: The girls genuinely love and care for one another like something I haven’t seen before. I have never in my life seen so much hugging, high fiving, yelling, cheering, and positivity amongst a group of people.

2.  Spirit: It’s as if every problem in the world is completely left behind when these girls practice and compete. Their unique powerful spirit inside bursts out in the form of energy and enthusiasm. They unite these powerful emotions in an awe-inspiring display of competition.

3.  Perseverance: These girls give every ounce of themselves to reach their personal and team goals, and they do so through gut wrenching pressure. There is a do not quit mentality that is actually palpable.

4.  Competitiveness: The team will sacrifice anything necessary to win, but at the same time do so in a cordial and respectable way. I am shocked by the composure and intensity of these young girls!

5.  Attitude: There is a sense that each girl is happy, no matter how much they play, where they play, or how they play. Each give of themselves for the greater good.

6.  Powerful / Fearless: Their sheer determination shines through in unmistakable ways. These are strong and talented girls. Their minds, hearts, and bodies are healthy, seemingly ready to take on the world.

7.  Obedient: They listen to and respond quickly to every command from their coaches or refs. There is no complaining, poor sportsmanship, and disregard to what they are asked to do.

8.  Beauty: They act as one. Unity and perfection are their clarion calls. The system they learned is executed marvelously and almost flawlessly at times.

9.  Sportsmanship / Happiness: No name calling, taunting, or anything else of that nature. They graciously go about their business, do what they are told, and enjoy the competitive nature of the game and all that goes with it. They are happy. I have never seen so many smiles in one place in my life.

There is something special happening right before our eyes at these tournaments. They are majestic places of learning. People have termed Disneyland to be the happiest place on earth, well, in my opinion, they coined that phrase because they have never been to a Club volleyball tournament!

Business application: Internal teamwork, trust, and competition must exist for organizations to be as successful as they can be. Camaraderie and enthusiasm are essential. Employees perform to their highest level when they are recognized, respected, and feel a sense of purpose in their strenuous effort. Personal development generates happiness. It’s not always about winning and losing, it’s about how the team performs together with a goal in mind. We must find our happy places and go to them..