“Obviously, the transition did not happen overnight, but I realised that I wanted to follow my instinct and to trust my inner voice, so to speak. It was a learning process, and I needed some time to adjust – at the beginning, I felt that playing as an outside resulted in a lot of back and knee pain, since my body had to slowly but surely adjust to a different position and the challenges associated with that. However, this transition has definitely helped me become the player as well as the human being that I am today.”

Last year, in a season heavily disrupted by the pandemic, Yigit briefly returned to play as a setter. “I did train for two days only and I had to step in since both of our setters at Arkas were sick. There was no other option, even to resort to a member of the youth team; we won a key match 3-1 but after that game, I felt mentally exhausted even though it was a lot of fun. I was no longer used to that role, which is very demanding, physically as well as mentally,” he says with a laugh.

Recently, Yigit has used his official Instagram account to share his views on what the life of a professional player / athlete is. “These posts reflect my passion for writing. I am sharing my feelings and my experiences so that I can possibly help others when they make their own decisions – not just in sport but in life as well. If sharing my thoughts can support others in their endeavours, help younger people chase and follow their dreams, that would make me very happy,” he adds.

What Yigit emphasises is that Volleyball is not a job only:

“When you do something out of passion, it resonates with others and inevitably connects you with the people, including fans in the arena and followers on social media. I wish to motivate others to work hard for what they love – as much as I do with Volleyball. You can apply the same attitude in any other aspect of your life.”

Yigit is one of a kind not only for his fencing background, the successful transition from setter to outside hitter, but for another reason as well. “We can say that in Turkey it is not that easy for a professional athlete to pursue high education at the same time. I finished my studies in industrial engineering with success while playing professional Volleyball. This is also a message I wish to share with others: despite any constraints there might be, you can achieve something as an athlete and in your education as well. I hope that many more will follow this path,” he continues.

Last summer, he was a member of the Turkish national team that caused a sensation at EuroVolley when they beat Russia in the pool phase and were close to upsetting Serbia in the 8^th Finals. “There is still much work to do. We showed that we can play at a high level and the victory over Russia was obviously a boost of confidence. However, we still lack experience when it comes to playing top matches – as shown by the disastrous first set we had against Serbia. We need to play more such matches to make it to the next level.”

At some point, and this is likely to happen soon, the men’s team will be ready to emulate the success of their women’s colleagues. “I am extremely proud of what our women’s team has achieved,” Yigit says. “They have inspired us in many ways as they have been one of the world’s top teams for the past 10 years and this is no coincidence. They have pushed us to get better too – if they can do and achieve what they have, we can do it as well, especially with this generation of players. At that point, men’s Volleyball will draw more attention from fans and media as well – but this process has already begun and it will only get better.”

Something that may help men’s Volleyball to develop further is interaction with other leagues and coaches. Yigit played for nine years in a row for Arkas before moving to Ankara and join the ranks of Halkbank for the 2021-2022 season. “As much as I enjoyed playing in Izmir, I realise that to improve, you need to step outside of your comfort zone and to change the environment. Playing abroad is one way to do so for sure – but the same applies to the coaches you work with, as I learned a lot from Glenn Hoag but now I am learning new things from Halkbank coach, Taner Atik, as I have done with all other coaches I have met along the way.”

Yigit and Halkbank have lost one match only this season – curiously to his former team Arkas in the quarterfinals of the national cup – and he remains focussed on achieving success in the Turkish national league and Challenge Cup – after winning the BVA Cup last autumn. In this journey, he will continue to use social media in a virtuous way:

“I have to admit that I was quite sceptical about social media for a while and their use – it seems like everyone is living a perfect life but we know this is not what the reality of this world is. My wish is to use these channels in a responsible way – sharing my life and Volleyball experiences to inspire others, motivate people, and make everyone realise that even if life is not always perfect and shiny, we shall always search for positives and work hard to fulfil our dreams and ambitions.”

He truly is one of a kind.

Source: CEV