Saying thanks and goodbye

My FiVB dream season has come to an end  with extra icing on the cake! It’s been a ride with this team as FC Schüttorf 09 volleyball rises to the top.

volleyball drewmanity

Team FC09 in a final slide, giving thanks to the fans!

Winning the league championship in the 2011-2012 season our team advances into the Second Premier League, (2. Bundesliga) in Germany. At age 30 and my first year playing any international volleyball I am grateful for being able to play this year. It was indeed a battle training on and off the volleyball court growing as an athlete. I believed that this could happen…. but wow! Now it is over. We accomplished our goals this season, we did our jobs, had fun, worked hard as a team but mostly we believed. This hasn’t happened in many years for this program so it’s a great reward to help this team and the community. It paid to work my butt off, eat healthy, ice the knees, BELIEVE in myself, all to be a part of this moment in time.

It’s moments like this in life that I see why I pushed so hard mentally and physically through the dark valleys where it would have been easy to quit. Thank you to my family and friends and mentors around the world.

“If you believe it you can achieve it”

FC Schüttorf 09 Volleyball League Champions!

Manusharow-Schuttorf-schuettorf-germany-league-champions.

2011-2012 Volleyball Season. League Champions. FC-09

 

#30 Drew Manusharow hits volleyball ball off Lintorf blockers

#30 Drew Manusharow hits volleyball ball off Lintorf blockers

#30 Drew Manusharow Solo block

#30 Drew Manusharow Solo block

 

#30 Drew Manusharow & #8 Danniel Bremmer position a block

#30 Drew Manusharow & #8 Danniel Bremmer position a block

#30 Drew Manusharow hits volleyball ball past Lintorf blockers

#30 Drew Manusharow hits volleyball ball past Lintorf blockers

#30 Drew Manusharow-#13 Wassim Toueiti put up a block.

#30 Drew Manusharow-#13 Wassim Toueiti put up a block.

30 Manusharow and  FC Schüttorf 09 Volleyball

#30 Drew Manusharow point celebration

30-Manusharow-FC-Schuttorf-09-Volleyball-shake

The match up. Completed

Vision doesn’t usually come as a lightening bolt. Rather it comes as a slow crystallization of life challenges that we one day recognize as a beautiful diamond with great value to ourselves and others.
– Dr. Michael Norwood

Winning away from home in front of a packed house

Most meaningful volleyball match of my life to date vs VfL Lintorf
here are some photos from the match.

 

#30 Drew Manusharow hitting the opposite vs VfL Lintorf

#30 Drew Manusharow hitting the opposite vs VfL Lintorf

#30 Drew Manusharow hitting the opposite vs VfL Lintorf - photo credit Chloe Smith

#30 Drew Manusharow hitting the opposite vs VfL Lintorf – photo credit Chloe Smith

#30 Drew Manusharow and #7 Bosko novovic blocking on the opposite vs VfL Lintorf  . Photo Credit Chloe Smith

#30 Drew Manusharow and #7 Bosko novovic blocking on the opposite vs VfL Lintorf . Photo Credit Chloe Smith

 

 

Positioning myself to play ball

drewmanity.com

Yup that’s me, #30 hitting middle. Set from #1 In life I’m sure you have heard you cant always get what you want? If you haven’t heard this then i’d suggest that you remove the rock from over your head that you’ve been living under. Life is full of surprises  treats and treasures but sometimes we are thrown a curve ball. So for this case if you’ve been following along with my journey you know that I’ve been training to play volleyball in Europe somewhere as an opposite hitter.


I recently was picked up by a team in Germany as a dual position potential but mostly as a middle blocker/hitter. Am I complaining? No. I’m stoked! But not my first choice. I played a little in College, at California State University, Northridge. Then later in an Arizona region, but overall I prefer opposite hitter. If you are dying of thirst and some one offers you apple juice when you wanted orange juice, you’d be stupid not to take their offer when you need the hydration, the nutrients to fill your body. That is life right? Sometimes we are giving a seed, what we do with that seed depends on how much we want to grow the plant… or if you want to eat then you better learn how to grow it.

Pros and cons of my position in a nut shell.
I can play middle but my dominant position is opposite hitter. This means I’ll have to revert to the knowledge and athletic skills needed to play middle, not extremely different but still lots of work.

The pros of all this is that I made a the dream a reality and I’ve been offered a sweet deal. My conclusion, I am happy with the recent selection, driven to help this team win a few matches until they can find a new middle blocker, then I hope to make a transition to opposite on the right side. Well at least that is my idea. Believe it to Achieve it.