Samuel Akapo '23 Recruiting Profile

When Tanaka Ryunouske, a character in an anime who had a slow and tough progress during a volleyball game, was completely shot out by the opposing team and couldn’t make a single point in; the one thing he said that deeply connected with me was when he said, “If you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up.” I don’t think I had ever heard anyone, be it fictional or real, say something that I could feel on another level like that. Especially as an athlete who had to stop all forms of physical activities. My Jack of all trades nickname wasn’t just from me playing sports. It came from music itself. As a musician and an athlete, I think growing from that nickname was one of the toughest decisions I had to make in my life as someone who’s always in the entertainment industry. Whether it’s sports, music performances, or teaching. The decision I had to make as an athlete was commitment. I had to commit to something and put all my focus and effort into it. I used to always think lowly of myself when it came to commitment for sports, but that didn’t stop me from looking for something to actually commit to. That commitment was volleyball.

People who think lowly of themselves cannot achieve great things. To make that decision to actually master a trade, I no longer was regarded as the Jack of all trades. I’m not saying that being a Jack of all trades is a bad thing; whereas the actual full quote actually says, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” I could’ve stayed as one but I only learned of the true meaning of that quote. I’d already found my passion and something I was passionate about. I am always willing to put a lot of things on the line and sacrifice things to always do it. Volleyball has been my passion for the past four to five years. My commitment to the sport has not wavered by an inch since then after my decision.