Shopping Bag
Pro volleyball player Devon Newberry gets real about the game. Read about the lesson she carries off the court, the hobbies that made her a better player, and what summer’s all about (for Earthlings and aliens alike).
Q: What’s one thing you’ve learned through volleyball that you carry with you off the court?
A: How to be the best teammate, friend, and family member. Playing sports, especially at a collegiate or professional level, tests you in more ways than I have ever experienced. I can't control a lot of things in my sport, but I can control what kind of person I show up as every day, and that has carried over in every aspect of my life.
Q: What’s one small thing that has made a big difference in your game?
A: Having hobbies outside of my sport. After a couple years of only caring about what was going on in the volleyball world, I realized it was making me a worse player and person. I started to find things outside of volleyball that I really enjoyed (my work, painting, writing, reading) and started implementing those every day. Now when I step out on the volleyball court, I am filled with pure joy instead of stress.
Q: If you had to explain the feeling of playing beach volleyball in summer to an alien who had never experienced it, what would you say?
A: I would classify it as euphoric. I have never experienced such joy, freedom, and fun than I have playing beach volleyball in the summer. The two pair so perfectly together, and it's exactly why we play this sport!
Q: What’s your favorite part of a summer day spent playing beach volleyball?
A: I think my favorite part is the sweat and dirt. There is no better feeling than leaving a beach volleyball practice covered in sweat and sand. It means you accomplished something that day and that you gave effort!
Q: If you could bottle one moment from playing beach volleyball and keep it forever, which moment would you choose?
A: I would bottle earning my first medal on the FIVB tour. It was completely unexpected for myself and genuinely time froze. I was sobbing tears of joy, completely depleted from the tournament, having champagne poured all over me, and getting to celebrate with my partner and all of the other medalists.
