8th grader thrives on two courts
By Michael Butler
David G. Millen Staff
Stroll through the David G. Millen Gymnasium after school and one is sure to hear volleyballs thumping against the floor, coaches’ whistles tweeting and, of course, the masked, muffled, but commanding voice of eighth-grader Paul Lovely.
“Mine, mine, mine. I got it,” yells Paul.
“Casey, set it,” he shouts seconds later.
“That’s yours, Ian,” he barks.
Leadership attributes pour out of Lovely, like sweat rolls down his forehead and neck. And it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that Lovely is one of the hardest-working, always-hustling Trailblazers daily at David G. Millen Middle School volleyball practices.
“He leads by example,” Coach Mike Butler said. “He has improved tremendously since tryouts. His fundamentals are solid, and his work ethic is second to none. His serves are consistent and often unreturnable.”
It’s his quiet leadership, dedication and vocal presence that made choosing Lovely as a team captain, a very easy choice
However, Lovely wasn’t the top server on the team on Day One.
Like a Beatles’ catchy tune climbing the Billboard charts, Lovely’s serving continued to improve weekly -- and daily -- as he moved up the serving order, and recently was promoted to the team’s top serve spot.
Just like he does on the volleyball court, Lovely takes the same tenacious approach to his classes and schoolwork -- Lovely proudly possesses a 4.0 grade point average in his challenging Honors classes.
And his homework isn’t limited to his academics.
Volleyball homework, although not assigned, is taken seriously, too.
“I practice a lot at home,” said Lovely. “I’ll do drills outside and bump and set to myself. I’ll also set up targets and try to hit them. And, I’ll go to the gym and practice with my dad.”
His mom has also noticed his new found joy.
“I’m so glad he found the sport he is passionate about,” said Paul’s mom, Rowena Lovely. “I’ll walk by his study area and he is watching volleyball videos and studying volleyball techniques.”
Added Paul: “I really love the Elevate Yourself series. It’s easy to follow. They really focus on technique and are very helpful to improving your game. They explain things well.”
Based on Paul’s sonic serves that boom the DGM gym with precision and bullseye accuracy, one would assume that serving is his favorite part of the sport of volleyball. Surprisingly, it isn’t.
“My favorite part is returning serves,” Lovely said. “It’s the challenge of it. I love getting a really good serve, and then being able to return it. I also like the setting. It’s really fun to guide your teammates.”
Said like a true leader. Being more vocal is something all beginning volleyball players struggle with.
It wasn’t instant for Lovely either, but did come naturally.
At least after a season-opening loss to Desert Christian.
“It’s just about confidence,” he said. “At first, I was more quiet. I wasn’t vocal the first game. Then I realized I can handle it. I can pass the ball or return it. And I believed in my teammates as well.”
But serving is also high on Lovely’s list of volleyball fun. “It’s fun, because volleyball is such a team sport, but the backbone of the sport is the serving, which is an individual skill.” The volleyball court isn’t the only place Lovely excels. Paul’s current teachers are equally impressed with Paul’s academic and leadership traits in the classroom. And are hyperbolic in their descriptions of Paul’s work ethic. “He is a top tier student who takes on tasks undaunted,” said history teacher Logan Fitch. “When he knows he is going to be absent during a group project for a school function, he takes on the project by himself so as not to be a drain on others while he completes extracurriculars. Then returns to the classroom to finish his assignments with the power of a lion.”
English teacher Sonya Livingston has the utmost praise for Lovely. “Paul for President 2072!” said Livingston. “Paul is an awesome, well-rounded student. The same energy he exudes on the volleyball court is reciprocated in his academics. The definition of "Silent Storm!" Lovely’s favorite subject in school is math because “of the logic involved” and the fact “everything in math can be solved.”
And Lovely’s math talents are equally as impressive as volleyball serves, as he is currently taking a high-school level geometry class with Brenda Glover. “He definitely pushes himself to do the best that he can to meet his academic goals,” Glover said. “He is always prepared for class and participates to the fullest. Just an awesome student.”
Lovely’s interest in volleyball started in sixth grade during a unit in PE. “It was really fun,” Lovely said. “It piqued my interest. I wanted to try it and play it more.” Even his physical-education teacher, Parker Metheny, sees the vigor and enthusiastic approach that Lovely takes to his classes -- even his outdoor one. “Paul is one of the hardest workers we have here at DGM,” Metheny said. “He is Mr. Consistency, and always gets the job done, day in and day out.” Besides sporting his dazzling, perfect 4.0 GPA, Lovely is a part of Interschool Communication Council (an ASB for all schools in the district) and in Mr. Martin’s mock trial, and also on ICC.
Lovely took Martin’s mock trial elective two years ago, which was the first time Martin opened it up to sixth graders.
Martin being impressed with Lovely is an understatement. “Paul is the most impressive student I have had in my 15 years in the classroom,” Martin said. “In sixth grade he wanted a spot on the team. He blew us all away.” Lovely earned one of the top spots on the mock trial team as an attorney. “He tried out and immediately knocked out eighth graders for the attorney position, who thought they had a guaranteed spot. “Since then, he has grown into an amazing team leader who is always pushing himself to be better than he was the previous year and helping to teach newcomers the ins and outs of mock trial. Lovely sees a parallel to mock trial and volleyball.
And not just that they both involve a court. “Both definitely rely on discipline, and both you have to put in lots of time to improve. “My favorite part about mock trials is the closing statements. I enjoy writing and presenting a strong speech, and then using a persuasive voice to hammer home a strong point.” Hammering home, huh? Kinda like one of Lovely’s powerful, accurate hammering serves.