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| 2001 | |
| Jeremy Jacobs: The Tao of Jeremy |
| Dallas, TX (2/4/02)
-- "Tigger is all right really," said Piglet
lazily. "Of course he is," said Christopher Robin. "Everybody is really," said Pooh. "That's what I think," said Pooh. "But I don't suppose I'm right," he said. "Of course you are," said Christopher Robin. -- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh Jeremy Jacobs, a 6'4" 195 lbs setter for Greenhill School and Seaside Volleyball Club, is at peace with himself. Today. But prior to this past year, the three-year captain and MVP of his high school team had a dark side. He was an angry young man with an uncontrollable rage. Downright unpleasant. "He got a little impatient with people who weren't at his level," said Keith Nannie, varsity boy's volleyball coach at Greenhill School. "He went through a stage where he was so far above everyone else that he wasn't patient with other kids."
When he or a teammate screwed up (e.g., missed a dig, hitting error, bad pass), his impatience would rear its ugly head. "I would just get so pissed off," he explained. "I used to blame others and get on their case. I would yell at my teammates too much, scream at them like 'pass the ball better!' It was really bad!" He would get so angry and frustrated in practice that he would kick the ball clear across the gym. "I knew my coach would make me run lines or suicide sprints as punishment, but kicking that ball was worth it," said Jeremy. When he didn't kick the ball, he punted it. It started out three years ago at the Junior Nationals in New Orleans. Although Jeremy's Addison 18-1 club team was seeded 16th, they came nowhere close to that finish. "We choked," said Jeremy, who played rightside hitter that year. He almost quit after that tournament. "I got a lot of blame for that loss," he explained. "That year, I was too intense and not having any fun with volleyball. Just yelling and screaming and getting angry!" This self-destructive pattern continued...until last year. "I don't know what made him change," said Nannie. "I think his goal was to be like Brandon Taliaferro of UCLA. He wanted the intensity of Brandon Taliaferro, but in a more positive way." Around that time, Jeremy embraced some of the Eastern philosophies that promoted peace and enlightenment. In particular, Jeremy discovered Taoism. "At the end of my junior year, I needed to change my ways because I was too intense," said Jeremy. "Coach Nannie started to talk to me about how I should improve myself and be more encouraging with my teammates. I needed to be more of a leader and motivator in a more positive way instead of all the negativity." Coach Nannie gave him a book to read that transformed his outlook on life. That book was Benjamin Hoff's "The Tao of Pooh." "While Eeyore frets ... ... and Piglet hesitates ... and Rabbit calculates ... and Owl pontificates ...Pooh just is." -- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh "I don't think I introduced him to Taoism," said Nannie. "Jeremy is a very intense person who analyzes things at a high level. When he found out he couldn't accomplish things by doing what he normally did, I think he tried to come up with other solutions. I think he got into Taoism because he found out he could use it to reach higher levels. I'm not a Taoist, but I thought that Jeremy could get into it, so I gave him that book." In addition to "The Tao of Pooh," Jeremy read other related books including "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig. These books "changed my life," said Jeremy. "It's about following the way, just being, observing, and how little you are in the grand scheme of life. Now I have so much more fun now. Before, when I got a block, I used to think, 'yeah, no big deal, because I'm supposed to get that block.' Now, when I get a block, I'm all over the court because I'm so happy!"
Before, he was a consummate trash-talker, which was a reflection of his angry and intense state of mind. "I used to trash-talk across the net a lot, but not anymore," he added. "There's not a worse feeling when you trash-talk and the person you're trashing humiliates me by tooling me or blocking me!" Lesson learned. "This year, I'm more encouraging," he said calmly. "I've mellowed and I like to think I'm a better leader. I'm more into calming my mind and just being." "He's a phenomenal positive presence and people want to rally round him," said Jeff Hall, a 6'6" former MB/OPP for the University of the Pacific in the mid-1990s and current coach of the Seaside Volleyball Club. "He's a great leader and floor general for us. He doesn't take a lot of crap from other players if they're bitching. Sometimes if things go wrong, his teammates would start bitching at each other. He'll cut in and make sure they don't get mad at each other. He's so positive and doesn't complain. He's so fun to be around." "The desire to be the best is probably his greatest attribute," said Nannie. "He has such determination that he'll push himself for hours and hours and works at it till he perfects things." This past year, Jeremy led his high school team to a 45-0 record and is currently the starting setter for the Seaside Volleyball Club. Born of Jewish parents, Jeremy was Bar Mitzvah'd at age 13 and confirmed at age 15. "I just went through the motions," he admitted. "My parents took me and I didn't really listen to the things they were saying at the temple." At age 15, he listened and he didn't like what he heard. "I was an atheist for one year (junior year)," he said. "Now, I'm just searching for something. I find the concept of faith fascinating. I find myself questioning why I'm putting my faith in something I don't know exists or is correct, and I don't want to be wrong. Now, I don't consider myself to be Jewish and I've never been to a temple in years. Now, I go to all the services - Catholic, Episcopalian, Unitarian, etc." And if he brought home a non-Jewish girl to meet his parents? "That won't matter," laughed Jeremy. "If she's good enough for my mom, I'd consider myself lucky." Jeremy then mentions a movie he likes a lot - "The Tao of Steve." An indie arthouse flick, "The Tao of Steve" is a romantic comedy that explains at length how the path to enlightenment relies heavily on the coolness of American male icons like Steve Austin ("The Six Million Dollar Man"), Steve McGarrett ("Hawaii Five-O") and Steve McQueen. McQueen himself is considered God. For college, Jeremy has committed to Stanford University. "I've been going to the same small private school in Dallas for the last 15 years," said Jeremy. "Most of my classmates go to Ivy League and other top schools. I'd be selling myself short if I just went to college to play volleyball. I'm all for experience but you don't turn down Stanford University." Currently, Stanford has redshirt freshmen Kevin Hansen and Patrick Bomhack for the setter position. Jeremy is aware of Stanford's make-up. "It doesn't matter to me if I'm the setter or not," said Jeremy, who seems to have embraced Taoism fully. "I'm a short 6'4" setter. Don Shaw told me I'm going to compete as a setter but I'm open to playing other positions as well. I may be a libero or a hitter. I'm realistic about my future chances in volleyball. I can see the big picture."
"You see, these days, a lot of the top college programs are looking for that setter who is 6'6 or 6'7" tall," said Jeff Hall. "Jeremy is such a competitor that he wants to be the best setter in the country. So he's thinking he's 3 inches too short! But he jumps really well. He touches 11'2" and that's pretty high for his age group!" "He has beautiful soft setting hands and his jumping is great," said Nannie. "But he just loves the sport so much that whatever position they put him in at Stanford, he'll do great! He just wants to play regardless of position. He would play 24 hours a day if he could!" "I really credit Jeff Stork, Harlan Cohen, and Eric Sato for teaching me how to set and teaching me how to be a better volleyball player," remarked Jeremy. ...and Taoism for his new state of mind. "I love the game!" said Jeremy. "I'm excited about going to Stanford for the academics and athletics." "I really believe he's going to strengthen up and improve his game some more. He'll be fine," said Hall. "I'm just so happy he's playing for us now because I may be coaching a future All-American!" "Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong." -- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh | ||||||||||||
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