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Being a Sitting Volleyball Statistician at the Paralympics 2012 Reflected Part 1
Being a Sitting Volleyball Statistician at the Paralympics 2012 was such an amazing experience. There are so many facets why it was so great but the biggest was probably that I was involved in one of the biggest shows in the world – the Paralympics! This opportunity won’t ever come to me again.
SO WHAT DID I LEARN?
* s – it was a mixed of nervousness and excitement which I never had before (or remember having before). I thought this must be the feeling (but to a smaller extent) that athletes describe before an important match. Thankfully, I was able to focus on the job at hand when the match started.
* – the job of calling was quite stressful. There was the calling itself (calling all ball touches on your side), managing your team (answering, explaining, helping), talking to the opposite team after each point (to ensure we agree on what happened) and talking with the Omega team (who compiles all the data). There was also the strict time constraint between points. I felt I handle that with grace and was calm throughout.
* – that is, joking around one minute before a race and then performing the next. When I work, I am all business. It is the same when I was statting. The was one match where I started to joke around to the team opposite and my statting performance went down the toilet. I would like to be a Usain Bolt when working but I don’t have that facility.
* – it’s a strange experience when your team asks you what the last call was and you don’t remember. It is a phenomenon that other callers had and it is difficult to explain why this is the case.
* – being at the end of the court, you seriously have a fantastic view of the match.
SO WHAT DID THE EXPERIENCE CONFIRM TO ME?
* – everybody knows I am a believer in the power of practice and my previous practice certainly prepare me for the real thing.
* – I knew that for a long time but being at the Paralympics has just reconfirmed I love being at the major events. You can argue I’ve achieved my Ultimate Dream #4: Attend a major event in an official capacity.
* – despite having the best seats in the house, you don’t really see the flow of the match. I don’t really know who’s winning or losing until I look up at the scoreboard during time-outs and between sets. It was the same with pretty much every analyst position I had.
SO WHAT NOW?
Find a paid job and finish my dissertation.
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