Kerri Walsh Gives Me Warm Fuzzies

thesportsbank.net

Kerri Walsh of the US Women's Beach Volleyball gives me warm fuzzies. She is all smiles and handshakes. I don't know her from Adam but I can tell that she's got the right attitude about life. I'm not a behaviorist but I can tell just by looking at Walsh, be it in interviews, photos, even when she's playing, that she's found (or made) her niche in the universe. And she's thrilled about it. You can see it in her smile. A smile is not just a complex system of varying muscle contractions around the mouth; it is also in the eyes - an unmistakable, unshakable glint that works with other facial muscles to denote someone who is truly at ease with him/herself. I believe that a smile can go a long way; that just a sincere grin, direct eye contact and quick head nod to a passerby can resonate positive energy.

Walsh kicks this method of shared resonance up notch, as can be witnessed at the end of each of her Volleyball matches in London. Walsh and teammate Misty May go through the obligatory sportsmanship routine of 'good game, good game' with opponents, reaching under the net to high-five, handshake. And then they continue on to shake hands with the officials, 'Thank you, Thank you'. While the losers sulk away and May returns to the sand and basks in the glory of attention and praises of the stands and cameras what's Walsh doing? She is darting around, corner to corner to corner to corner, thanking the ball handlers. Many times catching them off guard. They assume that since the game is over their business is done. But Walsh is not done. She recognizes their efforts and makes the effort, even after a physically demanding performance on the court, to sprint after these low-level volunteers to express her gratitude. That is positive resonance in action. And even in my living room on the other side of the pond I feel her televised vibe, and I can only hope that the millions of other viewers can feel those warm fuzzies too. Dig it.