The Obstacle As the Way*

*Major assist from ChatGPT

Don't ask for an easier path. Commit to handling hard better, to leading better, and to becoming more resilient.

Ryan Holiday borrowed the phrase “The obstacle is the way” from Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic emperor who wrote that “the impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Few sports embody that idea more vividly than volleyball.

Every rally, every rotation, every season brings new impediments. The net. The block. The serve. The score. The opponent. Each can frustrate or teach, depending on our mindset.

1. The Net and the Block as Teachers

In volleyball, the obstacle isn’t metaphorical - it’s visible.
The net divides the floor. The block challenges the hitter. A stuff block can feel like rejection, but it’s also feedback. It tells you your swing, your vision, your timing need refinement.

Great hitters learn to use the block — tool it, roll it, wipe it.
The obstacle shows you how to adapt.

What stands in your way becomes the guidepost to mastery.

2. Adversity as Advantage

Tough matches, rowdy gyms, poor officiating - these aren’t excuses; they’re experiences that shape emotional control. Momentum swings in volleyball are violent and fast. The untrained mind rides them; the Stoic mind steadies them.

The storm doesn’t destroy the tree with deep roots. It strengthens it.

View adversity as fuel instead of fire. Thrive in chaos. A deficit becomes a test of unity; a tough opponent becomes a mirror for growth.

3. Frustration as Feedback

Every player hits slumps. Servers miss. Passers shank. Setters misread. Some coaches get tight. But frustration, properly understood, is information.

A player who can say, “That mistake is feedback, not failure,” grows faster than one who hides from difficulty. Practice without friction impedes progress. The work that challenges you is the work that changes you.

4. Culture of Composure

Great teams handle obstacles together. The locker-room tension after a loss, the tough conditioning session, the pressure of a playoff match - all can divide or unite. Leadership is tested most when things go sideways.

When coaches and captains model poise, players learn that calm is contagious. The team that refuses to unravel under stress turns obstacles into steppingstones.

5. The Competitive Edge

Each opponent presents a puzzle. Some serve rockets. Some defend everything. Some crowd the net.
A Stoic competitor doesn’t resent these differences; they study them.

• A tough serve becomes a lesson in platform angles.

• A bad call becomes a test of focus.

• A loud gym becomes a rehearsal for composure.

Every obstacle sharpens the edges.

The Stoic Takeaway

Volleyball, like life, guarantees resistance. What separates good from great is how we respond. The obstacle isn’t there to stop you - it’s there to shape you.

The Stoics would tell us:

Don’t wish for easier conditions. Wish for stronger character.

When Melrose Volleyball faces adversity - a tough opponent, an off night, or a season full of growing pains - remember: The obstacle is the way.