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It’s rare that I encounter a sport I’ve never heard of or played at some level. The few times it’s happened, I’ve found myself immediately drawn to learning about it and finding a game to get involved in. This is how I found rugby in college, how I learned about cricket while living in India, and why I was obsessed with the idea of connecting with my wife’s culinary colleague, Christina when I heard she played 9-Man.
9-Man Volleyball is a sport that has its roots in Toisan, China. The game was brought to the US in the 1930s as Chinese immigrants established small Chinatowns throughout the country and used the sport to connect and build community in these urban environments. Most of us are familiar with indoor volleyball, so imagine that game but played with 9 players on each side of an extended court and this all goes down on the asphalt. The road rash injuries are brutal.
Christina was kind enough to sit down and educate me on some of the finer points of the game and its cultural relevance within the broader Asian-American community. She shared how her mom played when she was young and how she took Christina to her first tournament in Canada as a spectator when she was only six years old. She started playing at age 11 and noted that “what was really cool was other daughters of previous teammates of my mom, and so, we were kind of like the next generation.” This emphasis on legacy and passing down tradition and knowledge became a thread throughout our entire conversation.
Christina played 9-Man for 20 years, all while attending school, earning a degree in Food Science, and finding her place in the culinary scene in California. She shared the moment she knew it was time to retire from playing and really lean into this new passion around food and what a career could look like. She said she “took all the gigs” from scooping ice cream to closing down the local deli each day to catering corporate events and working on a farm to learn as much as she could about the culinary industry. She proudly notes that she is now a chef by trade and works with a local non-profit in San Diego to promote culinary education. Christina said, “I remember my mom has consistently told me this story growing up that in kindergarten, Miss Ballard, my kindergarten teacher, had noted to my mom that Christina's always saying she wants to be a teacher. And so that really never rang true until I started my work with Berry Good Food.” She said she finally “understood that not only was I able to cook, but I was able to really translate something to somebody that could be forever.”
What Christina shared rang true for me, too. I grew up wanting to be a teacher, but I didn’t really grasp how much I loved it until I began coaching rugby. I remember wanting to learn as much as I could about how to be a good coach and methods for teaching different types of learners and the total fulfillment I still get when a player finally connects with a skill we are working on. That lightbulb moment is what keeps me coming back season after season. It’s also what keeps me wanting to continue my education and development as a coach. I recently heard the phrase “teach and be taught” and it sums up so succinctly one of my core values around learning and the legacy you leave when passing along knowledge.
To all the teachers, coaches, mentors, and educators out there…THANK YOU for all you do!
To learn more about how we use this and many other tools to help coaches and leaders maximize their impact, drop us a line at The Next Playbook to chat about your goals.
-Derika
P.S. To hear the full conversation with Christina, join us at The Next Playbook Podcast and sign up for our Newsletter to hear about new posts. You can also follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
It’s rare that I encounter a sport I’ve never heard of or played at some level. The few times it’s happened, I’ve found myself immediately drawn to learning about it and finding a game to get involved in. This is how I found rugby in college, how I learned about cricket while living in India, and why I was obsessed with the idea of connecting with my wife’s culinary colleague, Christina when I heard she played 9-Man.
9-Man Volleyball is a sport that has its roots in Toisan, China. The game was brought to the US in the 1930s as Chinese immigrants established small Chinatowns throughout the country and used the sport to connect and build community in these urban environments. Most of us are familiar with indoor volleyball, so imagine that game but played with 9 players on each side of an extended court and this all goes down on the asphalt. The road rash injuries are brutal.
Christina was kind enough to sit down and educate me on some of the finer points of the game and its cultural relevance within the broader Asian-American community. She shared how her mom played when she was young and how she took Christina to her first tournament in Canada as a spectator when she was only six years old. She started playing at age 11 and noted that “what was really cool was other daughters of previous teammates of my mom, and so, we were kind of like the next generation.” This emphasis on legacy and passing down tradition and knowledge became a thread throughout our entire conversation.
Christina played 9-Man for 20 years, all while attending school, earning a degree in Food Science, and finding her place in the culinary scene in California. She shared the moment she knew it was time to retire from playing and really lean into this new passion around food and what a career could look like. She said she “took all the gigs” from scooping ice cream to closing down the local deli each day to catering corporate events and working on a farm to learn as much as she could about the culinary industry. She proudly notes that she is now a chef by trade and works with a local non-profit in San Diego to promote culinary education. Christina said, “I remember my mom has consistently told me this story growing up that in kindergarten, Miss Ballard, my kindergarten teacher, had noted to my mom that Christina's always saying she wants to be a teacher. And so that really never rang true until I started my work with Berry Good Food.” She said she finally “understood that not only was I able to cook, but I was able to really translate something to somebody that could be forever.”
What Christina shared rang true for me, too. I grew up wanting to be a teacher, but I didn’t really grasp how much I loved it until I began coaching rugby. I remember wanting to learn as much as I could about how to be a good coach and methods for teaching different types of learners and the total fulfillment I still get when a player finally connects with a skill we are working on. That lightbulb moment is what keeps me coming back season after season. It’s also what keeps me wanting to continue my education and development as a coach. I recently heard the phrase “teach and be taught” and it sums up so succinctly one of my core values around learning and the legacy you leave when passing along knowledge.
To all the teachers, coaches, mentors, and educators out there…THANK YOU for all you do!
To learn more about how we use this and many other tools to help coaches and leaders maximize their impact, drop us a line at The Next Playbook to chat about your goals.
-Derika
P.S. To hear the full conversation with Christina, join us at The Next Playbook Podcast and sign up for our Newsletter to hear about new posts. You can also follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
